Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Kuantan and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $839 and $859 a month, rent and utilities included.

41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan 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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Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Kuantan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kuantan $839
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,219 in Kuantan versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kuantan $1,219
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,599 in Kuantan versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kuantan $1,599
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Kuantan costs roughly 2% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuantan 38% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 MYR 10.18

$1.91 ₫49.6K

30.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.00 MYR 48.96

$22.84 ₫591.2K

-47.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.63 MYR 14.83

$4.54 ₫117.6K

-20.04%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MYR 11.73

$1.85 ₫48.0K

55.68%

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

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.56 ₫14.6K

26.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.32 ₫8,185

40.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MYR 11.43

$1.06 ₫27.5K

164.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 MYR 23.37

$1.72 ₫44.5K

233.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MYR 6.52

$1.66 ₫42.9K

-3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.82 MYR 3.35

$1.11 ₫28.7K

-26.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.98

$1.00 ₫25.9K

47.00%

Eggs

$1.31 MYR 5.34

$1.67 ₫43.1K

-21.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.79

$12.08 ₫312.8K

-21.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 MYR 13.36

$3.68 ₫95.2K

-10.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.04

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-56.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MYR 12.35

$2.96 ₫76.5K

2.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$1.24 ₫32.2K

55.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.12

$1.56 ₫40.3K

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.14

$1.30 ₫33.6K

34.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 MYR 7.03

$1.23 ₫31.9K

39.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MYR 7.93

$1.15 ₫29.8K

68.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 MYR 3.12

$0.74 ₫19.1K

2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.28

$0.56 ₫14.4K

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MYR 17.85

$1.24 ₫32.1K

253.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.95 MYR 81.4

$12.60 ₫326.1K

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MYR 8.13

$0.96 ₫24.9K

107.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.81

$1.53 ₫39.6K

25.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.26 ₫6,694

96.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.15 MYR 49.55

$11.51 ₫297.9K

5.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$0.75 ₫19.5K

50.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 MYR 1.45

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-47.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.05 MYR 36.92

$3.03 ₫78.5K

198.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$0.96 ₫24.8K

-45.83%

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

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

$31.1K ₫804.3M

9.77%

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

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

$30.4K ₫785.9M

8.97%

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

$49.82 MYR 203

$102 ₫2.6M

-51.15%

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

$8.06 MYR 32.86

$5.89 ₫152.5K

36.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 MYR 98.6

$10.49 ₫271.6K

130.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.79 MYR 162

$25.54 ₫661.2K

55.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.83 MYR 27.87

$11.92 ₫308.5K

-42.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MYR 18.98

$3.53 ₫91.3K

31.73%

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

$280 MYR 1,142

$436 ₫11.3M

-35.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-56.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 MYR 214

$52.8 ₫1.4M

-0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.29 MYR 124

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-11.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.62 MYR 202

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-45.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.89 MYR 199

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-48.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 MYR 1,675

$589 ₫15.3M

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 MYR 1,232

$298 ₫7.7M

1.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 MYR 2,822

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-46.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 MYR 1,943

$711 ₫18.4M

-32.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,015 MYR 8,220

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-56.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,090 MYR 4,448

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-42.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MYR 3,976

$490 ₫12.7M

99.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.15

8.64

-51.97%

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

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 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

Kuantan

$302 36%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 1.4% $4.1

Groceries & Markets

Kuantan

$212 25.3%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 2.4% $5.1

Eating Out

Kuantan

$95 11.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 33.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuantan

$82 9.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 44.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Kuantan

$82 9.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 50.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Kuantan

$49 5.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 33.6% $17

Getting Around

Kuantan

$17 2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 2.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Kuantan and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuantan pays 99% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in Kuantan vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $212 vs $207, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

1 h behind Kuantan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

548,014

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 19, 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 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Kuantan Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kuantan
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

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

Kuantan wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuantan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 99% higher in Kuantan, 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: $411 in Kuantan 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 $839 per month in Kuantan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuantan runs roughly 6% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $839 in Kuantan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuantan but tight or insufficient in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The gap between the two cities makes Kuantan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kuantan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kuantan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kuantan 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 Kuantan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.