Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Sandakan, Sabah

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $862 a month against $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. The total is higher in Sandakan, Sabah 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Sandakan, Sabah
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Sandakan, Sabah Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Sandakan, Sabah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $934 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Sandakan, Sabah $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,397 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Sandakan, Sabah $1,397

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,860 in Sandakan, Sabah.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Sandakan, Sabah $1,860

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 8% less than in Sandakan, Sabah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Sandakan, Sabah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$3.75 MYR 15.28

-47.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$19.24 MYR 78.5

20.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.77 MYR 19.45

-0.21%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.83 MYR 11.53

-34.28%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.79 MYR 3.23

-35.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.40 MYR 1.63

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$3.77 MYR 15.39

-72.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$4.48 MYR 18.27

-61.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-13.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.04 MYR 4.26

4.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.49 MYR 6.09

-29.53%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$2.05 MYR 8.37

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$13.38 MYR 54.6

-7.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$4.36 MYR 17.77

-17.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$9.69 MYR 39.54

8.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$3.28 MYR 13.39

-9.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-24.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$2.42 MYR 9.85

-33.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.53 MYR 6.25

-14.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.31 MYR 5.35

-9.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.18 MYR 4.82

-3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$1.12 MYR 4.57

-34.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.53 MYR 2.15

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$4.50 MYR 18.35

-71.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$19.33 MYR 78.9

-35.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-68.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$4.55 MYR 18.55

-67.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.72 MYR 2.92

-63.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$12.43 MYR 50.7

-8.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.19 MYR 4.85

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.50 MYR 2.05

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$7.51 MYR 30.63

-60.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.80 MYR 3.28

13.75%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

-25.98%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$34.3K MYR 140.0K

-14.43%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$48.48 MYR 198

114.05%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$9.82 MYR 40.07

-41.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$27.45 MYR 112

-61.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$39.94 MYR 163

-34.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$7.11 MYR 29.01

67.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$4.94 MYR 20.14

-21.26%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$190 MYR 776

131.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$7,001 MYR 28.6K

243.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$56.6 MYR 231

-10.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$34.71 MYR 142

1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$81.6 MYR 333

12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$75.7 MYR 309

27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$403 MYR 1,644

44.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$299 MYR 1,221

-0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$681 MYR 2,779

90.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$489 MYR 1,994

48.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,002 MYR 8,167

138.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,079 MYR 4,402

71.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$1,220 MYR 4,976

-59.83%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Sandakan, Sabah: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Sandakan, Sabah

$299 32.1% 0.9% $2.8

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Sandakan, Sabah

$258 27.6% 24% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Sandakan, Sabah

$112 12% 9.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Sandakan, Sabah

$86 9.2% 28.6% $34

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Sandakan, Sabah

$111 11.9% 72.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Sandakan, Sabah

$50 5.3% 47.1% $16

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Sandakan, Sabah

$19 2% 16.8% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $403 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandakan, Sabah pays 149% 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 Sandakan, Sabah. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $258, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Sandakan, Sabah

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

439,050

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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) Sandakan, Sabah 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Sandakan, Sabah

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 Sandakan, Sabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 149% lower in Sandakan, Sabah. 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $403 in Sandakan, Sabah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $862 per month in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $934 in Sandakan, Sabah – a 8% 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 9% less than in Sandakan, Sabah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $934 in Sandakan, Sabah, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Sandakan, Sabah. 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 $862 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 Sandakan, Sabah 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 8% less than in Sandakan, Sabah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.