Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shah Alam and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $863 a month against $933 in Shah Alam, rent and utilities included – about $840 less a year. The total is higher in Shah Alam despite lower rent and utilities.

46

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
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Shah Alam Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
Learn more

Da Nang Living Index

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Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$863

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shah Alam and in Da Nang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shah Alam and in Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $933 per month in Shah Alam vs $863 in Da Nang, rent included.

Shah Alam $933
Da Nang $863

A couple spends around $1,429 per month in Shah Alam vs $1,404 in Da Nang, rent included.

Shah Alam $1,429
Da Nang $1,404

A family of three spends $1,925 per month in Shah Alam vs $1,945 in Da Nang, rent included.

Shah Alam $1,925
Da Nang $1,945

Shah Alam costs about 8% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Shah Alam and Da Nang are more affordable than the global median – Shah Alam 31% lower, Da Nang 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.19

$2.30 ₫59.4K

61.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.34 MYR 78.9

$19.62 ₫508.0K

-1.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.21 MYR 17.16

$4.60 ₫119.1K

-8.48%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MYR 11.70

$1.66 ₫43.0K

72.89%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.61 ₫15.7K

27.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.58

$0.34 ₫8,877

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 MYR 13.85

$1.34 ₫34.6K

153.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 MYR 17.65

$2.36 ₫61.1K

83.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.29

$1.60 ₫41.5K

11.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 MYR 4.31

$1.21 ₫31.3K

-12.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$1.00 ₫25.9K

47.00%

Eggs

$2.17 MYR 8.85

$1.51 ₫39.1K

43.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 MYR 55.4

$12.90 ₫333.9K

5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 MYR 17.78

$4.29 ₫111.1K

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.79

$9.06 ₫234.6K

4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 MYR 14.38

$2.73 ₫70.6K

29.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.61

$1.19 ₫30.8K

36.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MYR 10.67

$1.29 ₫33.4K

103.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$1.60 ₫41.3K

8.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 MYR 5.08

$1.18 ₫30.4K

5.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MYR 8.33

$1.33 ₫34.3K

53.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MYR 5.82

$1.01 ₫26.1K

41.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.53 ₫13.7K

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MYR 17.66

$1.56 ₫40.3K

177.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.85 MYR 76.9

$7.93 ₫205.2K

137.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 MYR 11.26

$0.88 ₫22.9K

213.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 MYR 18.94

$2.12 ₫54.9K

118.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$0.32 ₫8,182

134.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.11 MYR 65.7

$4.99 ₫129.3K

222.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.90

$1.05 ₫27.1K

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 MYR 1.67

$0.55 ₫14.3K

-25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.48 MYR 30.52

$19.50 ₫504.8K

-61.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 MYR 3.32

$0.95 ₫24.5K

-14.74%

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

$42.1K MYR 171.7K

$30.9K ₫799.2M

36.32%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

$28.0K ₫724.6M

24.78%

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

$36.85 MYR 150

$76.6 ₫2.0M

-51.88%

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

$9.64 MYR 39.32

$6.47 ₫167.6K

49.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.94 MYR 118

$8.08 ₫209.1K

258.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.19 MYR 164

$24.98 ₫646.6K

60.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.88 MYR 19.92

$5.35 ₫138.6K

-8.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 MYR 26.86

$3.07 ₫79.4K

114.33%

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

$199 MYR 812

$161 ₫4.2M

23.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,548 MYR 18.6K

$15.2K ₫392.3M

-69.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MYR 235

$45.38 ₫1.2M

26.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 MYR 161

$27.22 ₫704.7K

45.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 MYR 277

$100 ₫2.6M

-32.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 MYR 285

$80.9 ₫2.1M

-13.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 MYR 1,386

$529 ₫13.7M

-35.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 MYR 1,255

$349 ₫9.0M

-11.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 MYR 2,301

$1,053 ₫27.3M

-46.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 MYR 2,283

$811 ₫21.0M

-30.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,502 MYR 6,128

$3,834 ₫99.3M

-60.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 MYR 4,753

$1,308 ₫33.9M

-10.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,264 MYR 5,156

$363 ₫9.4M

247.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

10.72

-62.31%

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

Last update for Shah Alam: October 13, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Shah Alam

$308 33%

Da Nang

$349 40.4% 13.4% $41

Groceries & Markets

Shah Alam

$261 28%

Da Nang

$201 23.2% 23.3% $61

Eating Out

Shah Alam

$107 11.5%

Da Nang

$67 7.8% 37.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Shah Alam

$106 11.3%

Da Nang

$114 13.2% 8% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shah Alam

$75 8.1%

Da Nang

$91 10.6% 20.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Shah Alam

$53 5.7%

Da Nang

$31 3.6% 41.7% $22

Getting Around

Shah Alam

$22 2.4%

Da Nang

$10 1.2% 54.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $340 in Shah Alam versus $529 in Da Nang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 248% higher in Shah Alam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Shah Alam versus $20.00 in Da Nang. Groceries tell a different story – $261 in Shah Alam vs $201 in Da Nang – so Da Nang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

1 h behind Shah Alam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

812,327

1,245,200

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shah Alam Da Nang 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Shah Alam
Da Nang

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

Shah Alam vs Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $933 in Shah Alam, $863 in Da Nang – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,399 per month in Shah Alam and $1,295 in Da Nang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Da Nang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Shah Alam, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Shah Alam and $20.00 in Da Nang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $933 in Shah Alam and $863 in Da Nang, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Da Nang has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $863 in Da Nang to $933 in Shah Alam. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Da Nang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shah Alam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.