Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $853 a month against $900 in Skudai, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Skudai despite lower rent and utilities.

41

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Skudai
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Skudai Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Skudai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$900

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $900 in Skudai.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853
Skudai $900

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,370 in Skudai.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391
Skudai $1,370

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,840 in Skudai.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930
Skudai $1,840

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 5% less than in Skudai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower, Skudai 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.4K

$3.63 MYR 14.84

-47.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 ₫592.6K

$18.25 MYR 74.6

25.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 ₫121.2K

$4.90 MYR 20.05

-4.29%

Cappuccino

$1.80 ₫46.5K

$2.87 MYR 11.73

-37.28%

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

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.83 MYR 3.40

-33.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,815

$0.45 MYR 1.83

-24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$3.33 MYR 13.62

-69.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.4K

$5.62 MYR 22.97

-69.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$1.74 MYR 7.11

-4.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.2K

$1.02 MYR 4.18

6.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.48 MYR 6.06

-28.38%

Eggs

$1.60 ₫41.3K

$1.66 MYR 6.78

-3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.3K

$9.64 MYR 39.43

25.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ₫94.5K

$3.20 MYR 13.09

14.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.35 ₫267.4K

$9.61 MYR 39.28

7.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 ₫77.8K

$3.42 MYR 13.98

-11.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.70 MYR 6.94

-25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$2.61 MYR 10.68

-37.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ₫32.7K

$1.64 MYR 6.69

-22.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$1.41 MYR 5.75

-16.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.73 MYR 7.08

-31.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 ₫20.2K

$1.37 MYR 5.59

-43.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$0.51 MYR 2.09

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$4.28 MYR 17.49

-70.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 ₫332.0K

$13.83 MYR 56.5

-7.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.2K

$2.74 MYR 11.19

-67.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.99 MYR 12.22

-51.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,263

$0.83 MYR 3.40

-66.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.42 ₫295.1K

$10.95 MYR 44.78

4.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.2K

$1.01 MYR 4.13

-30.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₫16.3K

$0.36 MYR 1.46

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ₫79.8K

$9.03 MYR 36.92

-65.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.6K

$0.86 MYR 3.51

10.47%

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

$30.5K ₫788.5M

$44.3K MYR 181.0K

-31.07%

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

$29.7K ₫768.1M

$36.0K MYR 147.2K

-17.45%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$48.79 MYR 199

109.51%

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

$5.65 ₫145.9K

$8.16 MYR 33.38

-30.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.43 ₫269.6K

$26.88 MYR 110

-61.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.30 ₫498.8K

$36.95 MYR 151

-47.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 ₫305.3K

$7.55 MYR 30.86

56.42%

Cinema Ticket

$3.83 ₫98.9K

$4.93 MYR 20.17

-22.31%

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

$484 ₫12.5M

$235 MYR 962

105.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.5M

$4,393 MYR 18.0K

430.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 ₫1.4M

$50.5 MYR 206

3.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 ₫887.6K

$16.62 MYR 68.0

106.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₫2.4M

$77.2 MYR 316

19.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 ₫2.4M

$85.4 MYR 349

10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 ₫16.7M

$357 MYR 1,461

80.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$311 MYR 1,270

-4.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 ₫33.3M

$650 MYR 2,659

98.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 ₫18.6M

$565 MYR 2,310

27.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,327 ₫111.8M

$1,956 MYR 7,997

121.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,987 ₫51.3M

$1,161 MYR 4,746

71.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

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 26, 2026

Last update for Skudai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9%

Skudai

$311 34.5% 4.6% $14

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4%

Skudai

$226 25.2% 8.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4%

Skudai

$103 11.5% 15.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9%

Skudai

$84 9.3% 29.1% $34

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Skudai

$111 12.4% 76.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2%

Skudai

$47 5.2% 73.7% $20

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Skudai

$17 1.9% 4.1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $357 in Skudai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $18 in Skudai. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $226, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Skudai

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

03:34 3:34 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

159,733

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 25,841 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,808 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Skudai 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Skudai

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 Skudai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Skudai. 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.

You’d need roughly $1,279 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $1,349 in Skudai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $357 in Skudai. 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 $900 in Skudai – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Skudai runs roughly 4% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Skudai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.