Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Kuching and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $887 and $855 a month, rent and utilities included.

43

Cost of Living Index in Kuching
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Kuching 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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Kuching

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$887

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $887 in Kuching versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kuching $887
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,389 in Kuching versus $1,400 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kuching $1,389
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,400

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,892 in Kuching versus $1,944 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kuching $1,892
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,944

Living in Kuching is roughly 4% 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: Kuching 34% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 MYR 13.60

$1.90 ₫49.1K

75.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.53 MYR 100

$23.32 ₫603.5K

5.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 MYR 19.89

$4.67 ₫120.9K

4.28%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$1.85 ₫47.9K

71.35%

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

$0.74 MYR 3.04

$0.56 ₫14.4K

32.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.47

$0.34 ₫8,857

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 MYR 18.43

$1.01 ₫26.2K

346.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.15

$1.69 ₫43.7K

264.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 MYR 9.42

$1.58 ₫40.8K

46.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 MYR 5.16

$1.04 ₫27.0K

21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 MYR 4.68

$0.99 ₫25.7K

16.16%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.03

$1.60 ₫41.5K

53.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 MYR 44.72

$12.23 ₫316.6K

-10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 MYR 18.17

$3.54 ₫91.7K

25.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 MYR 40.42

$10.44 ₫270.2K

-5.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.93

$3.09 ₫79.9K

2.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MYR 5.59

$1.26 ₫32.5K

8.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 MYR 9.80

$1.57 ₫40.6K

52.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.42

$1.26 ₫32.5K

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$1.17 ₫30.4K

20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.86

$1.15 ₫29.7K

3.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 MYR 6.35

$0.72 ₫18.7K

116.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.22

$0.54 ₫14.0K

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 MYR 18.41

$1.22 ₫31.5K

269.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.59 MYR 88.2

$12.28 ₫317.8K

75.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 MYR 16.58

$0.98 ₫25.4K

314.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 MYR 21.19

$1.49 ₫38.5K

248.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MYR 2.37

$0.28 ₫7,249

107.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.36 MYR 50.5

$11.62 ₫300.8K

6.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$0.73 ₫18.9K

36.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MYR 5.06

$0.64 ₫16.7K

93.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 MYR 33.99

$3.17 ₫82.0K

162.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MYR 3.68

$0.95 ₫24.6K

-5.26%

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

$40.9K MYR 167.2K

$30.7K ₫795.6M

33.21%

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

$36.1K MYR 147.4K

$30.6K ₫791.6M

18.05%

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

$35.18 MYR 144

$102 ₫2.6M

-65.61%

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

$9.95 MYR 40.63

$5.65 ₫146.1K

76.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.26 MYR 103

$10.52 ₫272.2K

140.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 MYR 123

$25.86 ₫669.2K

16.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.38 MYR 50.6

$11.82 ₫305.9K

4.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.83 MYR 19.72

$3.39 ₫87.8K

42.48%

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

$135 MYR 551

$438 ₫11.3M

-69.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,000 MYR 28.6K

$23.3K ₫603.1M

-69.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 MYR 258

$51.5 ₫1.3M

22.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 MYR 154

$34.56 ₫894.3K

9.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MYR 368

$91.3 ₫2.4M

-1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 MYR 269

$94.9 ₫2.5M

-30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 MYR 1,471

$577 ₫14.9M

-37.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 MYR 1,001

$292 ₫7.6M

-16.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 MYR 2,642

$1,293 ₫33.5M

-49.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MYR 1,953

$717 ₫18.6M

-33.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,464

$4,714 ₫122.0M

-56.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 MYR 6,157

$1,882 ₫48.7M

-19.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 MYR 2,165

$486 ₫12.6M

9.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

8.64

-49.42%

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

Last update for Kuching: October 5, 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

Kuching

$271 30.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$206 24.1% 24.1% $65

Accommodation & Living

Kuching

$245 27.8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$292 34.3% 19.2% $47

Eating Out

Kuching

$119 13.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.5% 46.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Kuching

$116 13.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 6% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuching

$70 8%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 68.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Kuching

$40 4.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 18.2% $7.3

Getting Around

Kuching

$22 2.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 2% 23.6% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Kuching and $577 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuching pays 9% 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: $25.00 in Kuching vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $206 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuching

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

1 h behind Kuching

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

349,147

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 →

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Kuching Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,100 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuching
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Kuching. 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 9% higher in Kuching, 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: $360 in Kuching 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 $887 per month in Kuching versus $855 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 4% 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 6% less than in Kuching. 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 $887 in Kuching, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Kuching. 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, Kuching 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 4% less than in Kuching. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.