Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Kuala Terengganu

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $924 in Kuala Terengganu, rent and utilities included – about $780 less a year. The total is higher in Kuala Terengganu despite lower rent and utilities.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Terengganu
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Kuala Terengganu Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Kuala Terengganu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Kuala Terengganu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $924 in Kuala Terengganu.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Kuala Terengganu $924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,372 in Kuala Terengganu.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Kuala Terengganu $1,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,821 in Kuala Terengganu.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Kuala Terengganu $1,821

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 7% less than in Kuala Terengganu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Kuala Terengganu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.49 MYR 10.15

-23.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$23.06 MYR 94.1

-0.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.72 MYR 19.25

-3.81%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.72 MYR 11.08

-31.99%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.47 MYR 1.90

19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.28 MYR 1.14

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$3.56 MYR 14.52

-70.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$4.18 MYR 17.05

-58.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.70 MYR 6.94

-2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.02 MYR 4.15

8.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.28 MYR 5.22

-21.88%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.13 MYR 8.68

-21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$15.66 MYR 63.9

-22.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.35 MYR 17.73

-15.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$8.41 MYR 34.29

21.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.36 MYR 13.73

-11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.61 MYR 6.59

-22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.10 MYR 8.59

-25.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.50 MYR 6.13

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.47 MYR 6.01

-16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.09 MYR 4.45

5.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.00 MYR 4.09

-26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.53 MYR 2.17

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.46 MYR 18.18

-72.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$17.84 MYR 72.8

-29.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.92 MYR 11.91

-67.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$4.82 MYR 19.66

-68.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.67 MYR 2.75

-61.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$10.62 MYR 43.31

8.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.27 MYR 5.20

-40.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.46 MYR 1.89

45.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$6.55 MYR 26.73

-53.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.90 MYR 3.65

6.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$43.8K MYR 178.8K

-29.12%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$32.1K MYR 131.0K

-5.45%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$102 ₫2.6M

$45.25 MYR 185

125.37%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$8.79 MYR 35.87

-32.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$25.10 MYR 102

-58.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$44.04 MYR 180

-42.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$7.97 MYR 32.49

49.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.81 MYR 19.61

-26.61%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$436 ₫11.3M

$172 MYR 701

153.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$6,936 MYR 28.3K

235.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$57.5 MYR 235

-8.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$36.37 MYR 148

-6.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$86.5 MYR 353

4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$68.0 MYR 278

39.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$361 MYR 1,472

63.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$312 MYR 1,275

-4.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$722 MYR 2,946

78.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$471 MYR 1,923

50.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,073 MYR 8,456

125.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,145 MYR 4,669

66.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.06

112.81%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Kuala Terengganu

$312 33.8% 4.9% $15

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Kuala Terengganu

$254 27.5% 22.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Kuala Terengganu

$112 12.1% 8.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Kuala Terengganu

$79 8.6% 33.1% $39

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Kuala Terengganu

$96 10.4% 50.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kuala Terengganu

$54 5.8% 64.6% $21

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Kuala Terengganu

$17 1.8% 1.6% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $361 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $23.00 in Kuala Terengganu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $254 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

12:18 12:18 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

375,424

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Kuala Terengganu 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kuala Terengganu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs Kuala Terengganu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Kuala Terengganu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,386 in Kuala Terengganu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $361 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $859 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $924 in Kuala Terengganu – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 8% less than in Kuala Terengganu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $924 in Kuala Terengganu, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kuala Terengganu. The gap between the two cities makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $859 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Kuala Terengganu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Kuala Terengganu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.