City comparison
Cost of living in Kuala Lumpur vs Ho Chi Minh City
One person needs about €892 a month in Kuala Lumpur and €799 in Ho Chi Minh City, rent included — Ho Chi Minh City is 10% 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 Ho Chi Minh City the way you live in Kuala Lumpur on €3,000, you need
€2,687/ month net
10% less than today (-€313)
- Kuala Lumpur today
- Basket €892 · left over €2,108 (70%)
- Ho Chi Minh City at the matched salary
- Basket €799 · left over €1,888 (70%)
Local pay context: average tech net pay covers the basket 163% over in Ho Chi Minh City (adequate) vs 179% in Kuala Lumpur. Purchasing power index · How we calculate this
🇲🇾 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
🇻🇳 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
Should you move to Kuala Lumpur or Ho Chi Minh City?
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: €520 in Kuala Lumpur against €480 in Ho Chi Minh City. Groceries, transport and utilities move far less between the two.
For remote workers, the nomad index scores Kuala Lumpur at 79 and Ho Chi Minh City at 77 — see the full nomad index and our data methodology.