Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawang: $741 a month against $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Rawang
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Rawang Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Rawang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $741 in Rawang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Rawang $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,183 in Rawang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Rawang $1,183

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,624 in Rawang.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Rawang $1,624

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 16% more expensive than in Rawang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Rawang 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.75 MYR 15.31

-49.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$19.68 MYR 80.3

16.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$5.04 MYR 20.55

-9.92%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.99 MYR 12.20

-38.13%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.83 MYR 3.38

-32.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.39 MYR 1.61

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$4.25 MYR 17.33

-75.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$4.39 MYR 17.89

-60.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.95 MYR 7.96

-14.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.04 MYR 4.26

6.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-43.18%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.23 MYR 9.08

-25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$14.15 MYR 57.7

-14.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.48 MYR 18.29

-17.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$9.85 MYR 40.19

3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.06 MYR 12.49

-3.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.84 MYR 7.49

-32.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.63 MYR 10.73

-40.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.44 MYR 5.89

-9.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.32 MYR 5.37

-6.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.33 MYR 5.43

-13.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.18 MYR 4.80

-37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.57 MYR 2.34

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.54 MYR 18.53

-72.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$19.13 MYR 78.1

-34.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.96 MYR 12.09

-67.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$5.09 MYR 20.75

-69.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.77 MYR 3.12

-66.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.31 MYR 50.2

-6.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.66 MYR 6.77

-54.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.37 MYR 1.52

81.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$6.88 MYR 28.05

-55.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.89 MYR 3.64

7.87%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$42.4K MYR 173.0K

-26.74%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

-12.41%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$36.56 MYR 149

178.94%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$9.78 MYR 39.90

-39.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$29.31 MYR 120

-64.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$39.87 MYR 163

-35.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$7.13 MYR 29.08

67.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$4.90 MYR 19.99

-27.96%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$301 MYR 1,227

45.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.9K MYR 44.6K

113.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$59.8 MYR 244

-11.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$35.75 MYR 146

-4.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$82.6 MYR 337

9.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$70.9 MYR 289

33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$140 MYR 569

322.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$103 MYR 421

188.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$577 MYR 2,354

123.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$232 MYR 945

206.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,051 MYR 8,368

127.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,090 MYR 4,445

74.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$1,035 MYR 4,223

-52.70%

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 Rawang: 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%

Rawang

$103 13.9% 65.3% $195

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Rawang

$266 35.9% 28.3% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Rawang

$112 15.1% 8.5% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Rawang

$76 10.2% 36.1% $43

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Rawang

$116 15.6% 82.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Rawang

$50 6.7% 52.3% $17

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Rawang

$19 2.6% 13.5% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $140 in Rawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rawang pays 111% 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 $20.00 in Rawang. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $266, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Rawang

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

13:12 1:12 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

50,000

💱 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 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Rawang 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Rawang

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 Rawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawang wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rawang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 111% lower in Rawang. 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 $140 in Rawang. 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 $741 in Rawang – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rawang 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.

At $741 in Rawang versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rawang but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Rawang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rawang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $741 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rawang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Rawang 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 Rawang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.