Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and in Tawau: $862 and $888 a month, rent and utilities included.

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 Tawau
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Tawau Living Index

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Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $888 in Tawau.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Tawau $888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,354 in Tawau.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Tawau $1,354

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,820 in Tawau.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Tawau $1,820

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 3% less than in Tawau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower, Tawau 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$3.14 MYR 12.80

-36.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$19.22 MYR 78.4

20.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.21 MYR 17.19

13.06%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$3.15 MYR 12.86

-40.95%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.95 MYR 3.86

-46.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.36 MYR 1.46

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$2.66 MYR 10.83

-61.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$4.52 MYR 18.45

-62.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.00 MYR 4.09

9.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.49 MYR 6.06

-29.53%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-24.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$14.36 MYR 58.6

-14.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-17.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$9.83 MYR 40.10

7.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$3.04 MYR 12.41

-2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-24.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$2.48 MYR 10.13

-34.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.49 MYR 6.10

-12.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.31 MYR 5.32

-9.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.21 MYR 4.94

-5.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$1.07 MYR 4.37

-31.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.57 MYR 2.31

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$4.48 MYR 18.30

-71.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$19.05 MYR 77.7

-34.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$3.02 MYR 12.32

-68.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$4.98 MYR 20.32

-70.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.70 MYR 2.84

-62.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$12.41 MYR 50.6

-7.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.25 MYR 5.11

-45.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.48 MYR 1.97

29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$6.98 MYR 28.49

-57.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.87 MYR 3.57

4.60%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$50.2K MYR 204.8K

-39.10%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$36.0K MYR 146.9K

-18.47%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$49.37 MYR 201

110.19%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$10.55 MYR 43.02

-45.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$28.74 MYR 117

-63.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$43.34 MYR 177

-39.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$6.82 MYR 27.83

74.49%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$3.77 MYR 15.39

3.18%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$183 MYR 746

140.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$7,623 MYR 31.1K

215.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$58.9 MYR 240

-13.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$33.06 MYR 135

6.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$74.3 MYR 303

23.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$88.2 MYR 360

9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$387 MYR 1,578

50.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$253 MYR 1,030

17.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$596 MYR 2,433

117.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$447 MYR 1,823

62.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$1,936 MYR 7,900

146.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,216 MYR 4,962

52.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$418 MYR 1,707

17.10%

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 Tawau: 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%

Tawau

$253 28.4% 14.8% $44

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Tawau

$260 29.2% 25% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Tawau

$114 12.9% 7.4% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Tawau

$89 10% 26.1% $31

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Tawau

$103 11.6% 60.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Tawau

$51 5.7% 50.3% $17

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Tawau

$19 2.1% 16% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $387 in Tawau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) vs $19.00 in Tawau. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $260, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Tawau

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

420,806

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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) Tawau 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Tawau

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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Tawau. 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.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $387 in Tawau. 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 $888 in Tawau – a 3% 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 Tawau. 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 $888 in Tawau, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Tawau. 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 Tawau 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 3% less than in Tawau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.