Cost of Living · MY vs VN
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur vs 🇻🇳 Da Nang: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $594 in Malaysia vs $548 in Vietnam — 7.85% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Vietnam
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -9.15%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -9.15%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -9.15%
Closest to Malaysia prices
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -2.57%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -2.71%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -2.71%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Malaysia | Vietnam | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $350 | $318 (7,691,925 VND) | -9.15% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $280 | $255 (6,153,588 VND) | -9.15% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $641 | $582 (14,065,172 VND) | -9.15% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $5.09 | $4.72 (114,058 VND) | -7.27% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $21.19 | $19.66 (475,082 VND) | -7.22% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $3.49 | $3.26 (78,778 VND) | -6.59% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.44 | $0.42 (10,149 VND) | -4.55% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.28 | $1.21 (29,240 VND) | -5.47% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.36 | $1.28 (30,931 VND) | -5.88% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $3.99 | $3.78 (91,343 VND) | -5.26% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $1.60 | $1.51 (36,489 VND) | -5.63% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $1.91 | $1.81 (43,738 VND) | -5.24% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $4.79 | $4.53 (109,467 VND) | -5.43% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $0.80 | $0.76 (18,365 VND) | -5% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $1.70 | $1.57 (37,939 VND) | -7.65% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $5.05 | $4.92 (118,891 VND) | -2.57% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $1.41 | $1.31 (31,656 VND) | -7.09% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $0.92 | $0.87 (21,023 VND) | -5.43% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $20.61 | $19.24 (464,932 VND) | -6.65% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $0.87 | $0.81 (19,574 VND) | -6.9% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.13 | $1.05 (25,373 VND) | -7.08% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.51 | $0.47 (11,358 VND) | -7.84% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.60 | $0.58 (14,016 VND) | -3.33% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $63.40 | $59.20 (1,430,561 VND) | -6.62% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $22.19 | $20.72 (500,696 VND) | -6.62% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $14.27 | $13.32 (321,876 VND) | -6.66% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $14.13 | $13.10 (316,560 VND) | -7.29% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $3.96 | $3.67 (88,685 VND) | -7.32% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $8.48 | $7.86 (189,936 VND) | -7.31% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $34.74 | $33.80 (816,773 VND) | -2.71% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $56.84 | $55.30 (1,336,318 VND) | -2.71% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $70.65 | $65.52 (1,583,283 VND) | -7.26% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Vietnam than Malaysia?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $548 in Vietnam versus $594 in Malaysia — 7.85% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Vietnam?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $1.57 in Vietnam (≈ 37938.87 VND), versus about $1.70 in Malaysia.
- How much is rent in Vietnam compared to Malaysia?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $318/month in Vietnam versus $350/month in Malaysia (-9.15%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.