Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): $859 a month against $1,020 in Labuan, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Labuan despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Labuan
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Labuan 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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Labuan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Labuan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Labuan $1,020
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,487 in Labuan versus $1,395 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Labuan $1,487
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,953 in Labuan versus $1,931 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Labuan $1,953
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) $1,931

Living in Labuan is roughly 19% more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Labuan 24% lower, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 MYR 22.53

$1.91 ₫49.6K

189.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.16 MYR 98.6

$22.84 ₫591.2K

5.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 MYR 27.19

$4.54 ₫117.6K

46.70%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MYR 16.05

$1.85 ₫48.0K

112.43%

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

$1.06 MYR 4.34

$0.56 ₫14.6K

89.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.83

$0.32 ₫8,185

40.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$1.06 ₫27.5K

250.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 MYR 18.48

$1.72 ₫44.5K

163.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.43

$1.66 ₫42.9K

9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$1.11 ₫28.7K

-6.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MYR 6.07

$1.00 ₫25.9K

49.00%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.58

$1.67 ₫43.1K

25.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.82 MYR 68.6

$12.08 ₫312.8K

39.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.42 MYR 18.03

$3.68 ₫95.2K

20.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 MYR 38.76

$10.24 ₫265.1K

-7.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 MYR 12.95

$2.96 ₫76.5K

7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MYR 7.46

$1.24 ₫32.2K

47.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 MYR 9.75

$1.56 ₫40.3K

53.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.17

$1.30 ₫33.6K

35.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.68

$1.23 ₫31.9K

13.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$1.15 ₫29.8K

-10.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MYR 4.81

$0.74 ₫19.1K

59.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.20

$0.56 ₫14.4K

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 MYR 20.57

$1.24 ₫32.1K

306.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 MYR 66.5

$12.60 ₫326.1K

29.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 MYR 13.11

$0.96 ₫24.9K

234.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MYR 17.90

$1.53 ₫39.6K

186.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.26 ₫6,694

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.66 MYR 43.48

$11.51 ₫297.9K

-7.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MYR 5.47

$0.75 ₫19.5K

78.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 MYR 1.97

$0.67 ₫17.4K

-28.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 MYR 26.43

$3.03 ₫78.5K

113.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.58

$0.96 ₫24.8K

-8.33%

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

$44.0K MYR 179.5K

$31.1K ₫804.3M

41.63%

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

$32.5K MYR 132.7K

$30.4K ₫785.9M

7.16%

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

$48.90 MYR 199

$102 ₫2.6M

-52.05%

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

$9.68 MYR 39.49

$5.89 ₫152.5K

64.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.69 MYR 113

$10.49 ₫271.6K

163.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.60 MYR 170

$25.54 ₫661.2K

62.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.68 MYR 31.32

$11.92 ₫308.5K

-35.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 MYR 17.51

$3.53 ₫91.3K

21.53%

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

$208 MYR 849

$436 ₫11.3M

-52.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,011 MYR 28.6K

$23.3K ₫602.8M

-69.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MYR 228

$52.8 ₫1.4M

5.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.07 MYR 123

$34.15 ₫884.1K

-11.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 MYR 355

$90.3 ₫2.3M

-3.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 MYR 334

$95.0 ₫2.5M

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 MYR 1,768

$589 ₫15.3M

-26.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 MYR 1,397

$298 ₫7.7M

14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 MYR 2,614

$1,292 ₫33.5M

-50.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 MYR 1,892

$711 ₫18.4M

-34.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,282 MYR 9,308

$4,676 ₫121.1M

-51.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,136 MYR 4,636

$1,904 ₫49.3M

-40.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$374 MYR 1,525

$490 ₫12.7M

-23.64%

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 Labuan: October 12, 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

Labuan

$342 33.6%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$298 34.7% 13% $45

Groceries & Markets

Labuan

$264 25.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$207 24.1% 21.5% $57

Eating Out

Labuan

$145 14.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$63 7.4% 56.3% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Labuan

$115 11.2%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$122 14.3% 6.9% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Labuan

$86 8.5%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$118 13.8% 37.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Labuan

$50 4.9%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$33 3.8% 35% $18

Getting Around

Labuan

$18 1.7%

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

$17 1.9% 5% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Labuan and $589 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Labuan vs $23.00 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $207 per month, with Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Labuan

🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

🕒 Local time

12:55 12:55 PM

11:55 11:55 AM

1 h behind Labuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,120

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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Labuan Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Labuan
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

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

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Labuan. 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.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $433 in Labuan 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 $1,020 per month in Labuan versus $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – a 19% 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 8% less than in Labuan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) versus $1,020 in Labuan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) but tight or insufficient in Labuan. 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 $859 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, Labuan 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 19% less than in Labuan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.