Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,062 in Petaling Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,062

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,062 in Petaling Jaya.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855
Petaling Jaya $1,062

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,529 in Petaling Jaya.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400
Petaling Jaya $1,529

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,997 in Petaling Jaya.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944
Petaling Jaya $1,997

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 19% less than in Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Petaling Jaya 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.90 ₫49.1K

$3.71 MYR 15.15

-48.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 ₫603.5K

$24.45 MYR 99.8

-4.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ₫120.9K

$4.87 MYR 19.88

-4.11%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.9K

$2.99 MYR 12.21

-38.13%

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

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.88 MYR 3.59

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,857

$0.44 MYR 1.80

-22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

$3.33 MYR 13.60

-69.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$5.69 MYR 23.21

-70.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.93 MYR 7.90

-18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₫27.0K

$1.03 MYR 4.20

0.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.7K

$1.44 MYR 5.89

-31.25%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.5K

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 ₫316.6K

$9.66 MYR 39.44

26.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.54 ₫91.7K

$3.32 MYR 13.54

6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.2K

$9.54 MYR 38.94

9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ₫79.9K

$3.44 MYR 14.05

-10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.93 MYR 7.89

-34.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$2.77 MYR 11.31

-43.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$1.83 MYR 7.47

-31.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.4K

$2.15 MYR 8.80

-45.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$2.01 MYR 8.23

-42.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$1.43 MYR 5.85

-49.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.55 MYR 2.25

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.22 ₫31.5K

$4.57 MYR 18.66

-73.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

$19.30 MYR 78.8

-36.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

$2.71 MYR 11.08

-63.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

$4.46 MYR 18.20

-66.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

$1.20 MYR 4.92

-76.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

$12.40 MYR 50.6

-6.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫18.9K

$1.25 MYR 5.09

-41.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₫16.7K

$0.35 MYR 1.44

82.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

$8.73 MYR 35.64

-63.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.88 MYR 3.58

7.95%

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

$30.7K ₫795.6M

$41.1K MYR 167.8K

-25.19%

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

$30.6K ₫791.6M

$32.6K MYR 133.2K

-6.22%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$48.53 MYR 198

110.80%

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

$5.65 ₫146.1K

$8.08 MYR 33.00

-30.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ₫272.2K

$26.83 MYR 110

-60.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 ₫669.2K

$51.8 MYR 211

-50.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₫305.9K

$3.16 MYR 12.89

274.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$4.92 MYR 20.09

-31.10%

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

$438 ₫11.3M

$279 MYR 1,137

57.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫603.1M

$10.4K MYR 42.4K

124.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₫1.3M

$52.4 MYR 214

-1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.56 ₫894.3K

$29.65 MYR 121

16.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₫2.4M

$76.3 MYR 311

19.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 ₫2.5M

$84.9 MYR 347

11.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ₫14.9M

$482 MYR 1,970

19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ₫7.6M

$404 MYR 1,651

-27.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 ₫33.5M

$831 MYR 3,391

55.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₫18.6M

$554 MYR 2,260

29.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

$3,121 MYR 12.7K

51.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

$952 MYR 3,888

97.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 ₫12.6M

$1,744 MYR 7,120

-72.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.51

91.57%

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

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3%

Petaling Jaya

$404 38.8% 38.4% $112

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1%

Petaling Jaya

$250 24% 21.4% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Petaling Jaya

$109 10.5% 10.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Petaling Jaya

$83 8% 29.6% $35

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5%

Petaling Jaya

$113 10.9% 78.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Petaling Jaya

$62 5.9% 88.8% $29

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2%

Petaling Jaya

$20 1.9% 21.1% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $482 in Petaling Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Petaling Jaya pays 259% 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 $24.00 in Petaling Jaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $250 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

771,687

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Petaling Jaya 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Petaling Jaya

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 Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Petaling Jaya. 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 259% lower in Petaling Jaya. 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: $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $482 in Petaling Jaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $855 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,062 in Petaling Jaya – a 24% 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 7% less than in Petaling Jaya. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,062 in Petaling Jaya, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Petaling Jaya. 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 $855 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 Petaling Jaya 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 24% less than in Petaling Jaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.