Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kajang, Selangor and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $988 in Kajang, Selangor, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Kajang, Selangor despite lower rent and utilities.

46

Cost of Living Index in Kajang, Selangor
Learn more

Kajang, Selangor Living Index
42

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

Jump to prices

Kajang, Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$988

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kajang, Selangor 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 Kajang, Selangor and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $988 in Kajang, Selangor versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kajang, Selangor $988
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

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

Kajang, Selangor $1,448
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,909 in Kajang, Selangor versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kajang, Selangor $1,909
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Kajang, Selangor is roughly 15% 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: Kajang, Selangor 27% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.76 MYR 15.34

$1.91 ₫49.6K

96.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.63 MYR 76.0

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-18.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 MYR 19.62

$4.54 ₫117.6K

5.95%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MYR 12.09

$1.85 ₫48.0K

60.00%

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

$0.80 MYR 3.26

$0.56 ₫14.6K

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$0.32 ₫8,185

46.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.35 MYR 17.76

$1.06 ₫27.5K

310.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 MYR 24.81

$1.72 ₫44.5K

253.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$1.66 ₫42.9K

1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 MYR 4.28

$1.11 ₫28.7K

-5.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.00 ₫25.9K

43.00%

Eggs

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$1.67 ₫43.1K

-0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 MYR 72.8

$12.08 ₫312.8K

47.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 MYR 18.62

$3.68 ₫95.2K

23.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 MYR 39.98

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-4.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 MYR 13.91

$2.96 ₫76.5K

15.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$1.24 ₫32.2K

36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 MYR 9.48

$1.56 ₫40.3K

48.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.23

$1.30 ₫33.6K

17.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 MYR 5.46

$1.23 ₫31.9K

8.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 MYR 6.73

$1.15 ₫29.8K

43.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$0.74 ₫19.1K

52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.09

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 MYR 17.79

$1.24 ₫32.1K

251.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 MYR 56.8

$12.60 ₫326.1K

10.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 MYR 11.65

$0.96 ₫24.9K

197.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.68

$1.53 ₫39.6K

103.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.08

$0.26 ₫6,694

192.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.29 MYR 50.1

$11.51 ₫297.9K

6.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 MYR 4.92

$0.75 ₫19.5K

61.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.91

$0.67 ₫17.4K

5.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 MYR 20.16

$3.03 ₫78.5K

63.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$0.96 ₫24.8K

-14.58%

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

$42.3K MYR 172.7K

$31.1K ₫804.3M

36.26%

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

$35.3K MYR 143.9K

$30.4K ₫785.9M

16.17%

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

$52.5 MYR 214

$102 ₫2.6M

-48.55%

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

$9.92 MYR 40.45

$5.89 ₫152.5K

68.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.35 MYR 107

$10.49 ₫271.6K

151.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.80 MYR 183

$25.54 ₫661.2K

75.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.53 MYR 30.73

$11.92 ₫308.5K

-36.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 MYR 20.05

$3.53 ₫91.3K

39.09%

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

$166 MYR 677

$436 ₫11.3M

-61.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,418 MYR 18.0K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-81.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 MYR 223

$52.8 ₫1.4M

3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.33 MYR 66.6

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-52.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 333

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 MYR 396

$95.0 ₫2.5M

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 MYR 1,615

$589 ₫15.3M

-32.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 MYR 1,375

$298 ₫7.7M

13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 MYR 3,035

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 MYR 2,047

$711 ₫18.4M

-29.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,919 MYR 7,828

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-58.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,012 MYR 4,129

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-46.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

8.64

-53.01%

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

Last update for Kajang, Selangor: October 12, 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

Kajang, Selangor

$337 34.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 11.6% $39

Groceries & Markets

Kajang, Selangor

$256 25.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 19% $49

Eating Out

Kajang, Selangor

$119 12.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 46.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Kajang, Selangor

$112 11.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 9% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kajang, Selangor

$89 9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 33.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Kajang, Selangor

$55 5.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 40.3% $22

Getting Around

Kajang, Selangor

$20 2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 17.1% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Kajang, Selangor and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Kajang, Selangor vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $256 vs $207, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kajang, Selangor

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

15:23 3:23 PM

1 h behind Kajang, Selangor

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,047,356

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kajang, Selangor Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kajang, Selangor
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Kajang, Selangor. 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 $1,482 in Kajang, Selangor and $1,288 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 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: $396 in Kajang, Selangor 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 $988 per month in Kajang, Selangor versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 15% 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 7% less than in Kajang, Selangor. 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 $988 in Kajang, Selangor, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kajang, Selangor. 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, Kajang, Selangor 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 15% less than in Kajang, Selangor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.