Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Can I live in Ho Chi Minh City on $2,000/month?
Ho Chi Minh City is probably one of the best value cities on the planet. It is surprisingly affordable. Sometimes, things are so cheap it makes you do a double take. Once, I took a Grab and I couldn’t believe the ride was only like $2. I thought I was reading the app wrong. You could live a comfortable middle-class life for less than $2,000 with all expenses included.
The city is also growing and modernizing shockingly quickly. When I first traveled to Ho Chi Minh City in 2013, it still felt like a developing country everywhere. These days, there are many areas that feel developed. The infrastructure has improved so much over the past 10 years or so.
One drawback is that long-term Vietnam visa options are limited. Many digital nomads stay in Vietnam on a 90-day tourist visa then leave and re-enter on a new visa. This probably isn’t a good long-term plan. There is no digital nomad visa at this time. Work visas and investor visas are available but the requirements are kind of strict.
Starting numbers checked . Every line below is editable. The estimates include often-forgotten costs like flights home and visas, plus what you lose moving money into VND. The calculator will show you your true monthly burn rate as well as your adjusted exchange rate.
01
Money in
If income varies, enter a typical month in the currency you think in.
Not in the list? Choose “Enter my own…” and type the 3-letter code (GEL, VND, COP…).
02
True FX
How you turn this money into something you can spend.
How you receive money
These are typical estimates. Open Adjust fees if yours are different.
Loading live rate…
After fees
1 USD = 25,889 VND
Mid-market is 26,100. You lose about 9.00 USD per $1,000 moved.
Adjust feesThese are typical estimates, not official numbers from the company›
Change these if your app or bank is different from the typical numbers.
03
Monthly costs
Start with these. Turn off anything that isn’t you.
Forgotten expenses
$500/mo
Expenses people often forget
›
Forgotten expenses
$500/mo
Expenses people often forget
Flights home, visas, a house helper. Turn off anything that isn’t you.
True monthly burn
$1,829
47,743,254 VND
Keep $171
Ho Chi Minh City cost of living breakdown
The figures the calculator starts with plus some notes. Everything here is an estimate you should change for your situation.
| Expense | Starting estimate | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday costs | $1,150/mo | |
| Rent | $500/mo | $500 |
A decent one-bedroom apartment goes for around $400-$600. If you're on a tight budget, it is possible to find a studio outside the city center for under $300 per month. | ||
| Utilities | $40/mo | $40 |
| Food | $300/mo | $300 |
If you maintain a diet of local food, you could eat well for around $200 per month. If you prefer a mix of local and Western food, you'll probably spend close to $300-$400 per month. Food is very affordable in Vietnam. You could get a street food meal or eat in a local restaurant for $2-$3. A basic banh mi costs around 25,000 dong or $1. A bowl of pho costs around 30,000-60,000 dong or $1.25-$2.50. I discovered this rib restaurant once that served a plate of ribs and rice for like $3. I ate there every day for like a month until I got sick of it. I just couldn't believe how cheap it was for the quality. | ||
| Transport | $50/mo | $50 |
Transportation is surprisingly cheap in Vietnam. A ride on the metro costs around 7,000 to 20,000 VND ($0.30-$0.80) depending on how far you go. A Grab ride halfway across the city costs like 50,000 to 100,000 VND ($2-$4). The first time I took Grab in Vietnam, I thought I was misunderstanding the app. It was so cheap, I couldn't believe it. | ||
| Phone & internet | $30/mo | $30 |
A monthly phone bill costs around 200,000-250,000 VND ($7.50-$9.50). | ||
| Health (local) | $80/mo | $80 |
| Entertainment | $150/mo | $150 |
| Easy to forget | $500/mo | |
| Flights homeHolidays, family visits | $1,300/yr | $108 |
| In-country tripsWeekends, nearby cities | $600/yr | $50 |
There are some great day and weekend trips you can take from Ho Chi Minh City, including a trip to the Mekong Delta or Vung Tau. If you have a weekend, you could visit Mui Ne or Da Lat. If you have a bit more time, you could catch a budget flight to Thailand, Malaysia, or Indonesia. | ||
| Visa / border runsPermits, overstays | $135/yr | $11 |
A standard tourist visa for Vietnam costs $25 and is valid for 90 days. | ||
| Travel insurance | $50/mo | $50 |
| Phone, laptop, clothes | $600/yr | $50 |
| Laundry / cleaning help | $30/mo | $30 |
| Medical bufferClinics, meds insurance skips | $50/mo | $50 |
| Emergency fund | $100/mo | $100 |
| SubscriptionsStreaming, iCloud, software | $30/mo | $30 |
| Home SIM for 2FA | $20/mo | $20 |
| Bad-week buffer, 10% on top | $165 | |
| Cost of moving money in via Wise | $15 | |
| True monthly burn in Ho Chi Minh City | $1,829 | |
That is about 47,743,254 VND a month at roughly 26,100 VND to 1 USD; the calculator above uses the live rate. On $2,000 a month you would keep $171, and $10,000 of savings would last 5.5 months with no income. 5 more expenses are switched off by default. Turn on the ones that apply to you.
Run the numbers somewhere else
Same calculator, different starting figures. Ho Chi Minh City lands at $1,829 a month on the defaults above.
Cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City
- Kampala, Uganda$1,705/mo
More expensive than Ho Chi Minh City
- Nairobi, Kenya$1,831/mo
- Bogotá, Colombia$1,986/mo
- Bangkok, Thailand$1,994/mo