Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $862 a month against $928 in Ulu Tiram, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. The total is higher in Ulu Tiram 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Ulu Tiram
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Ulu Tiram Living Index

Jump to prices

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$862

/mo nomad

Ulu Tiram

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$928

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $928 in Ulu Tiram.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $862
Ulu Tiram $928

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,372 in Ulu Tiram.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,410
Ulu Tiram $1,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,816 in Ulu Tiram.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,958
Ulu Tiram $1,816

Living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) costs roughly 7% less than in Ulu Tiram, 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, Ulu Tiram 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$3.78 MYR 15.42

-47.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.14 ₫599.0K

$19.67 MYR 80.3

17.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.2K

$4.82 MYR 19.67

-1.24%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₫48.1K

$2.97 MYR 12.11

-37.37%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.82 MYR 3.35

-37.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,191

$0.45 MYR 1.84

-28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₫26.7K

$4.30 MYR 17.56

-76.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$6.09 MYR 24.86

-71.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$1.75 MYR 7.14

-9.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₫28.3K

$1.08 MYR 4.39

0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.43 MYR 5.83

-26.57%

Eggs

$1.64 ₫42.6K

$1.81 MYR 7.37

-9.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 ₫319.2K

$9.75 MYR 39.78

26.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.58 ₫92.6K

$4.04 MYR 16.50

-11.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 ₫273.3K

$9.51 MYR 38.81

11.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₫76.9K

$3.27 MYR 13.32

-9.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$1.66 MYR 6.79

-24.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.0K

$2.76 MYR 11.27

-41.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.8K

$1.60 MYR 6.54

-18.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.48 MYR 6.05

-19.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.72 MYR 7.03

-33.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ₫18.8K

$1.33 MYR 5.42

-45.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.51 MYR 2.10

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 ₫33.0K

$4.28 MYR 17.47

-70.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 ₫322.5K

$16.85 MYR 68.7

-26.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$2.93 MYR 11.96

-67.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$3.15 MYR 12.86

-53.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₫6,704

$0.71 MYR 2.90

-63.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.43 ₫296.0K

$12.37 MYR 50.5

-7.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₫17.7K

$1.02 MYR 4.15

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₫16.1K

$0.38 MYR 1.56

63.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₫77.7K

$8.92 MYR 36.38

-66.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.80 MYR 3.27

13.75%

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

$30.6K ₫791.4M

$42.5K MYR 173.5K

-28.11%

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

$29.4K ₫760.1M

$34.1K MYR 139.0K

-13.85%

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

$104 ₫2.7M

$51.8 MYR 211

100.25%

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

$5.79 ₫149.9K

$8.29 MYR 33.83

-30.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ₫271.3K

$28.81 MYR 118

-63.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.08 ₫675.1K

$39.50 MYR 161

-33.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.90 ₫308.1K

$7.24 MYR 29.52

64.36%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ₫100.7K

$4.94 MYR 20.15

-21.26%

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

$440 ₫11.4M

$163 MYR 666

169.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K ₫622.7M

$4,469 MYR 18.2K

438.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 ₫1.3M

$54.7 MYR 223

-6.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.18 ₫910.8K

$17.26 MYR 70.4

103.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₫2.4M

$77.4 MYR 316

19.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 ₫2.5M

$87.1 MYR 355

10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 ₫15.1M

$409 MYR 1,669

42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 ₫7.7M

$307 MYR 1,253

-3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 ₫33.6M

$677 MYR 2,762

91.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₫18.8M

$479 MYR 1,955

51.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,782 ₫123.8M

$2,005 MYR 8,177

138.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,853 ₫48.0M

$1,100 MYR 4,489

68.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

$843 MYR 3,439

-41.87%

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 Ulu Tiram: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.4%

Ulu Tiram

$307 33.1% 3.6% $11

Groceries & Markets

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.1%

Ulu Tiram

$239 25.7% 14.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$124 14.3%

Ulu Tiram

$106 11.5% 13.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$120 13.9%

Ulu Tiram

$89 9.6% 25.9% $31

Eating Out

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$64 7.5%

Ulu Tiram

$119 12.8% 85.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$34 3.9%

Ulu Tiram

$49 5.3% 45.8% $16

Getting Around

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9%

Ulu Tiram

$18 2% 11.5% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and $409 in Ulu Tiram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulu Tiram pays 72% 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 Ulu Tiram. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $239, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇲🇾 Ulu Tiram

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

1 h ahead of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,456,700

75,350

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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) Ulu Tiram 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Ulu Tiram

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 Ulu Tiram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Ulu Tiram. 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 72% lower in Ulu Tiram. 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: $582 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $409 in Ulu Tiram. 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 $928 in Ulu Tiram – a 8% 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 Ulu Tiram. 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 $928 in Ulu Tiram, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Ulu Tiram. 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 Ulu Tiram 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 8% less than in Ulu Tiram. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.