Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seri Iskandar: $708 a month against $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Seri Iskandar
Learn more

Seri Iskandar Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Seri Iskandar

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$708

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $708 in Seri Iskandar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Seri Iskandar $708

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $917 in Seri Iskandar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Seri Iskandar $917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,126 in Seri Iskandar.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Seri Iskandar $1,126

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is roughly 21% more expensive than in Seri Iskandar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Seri Iskandar 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$2.74 MYR 11.18

-30.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.4K

$29.75 MYR 121

-22.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$4.72 MYR 19.24

-0.64%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$1.02 MYR 4.15

76.47%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.52 MYR 2.13

5.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,812

$0.26 MYR 1.06

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$2.99 MYR 12.19

-65.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$3.62 MYR 14.73

-52.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.58 MYR 6.43

5.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$0.95 MYR 3.88

14.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$0.51 MYR 2.09

107.84%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$2.03 MYR 8.25

-21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.1K

$5.31 MYR 21.65

127.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$1.94 MYR 7.89

88.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.3K

$4.47 MYR 18.21

131.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.7K

$2.16 MYR 8.80

39.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.69 MYR 6.88

-25.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫41.9K

$1.98 MYR 8.06

-18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.03 MYR 4.19

23.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$0.63 MYR 2.56

87.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.7K

$0.95 MYR 3.89

25.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.1K

$1.02 MYR 4.15

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.63 MYR 2.56

-12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$4.39 MYR 17.87

-71.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫331.9K

$7.42 MYR 30.21

73.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.1K

$2.44 MYR 9.93

-63.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$3.72 MYR 15.15

-60.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,260

$1.08 MYR 4.41

-74.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.0K

$12.26 MYR 49.96

-6.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$1.02 MYR 4.17

-31.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$1.24 MYR 5.03

-49.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$4.87 MYR 19.83

-36.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.61 MYR 2.50

55.74%

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

$30.5K ₫788.3M

$19.4K MYR 78.9K

57.52%

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

$29.7K ₫767.8M

$19.6K MYR 79.8K

51.72%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$62.8 MYR 256

62.85%

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

$5.65 ₫145.8K

$8.98 MYR 36.60

-37.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.5K

$16.79 MYR 68.4

-37.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.7K

$13.48 MYR 54.9

43.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.1K

$6.76 MYR 27.55

74.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$3.73 MYR 15.21

2.68%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$237 MYR 965

104.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.3M

$13.1K MYR 53.4K

77.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$16.83 MYR 68.6

210.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.3K

$8.68 MYR 35.36

295.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$60.4 MYR 246

52.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$37.27 MYR 152

152.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$419 MYR 1,707

54.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$287 MYR 1,169

3.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$779 MYR 3,175

65.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$162 MYR 659

344.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$2,030 MYR 8,271

113.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,168 MYR 4,758

70.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$366 MYR 1,489

34.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

332.00%

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 Seri Iskandar: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Seri Iskandar

$287 40.6% 3.5% $10

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Seri Iskandar

$158 22.4% 23.9% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Seri Iskandar

$55 7.8% 54.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Seri Iskandar

$89 12.5% 25.2% $30

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Seri Iskandar

$74 10.4% 16.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Seri Iskandar

$21 3% 22.3% $6

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Seri Iskandar

$24 3.4% 45.1% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $419 in Seri Iskandar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 34% 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 $30 in Seri Iskandar. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $158, with Seri Iskandar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Seri Iskandar

🕒 Local time

07:12 7:12 AM

08:12 8:12 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

14,827

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Seri Iskandar 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Seri Iskandar

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 Seri Iskandar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seri Iskandar wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Seri Iskandar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% 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: $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $419 in Seri Iskandar. 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 $708 in Seri Iskandar – Seri Iskandar is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 7% less than in Seri Iskandar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Seri Iskandar gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Seri Iskandar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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