Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $913 in Setia Alam, rent and utilities included – about $650 less a year. The total is higher in Setia Alam 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Setia Alam
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Setia Alam Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $913 in Setia Alam.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Setia Alam $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,358 in Setia Alam.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Setia Alam $1,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,803 in Setia Alam.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Setia Alam $1,803

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 6% less than in Setia Alam, 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, Setia Alam 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$4.81 MYR 19.61

-60.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$24.57 MYR 100

-7.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.96 MYR 20.22

-8.47%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$2.76 MYR 11.27

-32.97%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.79 MYR 3.23

-29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.47 MYR 1.93

-31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$4.32 MYR 17.63

-75.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$6.01 MYR 24.50

-71.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.49 MYR 6.09

11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$0.72 MYR 2.92

54.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$0.59 MYR 2.42

69.49%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.20 MYR 4.91

39.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-12.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$2.41 MYR 9.83

52.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$2.41 MYR 9.83

324.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$1.24 MYR 5.04

138.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.83 MYR 7.47

-32.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.25 MYR 5.11

24.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.20 MYR 4.91

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$0.71 MYR 2.89

73.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$0.74 MYR 3.03

55.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$0.70 MYR 2.87

5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.72 MYR 2.95

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.32 MYR 17.64

-71.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$19.60 MYR 80.0

-35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$3.59 MYR 14.64

-73.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$4.86 MYR 19.84

-68.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.76 MYR 3.08

-65.79%

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

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-39.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-44.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$4.78 MYR 19.49

-36.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.48 MYR 1.95

100.00%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$39.2K MYR 159.9K

-20.72%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$33.0K MYR 134.7K

-8.08%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$61.2 MYR 250

66.72%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$8.52 MYR 34.77

-30.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$26.04 MYR 106

-59.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$49.73 MYR 203

-48.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$6.97 MYR 28.44

71.02%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.10 MYR 20.82

-30.78%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$135 MYR 551

223.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$7,885 MYR 32.2K

195.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$72.7 MYR 296

-27.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$27.31 MYR 111

25.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$53.8 MYR 220

67.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$36.56 MYR 149

159.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$529 MYR 2,160

11.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$323 MYR 1,319

-7.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$873 MYR 3,562

47.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$549 MYR 2,238

29.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$1,992 MYR 8,128

134.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,102 MYR 4,498

72.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$1,143 MYR 4,663

-57.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

116.00%

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 Setia Alam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Setia Alam

$323 35.4% 8.5% $25

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Setia Alam

$200 21.9% 3.4% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Setia Alam

$86 9.4% 30.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Setia Alam

$96 10.5% 19.1% $23

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Setia Alam

$125 13.7% 97.3% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Setia Alam

$60 6.6% 83.8% $27

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Setia Alam

$23 2.5% 35.4% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $529 in Setia Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 133% 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 $25.00 in Setia Alam. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $200, with Setia Alam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

17:11 5:11 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

150,000

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Setia Alam 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Setia Alam

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 Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Setia Alam. 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 133% lower in Setia Alam. 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 $529 in Setia Alam. 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 $913 in Setia Alam – a 6% 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 Setia Alam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $913 in Setia Alam, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Setia Alam. 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 $859 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 Setia Alam 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 6% less than in Setia Alam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.