City comparison
Cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City vs Kuala Lumpur
One person needs about €799 a month in Ho Chi Minh City and €892 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included — Ho Chi Minh City is 12% cheaper overall.
Salary you'd need to keep the same lifestyle
Enter your current net monthly pay. We scale it by the full cost basket — rent, groceries, transport, utilities, eating out and internet.
To live in Kuala Lumpur the way you live in Ho Chi Minh City on €3,000, you need
€3,349/ month net
12% more than today (+€349)
- Ho Chi Minh City today
- Basket €799 · left over €2,201 (73%)
- Kuala Lumpur at the matched salary
- Basket €892 · left over €2,457 (73%)
Local pay context: average tech net pay covers the basket 179% over in Kuala Lumpur (comfortable) vs 163% in Ho Chi Minh City. Purchasing power index · How we calculate this
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City
Very low burn rate and a fast-growing dev scene; visas need planning.
Monthly budget: €799
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur
Condo-with-pool living for the price of a European room share.
Monthly budget: €892
Sources: Eurostat, Harmonised price indices (2025) · 0 community reports
Should you move to Ho Chi Minh City or Kuala Lumpur?
On salary, Kuala Lumpur pays more for tech roles (€1,600 versus €1,300 a month), so the money left over after costs is €708 in Kuala Lumpur at the top end.
Rent drives most of the gap: €480 in Ho Chi Minh City against €520 in Kuala Lumpur. Groceries, transport and utilities move far less between the two.
For remote workers, the nomad index scores Ho Chi Minh City at 77 and Kuala Lumpur at 79 — see the full nomad index and our data methodology.