Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Kulim and in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $891 and $853 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kulim
Learn more

Kulim Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Learn more

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Living Index

Jump to prices

Kulim

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$891

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $891 in Kulim versus $853 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kulim $891
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,374 in Kulim versus $1,391 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kulim $1,374
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,391

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Kulim versus $1,930 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Kulim $1,857
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,930

Living in Kulim 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: Kulim 35% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.17

$1.91 ₫49.3K

94.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.45 MYR 79.3

$22.93 ₫592.4K

-15.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 MYR 18.45

$4.69 ₫121.2K

-3.41%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.76

$1.80 ₫46.5K

60.56%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.19

$0.55 ₫14.3K

41.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.70

$0.34 ₫8,812

23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 MYR 15.90

$1.03 ₫26.7K

278.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.76

$1.72 ₫44.4K

168.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 MYR 7.97

$1.67 ₫43.1K

17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 MYR 5.00

$1.09 ₫28.2K

12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.29

$1.06 ₫27.3K

22.64%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.07

$1.60 ₫41.3K

39.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 MYR 51.7

$12.08 ₫312.1K

4.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 MYR 15.70

$3.66 ₫94.5K

5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 MYR 43.69

$10.35 ₫267.3K

3.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MYR 12.42

$3.01 ₫77.7K

1.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.68

$1.26 ₫32.6K

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MYR 10.37

$1.62 ₫41.9K

57.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.88

$1.27 ₫32.7K

13.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.83

$1.18 ₫30.5K

0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.54

$1.19 ₫30.7K

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.41

$0.78 ₫20.1K

38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.15

$0.55 ₫14.3K

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MYR 18.22

$1.26 ₫32.5K

254.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 MYR 85.8

$12.85 ₫331.9K

63.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 MYR 12.49

$0.90 ₫23.1K

241.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MYR 15.90

$1.46 ₫37.6K

167.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.28 ₫7,260

167.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 MYR 51.5

$11.42 ₫295.0K

10.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MYR 4.23

$0.70 ₫18.2K

48.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MYR 2.28

$0.63 ₫16.3K

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 MYR 33.64

$3.09 ₫79.8K

167.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 MYR 3.00

$0.95 ₫24.6K

-22.11%

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

$48.9K MYR 199.1K

$30.5K ₫788.3M

60.16%

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

$30.9K MYR 125.9K

$29.7K ₫767.8M

3.99%

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

$45.19 MYR 184

$102 ₫2.6M

-55.79%

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

$8.70 MYR 35.44

$5.65 ₫145.8K

53.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.83 MYR 105

$10.43 ₫269.5K

147.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 MYR 147

$19.30 ₫498.7K

87.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.37 MYR 30.04

$11.81 ₫305.1K

-37.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 MYR 18.16

$3.83 ₫98.9K

16.45%

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

$268 MYR 1,091

$484 ₫12.5M

-44.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,096 MYR 28.9K

$23.3K ₫602.3M

-69.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 MYR 253

$52.3 ₫1.4M

18.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.78 MYR 125

$34.35 ₫887.3K

-10.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MYR 314

$92.3 ₫2.4M

-16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 289

$94.2 ₫2.4M

-24.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 MYR 1,707

$647 ₫16.7M

-35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,079

$297 ₫7.7M

-10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 MYR 3,110

$1,291 ₫33.3M

-40.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MYR 2,026

$719 ₫18.6M

-30.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 MYR 8,723

$4,327 ₫111.8M

-50.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,272 MYR 5,184

$1,987 ₫51.3M

-35.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$490 ₫12.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

8.64

-53.01%

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

Last update for Kulim: October 26, 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

Kulim

$265 29.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$297 34.9% 12.2% $32

Groceries & Markets

Kulim

$262 29.4%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$208 24.4% 20.5% $54

Eating Out

Kulim

$112 12.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 43.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Kulim

$108 12.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$123 14.4% 13.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kulim

$80 9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.9% 48.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Kulim

$45 5.1%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$27 3.2% 40.1% $18

Getting Around

Kulim

$19 2.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$16 1.9% 15.8% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Kulim and $647 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Kulim vs $23 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $208, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kulim

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

20:17 8:17 PM

1 h behind Kulim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,056

9,456,700

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.221 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 = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kulim Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kulim
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

Kulim 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 Kulim. 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.

You’d need roughly $1,336 in Kulim and $1,279 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $419 in Kulim 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 $891 per month in Kulim versus $853 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 10% less than in Kulim. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching 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, Kulim 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.