Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $853 a month against $951 in Muar, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Muar despite lower rent and utilities.

41

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 Muar
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Muar Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Muar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $951 in Muar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Muar $951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,505 in Muar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Muar $1,505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $2,059 in Muar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Muar $2,059

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 10% less than in Muar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Muar 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.4K

$4.82 MYR 19.72

-60.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.6K

$29.01 MYR 119

-20.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$3.88 MYR 15.86

20.88%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$3.05 MYR 12.46

-40.98%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.76 MYR 3.12

-27.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,815

$0.46 MYR 1.88

-26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$4.44 MYR 18.14

-76.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$6.27 MYR 25.63

-72.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.13 MYR 8.72

-21.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.07 MYR 4.37

1.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.85 MYR 7.58

-42.70%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$2.44 MYR 9.96

-34.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.3K

$14.25 MYR 58.3

-15.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$4.44 MYR 18.17

-17.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.4K

$9.95 MYR 40.68

4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.8K

$3.36 MYR 13.75

-10.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.85 MYR 7.55

-31.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$2.25 MYR 9.19

-28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.51 MYR 6.19

-15.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.22 MYR 4.97

-3.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.37 MYR 5.60

-13.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.2K

$1.16 MYR 4.74

-32.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.71 MYR 2.91

-22.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$4.45 MYR 18.19

-71.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫332.0K

$19.48 MYR 79.7

-34.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.2K

$3.48 MYR 14.24

-74.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$4.99 MYR 20.42

-70.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,263

$0.64 MYR 2.63

-56.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.1K

$10.62 MYR 43.43

7.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-41.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$1.25 MYR 5.10

-49.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$4.87 MYR 19.93

-36.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.81 MYR 3.32

17.28%

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

$30.5K ₫788.5M

$44.4K MYR 181.6K

-31.32%

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

$29.7K ₫768.1M

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

-14.74%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$62.0 MYR 254

64.79%

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

$5.65 ₫145.9K

$8.88 MYR 36.32

-36.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.6K

$26.21 MYR 107

-60.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.8K

$37.02 MYR 151

-47.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.3K

$5.79 MYR 23.66

103.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$4.85 MYR 19.83

-21.03%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$240 MYR 981

101.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.5M

$13.3K MYR 54.5K

75.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$72.2 MYR 295

-27.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.6K

$41.83 MYR 171

-17.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$84.3 MYR 345

9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$96.3 MYR 394

-2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$445 MYR 1,818

45.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$253 MYR 1,033

17.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$617 MYR 2,521

109.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$518 MYR 2,117

38.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$2,001 MYR 8,180

116.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,229 MYR 5,023

61.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$603 MYR 2,465

-18.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.17

107.19%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Last update for Muar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Muar

$253 26.6% 15% $44

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Muar

$274 28.9% 31.9% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Muar

$133 14% 7.9% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Muar

$97 10.2% 17.9% $21

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Muar

$126 13.3% 100% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Muar

$47 4.9% 73.3% $20

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Muar

$21 2.2% 25.7% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $445 in Muar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muar pays 23% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $29 in Muar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $274 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Muar

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

03:34 3:34 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

314,776

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 25,841 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,808 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Muar

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 Muar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Muar. 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.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). 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: $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $445 in Muar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $853 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $951 in Muar – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Muar runs roughly 7% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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

It comes down to priorities – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on affordability, Muar on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.