Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Malacca: $612 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Malacca
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Malacca Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Malacca

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$612

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $612 in Malacca.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Malacca $612

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $977 in Malacca.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Malacca $977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,343 in Malacca.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Malacca $1,343

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 40% more expensive than in Malacca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Malacca 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.27 MYR 13.36

-41.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$18.71 MYR 76.3

22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.80 MYR 19.60

-5.42%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.83 MYR 11.56

-34.63%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.77 MYR 3.15

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.54 MYR 2.21

-40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$2.97 MYR 12.10

-42.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.11 MYR 4.52

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.42 MYR 5.78

-29.58%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.72 MYR 7.02

-2.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$18.49 MYR 75.4

-34.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.59 MYR 18.73

-19.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$10.83 MYR 44.18

-5.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.26 MYR 13.29

-9.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-29.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.38 MYR 9.72

-34.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.64 MYR 6.69

-20.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.47 MYR 5.99

-16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.74 MYR 7.09

-33.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.37 MYR 5.61

-45.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.55 MYR 2.23

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.19 MYR 17.11

-70.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$13.92 MYR 56.8

-9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.17 MYR 8.84

-55.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$3.11 MYR 12.67

-50.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.47 MYR 1.92

-44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.40 MYR 50.6

-7.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.00 MYR 4.09

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.70 MYR 2.85

-4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$12.03 MYR 49.08

-74.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.51 MYR 2.10

88.24%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$41.7K MYR 170.3K

-25.57%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

-13.01%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$51.7 MYR 211

97.25%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$11.20 MYR 45.69

-47.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$28.12 MYR 115

-62.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$22.13 MYR 90.3

15.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$11.76 MYR 47.97

1.36%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.02 MYR 20.49

-29.68%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$163 MYR 665

167.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$4,501 MYR 18.4K

417.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$54.7 MYR 223

-3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$16.80 MYR 68.5

103.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$82.3 MYR 336

9.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$97.7 MYR 399

-2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$192 MYR 784

206.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,191 MYR 4,861

292.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$804 MYR 3,280

136.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$411 MYR 1,677

19.10%

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 Malacca: 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%

Malacca

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Malacca

$261 42.7% 26% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Malacca

$113 18.5% 7.6% $9.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Malacca

$91 14.9% 23.1% $27

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Malacca

$95 15.6% 50.4% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Malacca

$32 5.3% 1.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Malacca

$19 3.1% 12.8% $2.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $192 in Malacca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $19.00 in Malacca. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $261, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Malacca

🕒 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

579,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Malacca 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Malacca

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 Malacca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malacca wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Malacca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $192 in Malacca. 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 $612 in Malacca – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Malacca runs roughly 8% 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 $612 in Malacca versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malacca but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Malacca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Malacca delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $612 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Malacca hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Malacca 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 Malacca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.