Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $853 a month against $877 in Kedah, rent and utilities included – about $290 less a year. The total is higher in Kedah despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Kedah
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Kedah Living Index
41

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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Kedah

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$877

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $877 in Kedah versus $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kedah $877
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Kedah versus $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kedah $1,399
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,920 in Kedah versus $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kedah $1,920
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930

Living in Kedah is roughly 3% 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: Kedah 36% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.14

$1.91 ₫49.3K

94.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.32 MYR 50.2

$22.93 ₫592.4K

-46.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 MYR 18.59

$4.69 ₫121.2K

-2.77%

Cappuccino

$2.91 MYR 11.87

$1.80 ₫46.5K

61.67%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.14

$0.55 ₫14.3K

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$0.34 ₫8,812

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.26

$1.03 ₫26.7K

311.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MYR 17.75

$1.72 ₫44.4K

153.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.66

$1.67 ₫43.1K

12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.32

$1.09 ₫28.2K

-2.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 6.99

$1.06 ₫27.3K

62.26%

Eggs

$2.19 MYR 8.91

$1.60 ₫41.3K

36.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 MYR 55.2

$12.08 ₫312.1K

12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 MYR 17.69

$3.66 ₫94.5K

18.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 MYR 36.02

$10.35 ₫267.3K

-14.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 11.98

$3.01 ₫77.7K

-2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 MYR 6.65

$1.26 ₫32.6K

29.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 MYR 11.20

$1.62 ₫41.9K

69.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.92

$1.27 ₫32.7K

14.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 MYR 4.48

$1.18 ₫30.5K

-6.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.43

$1.19 ₫30.7K

-8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$0.78 ₫20.1K

44.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.34

$0.55 ₫14.3K

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.83

$1.26 ₫32.5K

266.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.76 MYR 76.5

$12.85 ₫331.9K

45.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$0.90 ₫23.1K

231.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 MYR 21.72

$1.46 ₫37.6K

265.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 MYR 3.10

$0.28 ₫7,260

171.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.85 MYR 52.4

$11.42 ₫295.0K

12.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 MYR 6.76

$0.70 ₫18.2K

137.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.54

$0.63 ₫16.3K

-39.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 MYR 29.70

$3.09 ₫79.8K

135.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 MYR 2.46

$0.95 ₫24.6K

-36.84%

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

$45.6K MYR 185.9K

$30.5K ₫788.3M

49.55%

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

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

$29.7K ₫767.8M

20.59%

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

$36.47 MYR 149

$102 ₫2.6M

-64.32%

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

$9.66 MYR 39.35

$5.65 ₫145.8K

70.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.48 MYR 120

$10.43 ₫269.5K

182.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.63 MYR 141

$19.30 ₫498.7K

79.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.85 MYR 27.92

$11.81 ₫305.1K

-42.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 MYR 19.53

$3.83 ₫98.9K

25.07%

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

$388 MYR 1,579

$484 ₫12.5M

-19.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MYR 43.4K

$23.3K ₫602.3M

-54.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 240

$52.3 ₫1.4M

12.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.76 MYR 142

$34.35 ₫887.3K

1.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 MYR 333

$92.3 ₫2.4M

-11.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.7 MYR 288

$94.2 ₫2.4M

-25.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,458

$647 ₫16.7M

-44.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 MYR 1,051

$297 ₫7.7M

-13.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MYR 2,902

$1,291 ₫33.3M

-44.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 MYR 2,472

$719 ₫18.6M

-15.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 MYR 7,865

$4,327 ₫111.8M

-55.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,258 MYR 5,124

$1,987 ₫51.3M

-36.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,339 MYR 5,456

$490 ₫12.7M

173.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

8.64

-53.24%

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

Last update for Kedah: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kedah

$258 29.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9% 15.2% $39

Groceries & Markets

Kedah

$257 29.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4% 18.9% $49

Eating Out

Kedah

$113 12.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 44.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Kedah

$111 12.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 11.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kedah

$76 8.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 56.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Kedah

$44 5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2% 39% $17

Getting Around

Kedah

$19 2.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 15.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Kedah and $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $12 in Kedah vs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $208, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kedah

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

03:21 3:21 AM

1 h behind Kedah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

417,800

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Kedah Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kedah
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Kedah. 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 in Kedah is about 2.7 times higher, 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: $358 in Kedah versus $647 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 $877 per month in Kedah versus $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) runs roughly 11% less than in Kedah. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kedah and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on affordability, Kedah on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.