Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $855 a month against $1,699 in Kuala Belait, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Belait
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Kuala Belait 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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Kuala Belait

🇧🇳 Brunei

$1,699

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,699 in Kuala Belait versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kuala Belait $1,699
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,569 in Kuala Belait versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kuala Belait $2,569
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Kuala Belait versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kuala Belait $3,438
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Living in Kuala Belait is roughly 99% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuala Belait is 27% above, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 BND 10.12

$1.90 ₫49.1K

316.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.43 BND 59.4

$23.32 ₫603.5K

99.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 BND 10.05

$4.67 ₫120.9K

68.09%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 BND 2.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 BND 3.06

Cappuccino

$4.41 BND 5.64

$1.85 ₫47.9K

138.38%

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

$0.89 BND 1.15

$0.56 ₫14.4K

58.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 BND 0.64

$0.34 ₫8,857

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₫26.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₫43.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 BND 2.36

$1.58 ₫40.8K

16.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 BND 3.12

$1.04 ₫27.0K

133.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 BND 2.88

$0.99 ₫25.7K

127.27%

Eggs

$2.58 BND 3.31

$1.60 ₫41.5K

61.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.59 BND 23.80

$12.23 ₫316.6K

52.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 BND 12.61

$3.54 ₫91.7K

178.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.88 BND 31.85

$10.44 ₫270.2K

138.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 BND 6.00

$3.09 ₫79.9K

51.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 BND 2.78

$1.26 ₫32.5K

72.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 BND 6.18

$1.57 ₫40.6K

207.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 BND 3.17

$1.26 ₫32.5K

96.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 BND 2.19

$1.17 ₫30.4K

46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 BND 3.71

$1.15 ₫29.7K

152.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.54 BND 7.09

$0.72 ₫18.7K

669.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 BND 1.19

$0.54 ₫14.0K

72.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$11.59 BND 14.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.99 BND 7.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 BND 10.07

$1.22 ₫31.5K

544.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.28 ₫317.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₫25.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₫38.5K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,249

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.62 ₫300.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 BND 5.11

$0.73 ₫18.9K

446.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 BND 4.39

$0.64 ₫16.7K

435.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.59 BND 14.84

$3.17 ₫82.0K

265.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 BND 0.45

$0.95 ₫24.6K

-63.16%

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

$30.7K BND 39.3K

$30.7K ₫795.6M

-0.17%

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

$27.2K BND 34.9K

$30.6K ₫791.6M

-10.92%

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

$38.45 BND 49.23

$102 ₫2.6M

-62.41%

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

$21.58 BND 27.63

$5.65 ₫146.1K

281.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 BND 82.4

$10.52 ₫272.2K

511.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.9 BND 123

$25.86 ₫669.2K

270.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 BND 35.00

$11.82 ₫305.9K

131.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 BND 7.05

$3.39 ₫87.8K

62.54%

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

$217 BND 278

$438 ₫11.3M

-50.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,398 BND 12.0K

$23.3K ₫603.1M

-59.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 BND 95.8

$51.5 ₫1.3M

45.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$101 BND 129

$34.56 ₫894.3K

191.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 BND 196

$91.3 ₫2.4M

67.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 BND 91.4

$94.9 ₫2.5M

-24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 BND 964

$577 ₫14.9M

30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 BND 987

$292 ₫7.6M

163.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 BND 1,527

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-7.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 BND 1,506

$717 ₫18.6M

64.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,714 ₫122.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,882 ₫48.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,398 BND 4,350

$486 ₫12.6M

599.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.88

8.64

-55.09%

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

Last update for Kuala Belait: October 4, 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.

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Belait

$771 45.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 62.1% $479

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Belait

$354 20.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 42% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Belait

$180 10.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 31.9% $57

Eating Out

Kuala Belait

$145 8.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 56.3% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Belait

$124 7.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 4.8% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Belait

$107 6.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 69.5% $74

Getting Around

Kuala Belait

$21 * 1.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 21% $4.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Kuala Belait and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuala Belait pays 600% 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: $46.00 in Kuala Belait vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $206 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇳 Kuala Belait

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

1 h behind Kuala Belait

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,178

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Brunei Dollar BND $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 BND = 0.781 USD

1 BND = 0.696 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to BND – Brunei Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇳 Brunei Dollar ($)

Brunei Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 BND (1 BND = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 BND (1 BND = 0.696 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,879 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,025 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

USD to BND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kuala Belait Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Belait
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Kuala Belait. 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 600% higher in Kuala Belait, 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: $753 in Kuala Belait versus $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Kuala Belait. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,699 per month in Kuala Belait versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,699 in Kuala Belait, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kuala Belait. 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, Kuala Belait 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 99% less than in Kuala Belait. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.