Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Lumut, Perak

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $987 in Lumut, Perak, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Lumut, Perak 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Lumut, Perak
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Lumut, Perak Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Lumut, Perak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Lumut, Perak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $987 in Lumut, Perak.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Lumut, Perak $987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,449 in Lumut, Perak.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Lumut, Perak $1,449

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,910 in Lumut, Perak.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Lumut, Perak $1,910

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 13% less than in Lumut, Perak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Lumut, Perak 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.56 MYR 14.52

-46.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$12.21 MYR 49.79

87.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.92 MYR 20.06

-7.72%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.97 MYR 12.14

-37.71%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.83 MYR 3.39

-32.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.38 MYR 1.56

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$3.84 MYR 15.65

-72.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$5.97 MYR 24.34

-71.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$2.14 MYR 8.73

-22.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.07 MYR 4.38

3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$2.02 MYR 8.25

-50.50%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.46 MYR 10.05

-32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-12.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.38 MYR 17.88

-15.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.89 MYR 40.36

3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.35 MYR 13.68

-11.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.83 MYR 7.45

-32.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.25 MYR 9.18

-30.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.60 MYR 6.53

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.28 MYR 5.24

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.35 MYR 5.52

-14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.18 MYR 4.82

-37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.66 MYR 2.68

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.39 MYR 17.90

-71.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$19.67 MYR 80.2

-35.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$3.51 MYR 14.31

-72.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$5.03 MYR 20.51

-69.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.64 MYR 2.62

-59.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$11.47 MYR 46.78

0.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.23 MYR 5.03

-39.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$1.21 MYR 4.92

-44.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$4.92 MYR 20.06

-38.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.88 MYR 3.57

9.09%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$42.2K MYR 172.2K

-26.41%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$34.0K MYR 138.7K

-10.71%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$61.4 MYR 251

66.01%

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

$26.41 MYR 108

-60.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$37.77 MYR 154

-32.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$6.93 MYR 28.29

72.01%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.12 MYR 20.89

-31.05%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$303 MYR 1,236

44.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$12.9K MYR 52.6K

80.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$70.9 MYR 289

-25.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$41.12 MYR 168

-16.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$87.5 MYR 357

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$95.2 MYR 388

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$406 MYR 1,657

45.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$299 MYR 1,222

-0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$686 MYR 2,798

88.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$475 MYR 1,940

49.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,306 MYR 9,407

102.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,183 MYR 4,824

60.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$381 MYR 1,555

28.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.18

106.70%

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 Lumut, Perak: 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%

Lumut, Perak

$299 30.4% 0.6% $1.7

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Lumut, Perak

$274 27.8% 32.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Lumut, Perak

$133 13.4% 8.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Lumut, Perak

$97 9.8% 18.4% $22

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Lumut, Perak

$115 11.6% 81.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Lumut, Perak

$48 4.9% 47.3% $15

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Lumut, Perak

$21 2.2% 27.9% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $406 in Lumut, Perak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 28% 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 Lumut, Perak. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $274, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Lumut, Perak

🕒 Local time

10:41 10:41 AM

11:41 11:41 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

39,595

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Lumut, Perak 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Lumut, Perak

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 Lumut, Perak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Lumut, Perak. 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.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $406 in Lumut, Perak. 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 $987 in Lumut, Perak – a 15% 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 0% less than in Lumut, Perak. 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 $987 in Lumut, Perak, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Lumut, Perak. 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 Lumut, Perak 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 15% less than in Lumut, Perak. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.