Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $917 in Kota Kinabalu, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. The total is higher in Kota Kinabalu despite lower rent and utilities.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
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Kota Kinabalu 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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Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$917

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $917 in Kota Kinabalu versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kota Kinabalu $917
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,429 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kota Kinabalu $1,429
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,941 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kota Kinabalu $1,941
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 MYR 14.59

$1.90 ₫49.1K

87.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.54 MYR 79.8

$23.32 ₫603.5K

-16.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 MYR 20.09

$4.67 ₫120.9K

5.35%

Cappuccino

$2.63 MYR 10.74

$1.85 ₫47.9K

42.16%

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

$0.60 MYR 2.44

$0.56 ₫14.4K

7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 MYR 1.22

$0.34 ₫8,857

-11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$1.01 ₫26.2K

136.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 MYR 15.27

$1.69 ₫43.7K

121.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 MYR 7.11

$1.58 ₫40.8K

10.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 MYR 5.23

$1.04 ₫27.0K

23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 MYR 9.23

$0.99 ₫25.7K

128.28%

Eggs

$3.46 MYR 14.13

$1.60 ₫41.5K

116.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.33 MYR 116

$12.23 ₫316.6K

131.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 MYR 15.05

$3.54 ₫91.7K

4.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 MYR 27.27

$10.44 ₫270.2K

-36.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 MYR 9.15

$3.09 ₫79.9K

-27.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.84

$1.26 ₫32.5K

13.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.91

$1.57 ₫40.6K

23.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$1.26 ₫32.5K

57.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.81

$1.17 ₫30.4K

42.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 MYR 8.71

$1.15 ₫29.7K

85.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 MYR 3.84

$0.72 ₫18.7K

30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$0.54 ₫14.0K

-12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 MYR 20.10

$1.22 ₫31.5K

303.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 MYR 64.7

$12.28 ₫317.8K

28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 MYR 14.81

$0.98 ₫25.4K

270.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 MYR 10.07

$1.49 ₫38.5K

65.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 MYR 7.80

$0.28 ₫7,249

582.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.92 MYR 171

$11.62 ₫300.8K

260.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MYR 7.82

$0.73 ₫18.9K

161.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 MYR 0.94

$0.64 ₫16.7K

-64.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ₫82.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$0.95 ₫24.6K

-20.00%

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

$42.1K MYR 172.1K

$30.7K ₫795.6M

37.08%

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

$35.6K MYR 145.5K

$30.6K ₫791.6M

16.50%

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

$70.5 MYR 288

$102 ₫2.6M

-31.10%

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

$9.69 MYR 39.56

$5.65 ₫146.1K

71.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.36 MYR 132

$10.52 ₫272.2K

207.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MYR 214

$25.86 ₫669.2K

102.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.09 MYR 12.64

$11.82 ₫305.9K

-73.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 MYR 21.31

$3.39 ₫87.8K

53.98%

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

$141 MYR 575

$438 ₫11.3M

-67.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 MYR 28.6K

$23.3K ₫603.1M

-69.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 MYR 333

$51.5 ₫1.3M

58.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.64 MYR 150

$34.56 ₫894.3K

6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 MYR 382

$91.3 ₫2.4M

2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.75 MYR 199

$94.9 ₫2.5M

-48.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 MYR 1,735

$577 ₫14.9M

-26.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 MYR 788

$292 ₫7.6M

-33.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 MYR 2,771

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-47.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,501

$717 ₫18.6M

-48.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,848 MYR 7,546

$4,714 ₫122.0M

-60.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 MYR 4,489

$1,882 ₫48.7M

-41.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 MYR 2,419

$486 ₫12.6M

21.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

8.64

-54.86%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: October 3, 2026

Last update for Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Kinabalu

$288 31.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 28.5% $82

Accommodation & Living

Kota Kinabalu

$193 20.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 51.4% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Kinabalu

$117 12.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 4.5% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Kinabalu

$113 12.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 5.3% $5.9

Eating Out

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 35.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Kinabalu

$63 6.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 48% $30

Getting Around

Kota Kinabalu

$53 5.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 68.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Kota Kinabalu and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 22% 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: $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $206, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

20:55 8:55 PM

1 h behind Kota Kinabalu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,425

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 28,999 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kota Kinabalu Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Kota Kinabalu
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

Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu. 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 22% higher in Kota Kinabalu, 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: $425 in Kota Kinabalu versus $577 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 $917 per month in Kota Kinabalu versus $855 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 261% less than in Kota Kinabalu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $917 in Kota Kinabalu, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kota Kinabalu. 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 $855 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, Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.