Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Kuantan: $859 and $839 a month, rent and utilities included.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kuantan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $839 in Kuantan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Kuantan $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,219 in Kuantan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Kuantan $1,219

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,599 in Kuantan.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Kuantan $1,599

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 2% more expensive than in Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Kuantan 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$2.49 MYR 10.18

-23.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$12.00 MYR 48.96

90.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$3.63 MYR 14.83

25.07%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.88 MYR 11.73

-35.76%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.45 MYR 1.82

-28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$2.80 MYR 11.43

-62.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$5.73 MYR 23.37

-69.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.60 MYR 6.52

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.82 MYR 3.35

35.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.47 MYR 5.98

-31.97%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.31 MYR 5.34

27.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$9.51 MYR 38.79

27.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$3.28 MYR 13.36

12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$4.42 MYR 18.04

131.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.03 MYR 12.35

-2.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-35.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.73 MYR 11.12

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.75 MYR 7.14

-25.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.94 MYR 7.93

-40.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.76 MYR 3.12

-2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.56 MYR 2.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.38 MYR 17.85

-71.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$19.95 MYR 81.4

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.99 MYR 8.13

-51.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.92 MYR 7.81

-20.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.51 MYR 2.07

-49.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.15 MYR 49.55

-5.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.13 MYR 4.61

-33.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.35 MYR 1.45

91.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$9.05 MYR 36.92

-66.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.52 MYR 2.13

84.62%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

-8.90%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

-8.23%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$49.82 MYR 203

104.70%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$8.06 MYR 32.86

-26.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$24.16 MYR 98.6

-56.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$39.79 MYR 162

-35.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$6.83 MYR 27.87

74.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.65 MYR 18.98

-24.09%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$280 MYR 1,142

55.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

127.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$52.4 MYR 214

0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$30.29 MYR 124

12.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$49.62 MYR 202

81.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$48.89 MYR 199

94.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$411 MYR 1,675

43.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$302 MYR 1,232

-1.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$692 MYR 2,822

86.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$476 MYR 1,943

49.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,015 MYR 8,220

132.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,090 MYR 4,448

74.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$975 MYR 3,976

-49.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.15

108.19%

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 Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Kuantan

$302 36% 1.4% $4.1

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 2.5% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 33.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 30.7% $36

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 50.4% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 50.6% $17

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Kuantan

$17 2% 2.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $411 in Kuantan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuantan pays 99% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $12.00 in Kuantan. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $212, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

08:55 8:55 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

548,014

💱 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) Kuantan 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Kuantan

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuantan wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuantan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 99% lower in Kuantan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $411 in Kuantan. 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 $839 in Kuantan – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuantan runs roughly 6% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $839 in Kuantan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuantan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Kuantan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kuantan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kuantan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Kuantan 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 Kuantan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.