Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $922 in Ipoh, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. The total is higher in Ipoh despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Ipoh
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Ipoh Living Index
42

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

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Ipoh

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$922

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ipoh and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $922 in Ipoh versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Ipoh $922
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Ipoh versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Ipoh $1,372
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,821 in Ipoh versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Ipoh $1,821
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Ipoh is roughly 7% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ipoh 32% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.26 MYR 13.29

$1.91 ₫49.6K

70.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-15.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 MYR 18.38

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$2.80 MYR 11.41

$1.85 ₫48.0K

51.35%

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

$0.70 MYR 2.87

$0.56 ₫14.6K

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$0.32 ₫8,185

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 MYR 17.70

$1.06 ₫27.5K

309.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 MYR 18.42

$1.72 ₫44.5K

162.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 MYR 8.05

$1.66 ₫42.9K

18.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.29

$1.11 ₫28.7K

-5.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.56

$1.00 ₫25.9K

36.00%

Eggs

$2.21 MYR 9.03

$1.67 ₫43.1K

32.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 MYR 55.7

$12.08 ₫312.8K

13.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.62

$3.68 ₫95.2K

23.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 MYR 31.16

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-25.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MYR 12.27

$2.96 ₫76.5K

1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.21

$1.24 ₫32.2K

42.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MYR 9.05

$1.56 ₫40.3K

42.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MYR 6.34

$1.30 ₫33.6K

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.22

$1.23 ₫31.9K

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.48

$1.15 ₫29.8K

16.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.62

$0.74 ₫19.1K

52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-19.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

$1.24 ₫32.1K

248.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.98 MYR 69.3

$12.60 ₫326.1K

34.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 MYR 14.22

$0.96 ₫24.9K

262.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 MYR 18.64

$1.53 ₫39.6K

198.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MYR 2.54

$0.26 ₫6,694

138.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.56 MYR 47.14

$11.51 ₫297.9K

0.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MYR 5.07

$0.75 ₫19.5K

65.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 MYR 5.04

$0.67 ₫17.4K

83.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 MYR 20.56

$3.03 ₫78.5K

66.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.11

$0.96 ₫24.8K

-45.83%

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

$41.3K MYR 168.7K

$31.1K ₫804.3M

33.07%

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

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

$30.4K ₫785.9M

14.17%

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

$61.9 MYR 253

$102 ₫2.6M

-39.26%

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

$8.92 MYR 36.37

$5.89 ₫152.5K

51.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 MYR 107

$10.49 ₫271.6K

150.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.16 MYR 164

$25.54 ₫661.2K

57.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.93 MYR 28.26

$11.92 ₫308.5K

-41.86%

Cinema Ticket

$3.33 MYR 13.59

$3.53 ₫91.3K

-5.67%

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

$305 MYR 1,242

$436 ₫11.3M

-30.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MYR 54.2K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-42.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 MYR 251

$52.8 ₫1.4M

16.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.00 MYR 147

$34.15 ₫884.1K

5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 MYR 252

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-31.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 MYR 253

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MYR 1,635

$589 ₫15.3M

-32.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 MYR 1,217

$298 ₫7.7M

0.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 MYR 2,770

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-47.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 MYR 2,001

$711 ₫18.4M

-30.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,059 MYR 8,400

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-55.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 MYR 4,458

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-42.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$973 MYR 3,968

$490 ₫12.7M

98.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

8.64

-53.82%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ipoh: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ipoh

$298 32.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 0.2% $0.5

Groceries & Markets

Ipoh

$250 27.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 17.3% $43

Eating Out

Ipoh

$108 11.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 41.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Ipoh

$100 10.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 23% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ipoh

$97 10.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 21.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ipoh

$47 5.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 30.4% $14

Getting Around

Ipoh

$21 2.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 22.4% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Ipoh and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipoh pays 99% 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: $19.00 in Ipoh vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $207, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Ipoh

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

1 h behind Ipoh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

759,952

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

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).

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).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Ipoh Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ipoh
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

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

Ipoh vs Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Ipoh. 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 99% higher in Ipoh, 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: $401 in Ipoh versus $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $922 per month in Ipoh versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 7% 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 0% less than in Ipoh. 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 $922 in Ipoh, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Ipoh. 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, Ipoh and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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 7% less than in Ipoh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.