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Ho Chi Minh City vs Kota Kinabalu cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Ho Chi Minh City
๐ฒ๐พ Kota Kinabalu
At a glance
- Where Kota Kinabalu is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (33%โ)
- Where Ho Chi Minh City is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (67%โ), Beer (62%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (53%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Kota Kinabalu is easier to travel (2.2 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ho Chi Minh City 4 vs Kota Kinabalu 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ho Chi Minh City | Kota Kinabalu | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 60,000$2.28 | RM 10$2.33 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โซ 35,000$1.33 | RM 7$1.63 | Ho Chi Minh City โ18% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | RM 40$9.3 | Kota Kinabalu โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 50,000$1.9 | RM 12$2.79 | Ho Chi Minh City โ32% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 35,000$1.33 | RM 15$3.49 | Ho Chi Minh City โ62% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | RM 30$6.98 | Ho Chi Minh City โ35% |
| Bottled water | โซ 9,000$0.34 | RM 1.5$0.35 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | RM 3$0.7 | Ho Chi Minh City โ18% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | RM 11$2.56 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 20,000$0.76 | RM 7$1.63 | Ho Chi Minh City โ53% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 7,000$0.27 | RM 2$0.47 | Ho Chi Minh City โ43% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | RM 50$11.6 | Ho Chi Minh City โ51% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 1,000,000$38 | RM 180$41.9 | Ho Chi Minh City โ9% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 10,000,000$380 | RM 1,100$256 | Kota Kinabalu โ33% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | RM 6$1.4 | Ho Chi Minh City โ18% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 200,000$7.6 | RM 30$6.98 | Kota Kinabalu โ8% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 100,000$3.8 | RM 18$4.19 | Ho Chi Minh City โ9% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | RM 70$16.3 | Ho Chi Minh City โ30% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | RM 100$23.3 | Kota Kinabalu โ6% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 50,000$1.9 | RM 25$5.81 | Ho Chi Minh City โ67% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Kota Kinabalu?
Ho Chi Minh City and Kota Kinabalu cost about the same. Daily budget $68 vs $71.3; a month $1,302 vs $1,170.
Which is easier to travel, Ho Chi Minh City or Kota Kinabalu?
Kota Kinabalu is easier: Kota Kinabalu 2.2/5 vs Ho Chi Minh City 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Ho Chi Minh City and Kota Kinabalu?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ho Chi Minh City is about $1,302 and Kota Kinabalu about $1,170 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.