Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $951 in Subang Jaya, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Subang Jaya 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Subang Jaya
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Subang Jaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Subang Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $951 in Subang Jaya.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859
Subang Jaya $951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,448 in Subang Jaya.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395
Subang Jaya $1,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,945 in Subang Jaya.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931
Subang Jaya $1,945

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 10% less than in Subang Jaya, 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, Subang Jaya 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.91 ₫49.6K

$3.58 MYR 14.61

-46.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.84 ₫591.2K

$19.71 MYR 80.4

15.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ₫117.6K

$4.56 MYR 18.60

-0.44%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.0K

$3.03 MYR 12.37

-38.94%

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

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.77 MYR 3.14

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,185

$0.40 MYR 1.63

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$4.11 MYR 16.76

-74.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.5K

$4.53 MYR 18.47

-62.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₫42.9K

$1.85 MYR 7.55

-10.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₫28.7K

$1.04 MYR 4.26

6.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.9K

$1.68 MYR 6.85

-40.48%

Eggs

$1.67 ₫43.1K

$2.24 MYR 9.15

-25.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 ₫312.8K

$13.42 MYR 54.7

-9.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫95.2K

$4.54 MYR 18.53

-18.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 ₫265.1K

$8.45 MYR 34.46

21.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ₫76.5K

$3.06 MYR 12.48

-3.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.2K

$1.78 MYR 7.28

-30.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$2.27 MYR 9.24

-31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$1.40 MYR 5.70

-7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.9K

$1.11 MYR 4.52

10.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.8K

$1.12 MYR 4.58

2.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$1.09 MYR 4.46

-32.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.54 MYR 2.19

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$4.42 MYR 18.05

-71.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.1K

$18.72 MYR 76.4

-32.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$3.01 MYR 12.28

-68.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$4.90 MYR 20.00

-68.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,694

$0.84 MYR 3.42

-69.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.51 ₫297.9K

$12.39 MYR 50.6

-7.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.21 MYR 4.92

-38.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₫17.4K

$0.40 MYR 1.64

67.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ₫78.5K

$4.77 MYR 19.44

-36.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$0.88 MYR 3.57

9.09%

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

$31.1K ₫804.3M

$42.4K MYR 172.8K

-26.66%

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

$30.4K ₫785.9M

$34.9K MYR 142.3K

-12.97%

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

$102 ₫2.6M

$36.42 MYR 149

180.01%

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

$5.89 ₫152.5K

$9.61 MYR 39.20

-38.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.49 ₫271.6K

$29.25 MYR 119

-64.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.54 ₫661.2K

$24.81 MYR 101

2.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 ₫308.5K

$2.41 MYR 9.85

394.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.53 ₫91.3K

$5.04 MYR 20.56

-29.96%

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

$436 ₫11.3M

$296 MYR 1,209

47.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₫602.8M

$10.7K MYR 43.7K

117.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 ₫1.4M

$59.5 MYR 243

-11.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.15 ₫884.1K

$34.85 MYR 142

-2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 ₫2.3M

$86.0 MYR 351

4.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 ₫2.5M

$70.6 MYR 288

34.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₫15.3M

$566 MYR 2,308

4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ₫7.7M

$342 MYR 1,394

-12.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 ₫33.5M

$714 MYR 2,914

80.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 ₫18.4M

$620 MYR 2,529

14.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,676 ₫121.1M

$2,360 MYR 9,629

98.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,904 ₫49.3M

$1,857 MYR 7,574

2.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$918 MYR 3,747

-46.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.64

4.04

113.86%

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 Subang Jaya: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7%

Subang Jaya

$342 36% 14.8% $44

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1%

Subang Jaya

$254 26.7% 22.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3%

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9% 7.8% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8%

Subang Jaya

$75 7.9% 36.4% $43

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4%

Subang Jaya

$113 11.9% 78% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8%

Subang Jaya

$35 3.7% 7% $2.3

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9%

Subang Jaya

$19 2% 13.9% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $566 in Subang Jaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subang Jaya pays 88% 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 $20.00 in Subang Jaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $254, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Subang Jaya

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

17:34 5:34 PM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

902,086

💱 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) Subang Jaya 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Subang Jaya

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 Subang Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Subang Jaya. 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 88% lower in Subang Jaya. 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 $566 in Subang Jaya. 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 $951 in Subang Jaya – a 11% 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 8% less than in Subang Jaya. 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 $951 in Subang Jaya, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Subang Jaya. 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 Subang Jaya 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 11% less than in Subang Jaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.