Info on Vietnam

[exported_kiwi]

Hi folks, my lady and I are considering a big move to Vietnam and are looking for as much info as anybody can give us on the situation there.
If possible, we'd like to know about the following please.

1. living costs vs income
2. accommodation costs
3. income, what can be expected
4. lifestyle/expat community
5. Availability of quality positions.

Things like this are what we'd really like to know, so if anybody can help, please add to the thread.
Cheers,
Kiwi (and his missus)

[Antonio]

I think if you move to Vietnam from China, then you can expect similar low-cost living.

Just to give you an idea of the cost of living in Vietnam:

• 30m2 apartment in Ho Chi Minh City - 7 million dongs (USD450).
• Packet of cigarettes / Beer / A meal out - less than USD1 each.
• Internet is cheap and everywhere in Vietnam. An internet cafe would be about 3000 dong per hour. For ADSL connection at home, the price is from $30~$65 / month depending on the speeds you need.

Avoid drinking tap-water as water borne diseases are quite common in Vietnam.

When renting, just make sure the landlord or real-estate agent has the legal right to rent to you.

Availability of Work

Like most countries, this would be concentrated around the cities and urban areas. Largest city is Ho Chi Minh City, or previously known as Saigon with just under 3.5 million people. Next in line would be Hanoi with 1.4 million people.

Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have a lot a language schools looking for native English teachers that hold a university degree. Depending on how picky you are, you can easily get a full-time or part-time contract.

Other

Hanoi (monsoonal climate) would be your cheapest access point as it's in northern Vietnam, just a stone's throw away from China. Ho Chi Minh City (tropical climate) on the other hand is way down south.

Vietnam is quite a poor country with somewhat 15% below the poverty line. The average yearly salary is about USD3,500, so don't expect to earn too much as an English teacher.

So what do you think? Similar to China?

[exported_kiwi]

Jeez! US450 for a 30m2 apartment? I can get a 180 m2 apartment here in Guangzhou for less! Smokes and beer are about US0.30-50 each bottle/pack.
Food is cheap and a wide variety too.

30m2 is such a tiny space, not even enough room to swing a cat!
I have a friend who works for the Vn Gov't in Hanoi and she has introduced my CV to a training school and they've said I'll be welcome in FEb for the new term. She also said that that price for a small apartment means you're being robbed big time!
Net access is expensive too! Here it's about US20/mth or so for ADSL, depending which company you sign with.

I can earn upwards of US2000/mth here if I work reasonable hours, but I'm lazy and US1500/mth is a good income here.

Thanks for the info, very informative and what I asked to know.I"m still trying to decide where I'll go and what I'll do next year. I love Asia, but am kinda tired of China now.

[Amit_kumar]

Moving to Vietnam. I am now in Vietnam. I shifted from India to Vietnam. People are good here. Let me tell you the expenses of accommodation in Vietnam.

Room: > 350 $ / month

A lot of rooms, equipped or not, are for rent. Comfort will be just ok but at that price you can expect a clean place. Most of the time, you won’t have air conditioning but a fan. For a minimum of 350$/month you can get a central address. Make sure that the people who rent you the place have the legal paper to do it.

Apartments & Houses: > 500 $ / month

Ideal to feel really at home, alone or with one’s family, you will have the choice between two kinds of place: Vietnamese architecture with long house or more recent house / occidental style house. Central address for an apartment is at least 800$ / month and 1000$ / month for a house. Again, make sure that the people who rent you the place have the legal paper to do it.

Luxury Housing

Private residences +2000 $ / month

For this price, you get calm, security and services such as sport, entertainment, food, nursery etc…

For rich people or top executives (To be negotiated with you company).

Villas +2000 $ / month

Alternative to the serviced apartments if you come with a family, it is the ideal solution if you want to really feel at home. Some areas like An phu in Saigon or Tay Ho in Hanoi are famous expat areas where you should find the ideal villa.

Serviced apartments +2000 $ / month
Special life style for special people... You will benefit from the services of a 5 Star Hotel: SPA, fine food, fitness center with private classes etc… A must for V.I.P

Advice: Use Only 1 Agent at a time

Most property companies share the same database of property listings. If you approach many agents at the same time, very likely that they will show you the same property. Much confusion and embarrassment will arise if you engage many agents. Save valuable time for yourself and the agent. Only if unresponsive or not showing the correct property you wanted, then start to look for another agent


Teaching in Vietnam is a wonderful adventure, but you shouldn't expect to get rich doing it. Pay for teachers is relatively low in Vietnam, and sometimes jobs are somewhat scarce and difficult to locate. You may have to take what you can get