Having been through the Ninja Teacher process and living in Vietnam, I can safely assure you, no matter what you earn you will NEVER go hungry. The variety of tastes and the affordability of the food is exceptional and to this day, there is no other place in the world I return to more often than Vietnam. Thank you, Alex
It’s because the US sprays chemicals and pesticides on all of our foods. And we also inject all the animals with hormones so all of the food in the US is tainted unless you grow yourself.
As a Vietnamese living in the US, I miss Vietnamese food very much. The Vietnamese food in US is not as delicious as the food in VN. I pay 15$ for a bowl of Pho over here but it tastes nothing compared to a 2$ Pho in VN.😮💨
Great video, very informative. A few additional costs not mentioned here: 1. "Stuff": clothes, shoes, a mobile phone, a laptop, household items, etc. For me its ~$800 a year on average (~$70 per month). 2. Home country/family visits: Even if you only go once a year its quite expensive. Roughly $1,000 for me (~$80 per month). 3. Health insurance: If you're young and healthy, maybe $50 per month, if you're in your seventies it may go up to $500 per month, maybe more. 4. Home internet (fiber/broadband) 5. Toiletries and cleaning products. In my case I also pay someone to clean my apartment once a week. 6. Cable/Netflix/Disney+/Amazon Video/Spotify etc 7. Vacations: If you ever go on vacations it will add up. You can stay in Vietnam as it will be cheaper, but many people will also want to visit Thailand, Cambodia (Angkor Wat), Korea, Taiwan, maybe even Japan.
You Forget that even Your List is Your List.. 1. "Stuff" is As Needed!, 2. Not everyone there has any there. 3. Health Insurance, Not everyone Needs it or it's provided to them by the VA and they pay for it. 4. Agree because I Refuse to Own a Cellphone. 5. As Needed. 6. If you have Internet, ALL Movies are FREE! If you know what you are doing and IS Legal... So NOT Needed. 7. You are On Permanent Vacation. Unless like Him, you bring your work with you.. and Why would you do that? His List is for Living in the City, Live Outside the City and these Costs could be Halved and have a Better Life doing so.. I live in Florida on a Budget of $555 a Month because I OWN My Land, Truck, Motorcycle and MY Bills are MY Bills Not my Neighbors who are paying Well Over that and are also Single like me.. If I live In Town, My Costs Goes Up by a Good $150+ a Month.. No Thank You!
@@ravenlorans Insurance covered by the (shudder) VA? I was under the impression that I would be without access if I relocated. I am a 50% disabled Vet.
street food so healthy here with alot of greens and herbes. You can eat 3 times/day outside for 3S/day 5$ with cold drinks. So 3*30=90$/month for food, no need to cook yourself. You can save that cooking time to enjoy another stuffs.
Your most valuable video yet !! This is definitely what I needed before my move there. THANK YOU !! Beautifully produced video, too. Very professional production.
As a minimalist, I am living nicely in Vietnam on $500 dollars a month. I rent a small house with a large yard in the country for $50. Housing outside the cities is much less.
Curious, any issues with robbery/break ins out in the countryside? I know that's the main area pet snatchers visit. I was planning on bringing my cat, but now I believe I'll have to re-home her with a family member.
@@youMatterItDoesGetBetter Haven't heard of any break-ins in my area. Someone in the community, a couple years ago, ripped off their boss. But it's rude to talk about it, for the family's sake. I've been told that nearing Tet one should keep an eye out for pet snatchers. This last Tet one of the neighbors in the community said a dog was snatched. Someone raided my sister-in-law chicken coop that same month and took all the eggs. She was sad because she was going to let them hatch. Other than that, there are lots of pets about. Dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, buffalo. With everyone letting their pets run a muck in the streets, it's expected that a pet or two would disappear. Just don't let your cat turn alley. and it should be fine.
@@eitangrinspon1637 Vietnam is one of the most developed country in SEAsian. My friend has a VERY nice apartment in a high rise fore $450 USD a month and fast internet. He literally has a custom tiled steam shower lol.
Seeing that but the truth is not so. The leadership is very bad and dirty, you can prove that the places I go to the cities, the street corners are unhygienic, the food I don't dare to eat because of the food processing toxic chemicals, people who just came to live they don't know but after living there for a long time, now they know..that’s all i can say it is not what i heard.
Since this $1k is net, the actual salary will have to be higher to include taxes. So if your employer covers health, life, dental, vision insurance and offers a 401k match; you'd have to make 32M or $1,350/mo to be able to match the balanced budget and cover taxes, 5% savings, 5% 401k and a little for charitable giving. This also doesn't include any room for unexpected expenses, shopping of any kind other than food, trips, etc. Realistically this means the minimum is $1500/mo gross if you just want to live and not save or invest for the future. Long term sustainable living then becomes $2k and up... So short term, yes you can live conservatively on $1k/mo as a single person who doesn't care about travel or long term investment.
@@nocancelcultureaccepted9316 Lol you must have either really high standards or have never been to HCMC. The quality of life there is substantially higher than in the US in a lot of ways...
@@Eph_2_8-9 Higher than in the US? Over 80% of Vietnamese would kill to migrate to anywhere else rather than Vietnam. If you happen to be a foreigner who isn’t familiar with the facts of Vietnamese culture and you live in your own bubble, you may think it’s fine. But the Vietnamese know it sucks to live in their own society because of 2 reasons: garbage and stealing.
Thanks for this informative video! I just returned to the states after two weeks in Vietnam (and experiencing withdrawals). Loved all of the food & hospitality there!
Very easy to live on around 20 million a month here. The only months where I've spent 30 million is the months when I went eating at western places and drinking more than 3 times a week. Home cooking or eating local will save you an absolute fortune over the course of the year.
@@piedpiper5687 yes but not central saigon - you get a house share or home stay for 4 mil a month food wise you can live on 100k a day or 500k a day, Noodles and meats is only 20k. I think the lowest would be 12 million a month for a foreigner
Indeed. My teaching assistants taught me a lot about living like a local. They showed me where they eat and shop. My costs were decreased significantly. However, at times you do feel really guilty when you earn as much as you do as a teacher. I was clearing around 40 million VND or more most months but I would happily give them a "performance bonus" when I worked with them. Hardest working people I have ever met.
@joehavermann7729 about 1 million a month is what I could afford at the time depending on how many lessons I did with them. When I earned more, and could secure more lessons, I raised it to 1.5 million
Living there for that long, any plans for learning to speak the language. I’ve watch many UA-camrs living there only a couple years and speaking very well, it’s hard at first but you will be amazed how quickly you can learn. Also once you speak the language, you will be surprised how you can blend in with the locals and have a friendly interactions. Cheers
Yes, I’m taking lessons again recently. I’ve been running our TEFL academy so it hasn’t been my top priority but I agree with your points about the benefits so I’m making an effort again.
I lost my wallet in the ocean of Vietnam once... I lived for free for one month. I met a wonderful Viet family took me in that didnt have much. They absolutely refused payment when the time came. If my father didnt get sick with cancer I would have never came back.
Luôn có một gia đình chờ bạn trở về. Khi bạn cảm thấy mệt mỏi hay chán nản, hãy đến Việt Nam. Mảnh đất này không phải mảnh đất cho bạn niềm vui, nhưng nó chắc chắn mang lại hạnh phúc, giá trị tinh thần.
Agree with your survey.. I spent about 7,5 mil/month for a studio apartment in D7 (15 minutes from D1), no balcony though. And on average over 9 months i think i spent about 1000usd/month for just about everything. Sure miss being able to get streetfood outside my apartment building for 1 usd..
D7 has street food but it's tightly regulated somehow. The street that ends at Paris Baguette, Ku Pho Huong Phuoc 3, or it might be one street over, has the vendors come at after 5 I think.
@@keilnirby well, in some of the more fancy/western areas it might be like that 😅 but large parts of the district is very classic Vietnamese style.. I had plenty of street vendors and 'mom n pop' shops on my street, but yeah, around FV hospital and crescent mall and the Sky Garden area it was much 'cleaner' and empty in that way 😅
Seeing that but the truth is not so. The leadership is very bad and dirty, you can prove that the places I go to the cities, the street corners are unhygienic, the food I don't dare to eat because of the food processing toxic chemicals, people who just came to live they don't know but after living there for a long time, now they know..that’s all i can say it is not what i heard.
@@NiklasLarssonSeglarfan if you go to the hospital called market field ‘Chợ Rẩy’ in District 5 to visit the patients, you will understand what I'm saying.
I am loving your videos so much. They are really helping me make the decision to start teaching and moving over there. I'm from South Africa and this is really the time to make the move. Is there any way I can make contact with you to ask questions.
Helping people start teaching English in Vietnam is what we do. :) You can check out ninjateacher.com to see the options we offer to assist people with getting started and you can get in touch there too.
In Vietnam : the high budget would go a a decent /safe areas rental lodging - other than that groceries/local market/street foods are super cheap (the price of McDonald's , Chic fil A , Starbucks ect. would afford you a entire day of food in VN )
HCM is actually one of the best places in the world to be a foodie because if you want something like Turkish, French (Cocotte), Brazilian, etc. you're basically paying 1/3 of what you would in another big city. Some purists will say well it's not like XYZ back home, but there are definitely places that would be damn close and a fraction of the price you'd pay in London, New York, etc.
I lived in Saigon for 4 years and have been back in Chicago (a really good food city) for 2 years and I have to say that some of the American food I had in Saigon was better than some of the food I have had here -- I have only had Vietnamese food once because I cried about paying $14 for a bowl of mi quang and $6 for ca phe sua da!!! Coming back to Da Nang in November and can't wait for my 20k dong banh mi!!!
Thank you so much for a well informative cost of living nowadays in VN. I'm living in the US currently and very much interested in teaching English in Vietnam, please advised me where to started. Once again thanks so much and hope to hear from you.
I have a friend who live on USA but he lie ti his boss that he live in USA but working from vietnam for 6 months and get big salary from his company live like a king in vietnam 😊
Hi Ninja I heard the food is great and cheap but would you do a research about GMO & how they feed livestock? I watched investigations about seafood at VN they use a lot of chemicals and antibiotics so how the food safety for your health? I’m just a curious George please make another video about food safety if possible thanks
Hello! I heard you mention teaching English. Are people aged out of teaching jobs there? Can someone 55 teach in Vietnam and then retire? I am seeking a wonderful inexpensive country to teach English, and retire.
Me and my partner live on around $1500 TOGETHER in Sweden. In Vietnam you should be able to live a good life on $350-$500 per person easily. Your priorities must be really off if living cheap is the goal..
Just got approved for my VA disability compensation a few weeks back.Where do I need to live in Vietnam for the amount you quoted??? Supposed it's cheaper than living in the Philippines.
Tourist visas were just extended to 90 days. Alex is talking about living and working in Vietnam. If you have a job and work permit, you can stay forever as long as you have permission to be in the country.
❤ after 2 years in, I ate western 5X. 5 regret. I don't eat Vietnamese because of budget. I don't need to. I eat it because it's one of the best cuisines on the globe! I've shopped the markets, I've been blessed by my local friends to show me how to cook it. ❤ I'm back in Canada 🇨🇦 now and I'm dying😂 it's a food desert compared to VN❤❤❤
One important point you forgot on cost of leaving is your health insurance 🤔 I know this may be different from one person to another. But it is something to take in consideration regarding all your monthly expenses 😉 good video 👍 nice and very informative Chanel . Bravo 👏👏
Thank you SO SO much for the effort and detail you put into your videos!! Can I ask how good the online shopping is in Vietnam? Like is there a version of takealot?😄 I would hope to buy an Airfryer for example!:)
Very interesting video. Vietnam has been high on my list to immigrate to from the USA to retire early. I liked your breakdown of the three possible lifestyles. I’d like the baller but not the food. I’d prefer to eat local food everyday if it were my choice. Still blows my mind how incredibly affordable when compared to typical western life costs.
It's not affordable. It's only affordable because you have foreign money. Not sure why it would be mind blowing. The incomes in western life are 10 times higher. It's probably more expensive to be fair to live in the west income to expense, than almost any other area.
@@JayandSarahthat’s why it’s good to live as a Westen guy in Vietnam. I’m living here 6 months and in Europe I spend on average 7000€ a month. In Vietnam I spend maximum 3000€ a month and I eat in restaurant every day
Hi interesting and detailed videos , appreciated . What about paperwork , rental , transport or accommodation ? Short term lease etc, easy and safe process ?
I think the common budget is good but in Baguio we have to buy water which costs me 400 a week for a full tank And we use 5 galls of drinking water every other day My health insurance is Wrlife that gives me 80k USD hospital cover for 100 bucks a month
Great video thanks ! Hehe the rent prices are almost same in rural Austria or eastern Germany ;) doesn't seem so cheap related to the average income don't you think ?
Great video, very informative. I'm heading out that way in feb/ march, then I'll decide if I want to teach out there. Is HCMC the only city you can teach in? Like can I teach in Da Nang? One concern is I still have bills back in the states :/
it depends on the city, You can rent a big house for 450 dollars a month. They just no pool and gym, it is a separate house. Food is cheap, shouldnt be a problem
@@ninja.teacher thanks for the info Alex. I’m just trying to work out logistics of my wife and I, who both have early childhood education degrees, being able to work and live in Ho Chi Minh City. I visited your Ninja Teacher HQ back in 2019 and was impressed with the set up.
Hey Alex, Love your transparency here. Can you clarify if credit cards are widely accepted? I know it may seem petty, but the foreign transaction fees really add up. The 0% foreign transaction fee while earning points really would add up to a significant amount when taken together. I've gone to countries where I am constantly withdrawing from fly-by-night ATMs that charge 10-15% and only let you withdraw, like, 60 bucks. It makes all these 1-3 dollar meals really a lot more overall. Any insight would be helpful!!
Most family / low cost restaurants won't take card but the higher end ones will. You can look into banks that offer refunds on fees (like Charles Schwab if you're American).
I have CapitalOne debit card, which has no foreign transaction fees. However, the ATM cash withdrawal fees charged by the local banks here can really add up, so I always take out much cash as the machine would let me. All the convenience store & the grocery stores (not the outdoor markets) will accept visa and Mastercard, as well as the higher end restaurants.
@@ninja.teacherYou are right about most family/ low cost restaurant don’t take card , now instead of cash you can transfer directly to owner account if you have VN account or you can use many other payment methods like Momo, Zalopay, Vnpay, etc. All is for free.
Charles Schwab has a monthly reimbursement for ATM fees when traveling abroad. I’m not sure if there’s a maximum if there is it’s probably a couple hundred dollars worth of fees. So that way you can use the ATM whenever you want to replenish your pocket cash? And maybe do a couple withdrawals to pay rent, depending on what the maximum withdrawal amount is ???
surprised that they limit to only $60. Though the amount may be considered as a lot in VN, but that is quite low for foreigners. Especially if you have multiple purchases and things to do. $120-150 will be the reasonable amount in VN per day.
haha wow. Worth looking into for sure. Super great info! I quickly noticed portion size different from my normal fat ass portions. I end up closer to normal price after multiple plates ordered. Gyms are at least as high as here. Starbucks is still crazy in Vietnam. LOL! I skip them here and I'll skip them in Vietnam.
Hi Alex, I know you have your own company so talking about another program may be a little ridiculous but I really want to ask you this. I'm coming to Vietnam with Aiesec in two months to Ho chi minh city and I would like to know if the place we rent should be in certain areas for security and rent vise and is it difficult to send money back to our home country? I love your videos thank you in advance 😊
I’d recommend living within 20 minutes from where you work to avoid a long commute and Ho Chi Minh City is safe practically anywhere. You can send money back home if you have a valid word contract to show the bank.
A question for those living in Vietnam. Are these prices still the same in 2024 ? I'm an ESL non-native teacher with 7 years of experience and who is considering moving to Vietnam, yet I don't know what are the actual cons there. Will you be scammed often? Is there high job competition in the ESL teaching market for job seekers?
In some rich international schools as where I worked in SAIGON, they offer you free accommodation and round tickets every year to visit your home country. Every year you have 2 new year holidays, the TET Vietnamese new year in end of January and the Western new year from the end of Dec to January like in US. I recommend you apply to international schools rather than English Centers because they can offer you good paid, paid holidays, and accommodation included.
If you stayed in VN long enough ( over 6 months ) and your age is under 60 ,you can purchase a VNese health insurance package with cheap price ( 100-150usd for in/out -patient per year) or you can choose international health insurance up to 500usd per year. If you don’t care of health insurance , you can visit doctors with 500k per visit ( 22 usd) , for MRI service it costs 3milks ( 130usd) . It is some basic information to you.
My ninja, thank you. I have been thinking about living 5-6 months in VN a year, the rest in europe. I have some saving deposit in vietnamese bank and I can have around 20 mil vnd (800 usd) a month without job. I also have a small appartment near Hanoi (ocean park 1). Acutally I wanted to double that monthly income, but Im too tired of working 24/7. Maybe I can still live the "baller" way in VN . Anyway thanks for the informations, they are very helpful
Hey Alex, love your videos. I noticed that when I read your teacher salary and start up costs they are showing for 2018. Obviously, as you stated, prices have risen across the globe since then. You mentioned in 2018 that teacher salaries were between $1,400 up to $2,000 a month. Have salaries increased as well? Just curious. I already have my TEFL/TESOL from ITTT last year. In-class 120 hours.
ESL teacher salaries are still the same and in fact getting lower, while the cost of living is going up. The industry is stagnant. Every Joe and and his dog is coming out to teach here.
@@thecheekymonkey8785Thank you for your honesty. Are you still working in Vietnam? What are the real salaries if you are still there in 2023? I look forward to your answer and anyone else who is living there currently. 😊
However, it's still possible to live comfortably on an ESL teaching salary. You're just going to find it harder to save much, if anything. 5 to 10 years ago, it was possible to live very well and save a good chunk of cash every month. Now the market is somewhat oversaturated, mostly with non-native teachers who are willing to work for much less than native speakers, driving the wages down. It's also much harder to fill your schedule with enough hours to make $2k, so you're more likely to earn $1200-$1600. It's still a decent wage, although unfortunately that's where it's going stay. Very little to no room for career advancement, unless you are qualified to teach in an international school. In conclusion, teaching ESL in Vietnam is a great option if you're a traveller in your early 20's looking for a gap year. If you're older than that and looking to build a career and a place to settle down, Vietnam is a poor choice. With that said, there are plenty of older teachers here who married local women and settled down, but most of them have a business or side hustle to supplement their income. Some have passive income streams from back home, such as rental income.
Have not watched the video yet but when I was with my ex I was not allowed to do any shopping with the family, nor was I allowed to be around them when looking at stuff to buy until after they bought something so they didn't pay foreigner prices which was noticeable at times. If not all the time. lol
i can life on a thousand dollar in germany if i want to. In fact im spending around 1200 dollar a month. I wonder why everything is so expensive aroudn the world even if they earn under 10$ a day.
So, for the "budget" selection, it would be upwards of US$300 a month for meals at US$10 a day for someone who would find some of those meals a tad on the small side.
The title of this video is misleading. It should have the words "with foreigner's income". Because the cost of living in Vietnam is definitely not cheap with everyday local people
Thanks for your thoughtful. You know that VNeses don’t eat much Western foods, we like vegetables for our meals, besides we are protected by Government insurance so we are most doing well. If we are sick, we ’d have foods for free in most hospitals , especially in city .They do charity for poor people but foods are quite good.
ofcourse you can live in vietnam with 1,000 dollars. Im sure because i'm living in New york city with 1,000 expenses a month. 500 dollars for rent and 500 dollars for food and other bills..
Lived and worked there for 25 years. They are many great things, but the toxicity in food, water and air have driven many conscious expat family away. Hope the government will start cleaning that up soon to make it one of the most attractive travel destinations in Southeast Asia. Look at the reports and stats from the WHO on the health conditions of the people in Vietnam. My heart goes out to them. Too many silent killers.
Air, ground water and noise pollution is just getting worse. The country and its economy is developing at an incredible pace, but at a great cost to the environment. After 7 years I'm leaving as I'm feeling the negative effects on my health. I wouldn't recommend Vietnam to anyone to live long term. It might be cheap to live here, but the negatives far outweigh the positives.
@@thecheekymonkey8785 Thank you for the info. Noticed Romania and Bulgaria are joining Schengen in March 2024. That makes it harder to choose these countries in the future I believe.
I have heard many stories about toxic food or how they processed food, cook it....even how they grow veggies (Rau muong for example). Once they had food poison episodes, many people ended up in ER and that is scary.
how do you go about renting without getting scammed? Is there like an apartment locators agency? Just want to have a place within a month, and is it hard to find a vacant apartment?
Have you actually seen what the traffic is like in the cities?? I wouldn’t be hiring a car!! Maybe taxi, walk, motorbike or grabCar or grabBike which is like Uber I think🤔🤔
I know a young 20 or 21 year old girl in Hanoi. Her furnished room in a shared house is about $21 a month 500k Most days she spends $2 a day on food, and could geys to take her out every other day if she wanted. Pays little for electricity water or internet She is living on $10 a day or less.
The answer is no though 20years ago you could when things were cheap. I lived and worked there for 10years earning towards the latter years of my stay around $700 US a week that was with overtime as a high level teacher at a good school ie I was qualified ie degree etc. ... I always had money and a good life but others at low end schools were struggling even then with not enough coin. For the record I was in Saigon aka Hoville which is much more expensive than smaller towns i get that! At the present, unless you want to live in the Boondocks that amount of coin would last 2 weeks at best unless you want no life at all in the Boondocks!
Great video amigo! How do most people stay legally in the country? Do you have a person to help with long term visas? Or are these apartments all month to month?
Want to learn more about teaching English in Vietnam? Download our salary, living expenses and start-up costs guide here: ninjateacher.com/free-guide
Having been through the Ninja Teacher process and living in Vietnam, I can safely assure you, no matter what you earn you will NEVER go hungry. The variety of tastes and the affordability of the food is exceptional and to this day, there is no other place in the world I return to more often than Vietnam. Thank you, Alex
Glad to hear that! You're most welcome.
It’s because the US sprays chemicals and pesticides on all of our foods. And we also inject all the animals with hormones so all of the food in the US is tainted unless you grow yourself.
As a Vietnamese living in the US, I miss Vietnamese food very much. The Vietnamese food in US is not as delicious as the food in VN. I pay 15$ for a bowl of Pho over here but it tastes nothing compared to a 2$ Pho in VN.😮💨
Phở 0,8$ đô thôi =20k vnd là giá trung bình thường gặp
😱
@@Adolf_Catler_159phở ở đâu 20k?
@@pl640 chắc mua phở gói ăn liền + nửa lạng thịt bò
@@pl640 à chắc tao nhầm phở giá 2 triệu chứ làm gì có phở 20k đâu nhỉ😏😏😏
Great video, very informative.
A few additional costs not mentioned here:
1. "Stuff": clothes, shoes, a mobile phone, a laptop, household items, etc.
For me its ~$800 a year on average (~$70 per month).
2. Home country/family visits:
Even if you only go once a year its quite expensive. Roughly $1,000 for me (~$80 per month).
3. Health insurance:
If you're young and healthy, maybe $50 per month, if you're in your seventies it may go up to $500 per month, maybe more.
4. Home internet (fiber/broadband)
5. Toiletries and cleaning products.
In my case I also pay someone to clean my apartment once a week.
6. Cable/Netflix/Disney+/Amazon Video/Spotify etc
7. Vacations:
If you ever go on vacations it will add up. You can stay in Vietnam as it will be cheaper, but many people will also want to visit Thailand, Cambodia (Angkor Wat), Korea, Taiwan, maybe even Japan.
very helpful additional info, thanks
You Forget that even Your List is Your List.. 1. "Stuff" is As Needed!, 2. Not everyone there has any there. 3. Health Insurance, Not everyone Needs it or it's provided to them by the VA and they pay for it. 4. Agree because I Refuse to Own a Cellphone. 5. As Needed. 6. If you have Internet, ALL Movies are FREE! If you know what you are doing and IS Legal... So NOT Needed. 7. You are On Permanent Vacation. Unless like Him, you bring your work with you.. and Why would you do that?
His List is for Living in the City, Live Outside the City and these Costs could be Halved and have a Better Life doing so.. I live in Florida on a Budget of $555 a Month because I OWN My Land, Truck, Motorcycle and MY Bills are MY Bills Not my Neighbors who are paying Well Over that and are also Single like me..
If I live In Town, My Costs Goes Up by a Good $150+ a Month.. No Thank You!
@@ravenlorans Calm down dear....
Hospital costs in Vietnam are cheaper than buying life insurance
@@ravenlorans Insurance covered by the (shudder) VA? I was under the impression that I would be without access if I relocated. I am a 50% disabled Vet.
street food so healthy here with alot of greens and herbes. You can eat 3 times/day outside for 3S/day 5$ with cold drinks. So 3*30=90$/month for food, no need to cook yourself. You can save that cooking time to enjoy another stuffs.
That is so truth!!
Your most valuable video yet !! This is definitely what I needed before my move there. THANK YOU !! Beautifully produced video, too. Very professional production.
As a minimalist, I am living nicely in Vietnam on $500 dollars a month. I rent a small house with a large yard in the country for $50. Housing outside the cities is much less.
That is incredible. Thank you so much for giving that info.
Curious, any issues with robbery/break ins out in the countryside? I know that's the main area pet snatchers visit. I was planning on bringing my cat, but now I believe I'll have to re-home her with a family member.
@@youMatterItDoesGetBetter Haven't heard of any break-ins in my area. Someone in the community, a couple years ago, ripped off their boss. But it's rude to talk about it, for the family's sake. I've been told that nearing Tet one should keep an eye out for pet snatchers. This last Tet one of the neighbors in the community said a dog was snatched. Someone raided my sister-in-law chicken coop that same month and took all the eggs. She was sad because she was going to let them hatch. Other than that, there are lots of pets about. Dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, buffalo. With everyone letting their pets run a muck in the streets, it's expected that a pet or two would disappear. Just don't let your cat turn alley. and it should be fine.
Hello,
Do you have access to plumbing and electricity?
@@eitangrinspon1637 Vietnam is one of the most developed country in SEAsian. My friend has a VERY nice apartment in a high rise fore $450 USD a month and fast internet. He literally has a custom tiled steam shower lol.
Thank you Alex. I plan to apply teaching in Vietnam next year.
Seeing that but the truth is not so. The leadership is very bad and dirty, you can prove that the places I go to the cities, the street corners are unhygienic, the food I don't dare to eat because of the food processing toxic chemicals, people who just came to live they don't know but after living there for a long time, now they know..that’s all i can say it is not what i heard.
Since this $1k is net, the actual salary will have to be higher to include taxes. So if your employer covers health, life, dental, vision insurance and offers a 401k match; you'd have to make 32M or $1,350/mo to be able to match the balanced budget and cover taxes, 5% savings, 5% 401k and a little for charitable giving. This also doesn't include any room for unexpected expenses, shopping of any kind other than food, trips, etc. Realistically this means the minimum is $1500/mo gross if you just want to live and not save or invest for the future. Long term sustainable living then becomes $2k and up...
So short term, yes you can live conservatively on $1k/mo as a single person who doesn't care about travel or long term investment.
health care is cheap, u pay prolly 5 dollars a month. Saving account there is 7 8 %. We dont pay taxes there
Spending $1K/month in a third world slum country is outrageous.
@@nocancelcultureaccepted9316 Lol you must have either really high standards or have never been to HCMC. The quality of life there is substantially higher than in the US in a lot of ways...
@@Eph_2_8-9
Higher than in the US?
Over 80% of Vietnamese would kill to migrate to anywhere else rather than Vietnam. If you happen to be a foreigner who isn’t familiar with the facts of Vietnamese culture and you live in your own bubble, you may think it’s fine. But the Vietnamese know it sucks to live in their own society because of 2 reasons: garbage and stealing.
@@nocancelcultureaccepted9316 I though you don’t have much time for news.
Thanks for this informative video! I just returned to the states after two weeks in Vietnam (and experiencing withdrawals). Loved all of the food & hospitality there!
Very easy to live on around 20 million a month here. The only months where I've spent 30 million is the months when I went eating at western places and drinking more than 3 times a week. Home cooking or eating local will save you an absolute fortune over the course of the year.
20millions? Dong?
@@piedpiper5687 yes, most vietnamese live on less but they live with family
@@leigh7507 can i survive with 15millions dong i a month?
@@piedpiper5687 yes but not central saigon - you get a house share or home stay for 4 mil a month
food wise you can live on 100k a day or 500k a day, Noodles and meats is only 20k.
I think the lowest would be 12 million a month for a foreigner
lol no way? what city?
Do more of these types of these videos, also i like the new editing style
it's super professional
1000$ ~ 23 mil VND, that's a dream salary for a lot of Vietnamese. Workers take home around 300$ a month is pretty common.
Your are absolutely right.
Indeed. My teaching assistants taught me a lot about living like a local. They showed me where they eat and shop. My costs were decreased significantly. However, at times you do feel really guilty when you earn as much as you do as a teacher. I was clearing around 40 million VND or more most months but I would happily give them a "performance bonus" when I worked with them. Hardest working people I have ever met.
@@AlphaSniperAcademy Interesting, and very kind of you. How much would you give them as a bonus?
@joehavermann7729 about 1 million a month is what I could afford at the time depending on how many lessons I did with them. When I earned more, and could secure more lessons, I raised it to 1.5 million
Well you're inefficient as hell and do absolutely garbage work. You're paid what you're worth.
Living there for that long, any plans for learning to speak the language. I’ve watch many UA-camrs living there only a couple years and speaking very well, it’s hard at first but you will be amazed how quickly you can learn. Also once you speak the language, you will be surprised how you can blend in with the locals and have a friendly interactions. Cheers
Yes, I’m taking lessons again recently. I’ve been running our TEFL academy so it hasn’t been my top priority but I agree with your points about the benefits so I’m making an effort again.
Your travel tips are invaluable for anyone planning their own journey. Thanks for being such a helpful guide!
This video was exactly what i was looking for. Thank you!
me too !!
Alex, is that veggie buffet in Saigon or Da Nang??? Looks great!!!
I lost my wallet in the ocean of Vietnam once... I lived for free for one month. I met a wonderful Viet family took me in that didnt have much. They absolutely refused payment when the time came. If my father didnt get sick with cancer I would have never came back.
🥺🥺🥺💚💚💚💚
That must be a once-in-a-lifetime experience❤
Luôn có một gia đình chờ bạn trở về. Khi bạn cảm thấy mệt mỏi hay chán nản, hãy đến Việt Nam. Mảnh đất này không phải mảnh đất cho bạn niềm vui, nhưng nó chắc chắn mang lại hạnh phúc, giá trị tinh thần.
Yes you absolutely can! I did. 👍
I want to know the rent budget for beach towns like Nha Trang or Da Nang. Living in Hanoi or Saigon is not desirable.
Dá Nang is about 25-30% less for housing than Saigon. Food is about the same cost.
Agree with your survey.. I spent about 7,5 mil/month for a studio apartment in D7 (15 minutes from D1), no balcony though. And on average over 9 months i think i spent about 1000usd/month for just about everything. Sure miss being able to get streetfood outside my apartment building for 1 usd..
D7 has street food but it's tightly regulated somehow. The street that ends at Paris Baguette, Ku Pho Huong Phuoc 3, or it might be one street over, has the vendors come at after 5 I think.
@@keilnirby well, in some of the more fancy/western areas it might be like that 😅 but large parts of the district is very classic Vietnamese style.. I had plenty of street vendors and 'mom n pop' shops on my street, but yeah, around FV hospital and crescent mall and the Sky Garden area it was much 'cleaner' and empty in that way 😅
Seeing that but the truth is not so. The leadership is very bad and dirty, you can prove that the places I go to the cities, the street corners are unhygienic, the food I don't dare to eat because of the food processing toxic chemicals, people who just came to live they don't know but after living there for a long time, now they know..that’s all i can say it is not what i heard.
@@leehnguyen7427 sure there are some dirty places, and sure some bad food too... But literally millions of people eat it daily with no issues...
@@NiklasLarssonSeglarfan
if you go to the hospital called market field ‘Chợ Rẩy’ in District 5 to visit the patients, you will understand what I'm saying.
Very valuable info to encourage one becoming decisive. Thank You!
$600 total U.S. dollars I think my total cost was for hotels and food everyday . September to October 2023 was for 29 days
Thank you. Very informative indeed. Much, much cheaper than staying with my relatives 🙂.
Your friend from the UK is wrong, one Dragon fruit in England costs a little less than £3 in Waitrose supermarket...which is a posh supermarket.
😮really?? Here in Australia you can get Dragon fruit for between $27-$30 EACH🤬🤬 the greed in this country (Australia) is out of control!!
Very informative video! Soon, I will also travel to Vietnam and am already curious about the costs of gyms 🤔:)
I am loving your videos so much. They are really helping me make the decision to start teaching and moving over there. I'm from South Africa and this is really the time to make the move. Is there any way I can make contact with you to ask questions.
Helping people start teaching English in Vietnam is what we do. :) You can check out ninjateacher.com to see the options we offer to assist people with getting started and you can get in touch there too.
In Vietnam : the high budget would go a a decent /safe areas rental lodging - other than that groceries/local market/street foods are super cheap (the price of McDonald's , Chic fil A , Starbucks ect. would afford you a entire day of food in VN )
HCM is actually one of the best places in the world to be a foodie because if you want something like Turkish, French (Cocotte), Brazilian, etc. you're basically paying 1/3 of what you would in another big city. Some purists will say well it's not like XYZ back home, but there are definitely places that would be damn close and a fraction of the price you'd pay in London, New York, etc.
I lived in Saigon for 4 years and have been back in Chicago (a really good food city) for 2 years and I have to say that some of the American food I had in Saigon was better than some of the food I have had here -- I have only had Vietnamese food once because I cried about paying $14 for a bowl of mi quang and $6 for ca phe sua da!!!
Coming back to Da Nang in November and can't wait for my 20k dong banh mi!!!
Thank you so much for a well informative cost of living nowadays in VN.
I'm living in the US currently and very much interested in teaching English in Vietnam, please advised me where to started.
Once again thanks so much and hope to hear from you.
I have a friend who live on USA but he lie ti his boss that he live in USA but working from vietnam for 6 months and get big salary from his company live like a king in vietnam 😊
Haha smart man
3000 USD is like a king. 5000 USD is like an angle
Hi Ninja I heard the food is great and cheap but would you do a research about GMO & how they feed livestock? I watched investigations about seafood at VN they use a lot of chemicals and antibiotics so how the food safety for your health? I’m just a curious George please make another video about food safety if possible thanks
Wow! I'm living in Dublin Ireland watching this! I think I might retire early in Vietnam 💃🤗
Hello! I heard you mention teaching English. Are people aged out of teaching jobs there? Can someone 55 teach in Vietnam and then retire? I am seeking a wonderful inexpensive country to teach English, and retire.
that was amazing job bro... i really needed this video, thanks
Family and I are moving there in a year or so cant wait.
Me and my partner live on around $1500 TOGETHER in Sweden. In Vietnam you should be able to live a good life on $350-$500 per person easily. Your priorities must be really off if living cheap is the goal..
Just got approved for my VA disability compensation a few weeks back.Where do I need to live in Vietnam for the amount you quoted??? Supposed it's cheaper than living in the Philippines.
I thought you could only stay in Vietnam for 30 days at a time. Thinking about retiring but visa runs are a no no for long term living.
Tourist visas were just extended to 90 days. Alex is talking about living and working in Vietnam. If you have a job and work permit, you can stay forever as long as you have permission to be in the country.
Wonderful, so informative, lots of research and editing, big thank.
❤ after 2 years in, I ate western 5X. 5 regret. I don't eat Vietnamese because of budget. I don't need to. I eat it because it's one of the best cuisines on the globe! I've shopped the markets, I've been blessed by my local friends to show me how to cook it. ❤ I'm back in Canada 🇨🇦 now and I'm dying😂 it's a food desert compared to VN❤❤❤
Me too! But I concluded V food is very good! no need to try world food!
Vermont is worse lol hello Canada
Seriously in-depth professional video - best in class！
Thanks!
One important point you forgot on cost of leaving is your health insurance 🤔 I know this may be different from one person to another. But it is something to take in consideration regarding all your monthly expenses 😉 good video 👍 nice and very informative Chanel . Bravo 👏👏
Thank you SO SO much for the effort and detail you put into your videos!! Can I ask how good the online shopping is in Vietnam? Like is there a version of takealot?😄 I would hope to buy an Airfryer for example!:)
Yes! There are several options like Lazada and Tiki that offer online shopping with fast delivery times.
@@ninja.teacher ah amazing thank you so much!!
Great information. Really appreciate your hard work making these videos. ❤🙏👍
Very interesting video. Vietnam has been high on my list to immigrate to from the USA to retire early. I liked your breakdown of the three possible lifestyles. I’d like the baller but not the food. I’d prefer to eat local food everyday if it were my choice. Still blows my mind how incredibly affordable when compared to typical western life costs.
It's not affordable. It's only affordable because you have foreign money. Not sure why it would be mind blowing. The incomes in western life are 10 times higher. It's probably more expensive to be fair to live in the west income to expense, than almost any other area.
@@JayandSarahthat’s why it’s good to live as a Westen guy in Vietnam. I’m living here 6 months and in Europe I spend on average 7000€ a month. In Vietnam I spend maximum 3000€ a month and I eat in restaurant every day
@@ares9195 $3000 euro a month in vietnam for 1 person? That is insane. Should be less than half that.
Hi interesting and detailed videos , appreciated . What about paperwork , rental , transport or accommodation ? Short term lease etc, easy and safe process ?
I think the common budget is good but in Baguio we have to buy water which costs me 400 a week for a full tank
And we use 5 galls of drinking water every other day
My health insurance is Wrlife that gives me 80k USD hospital cover for 100 bucks a month
Well done smart & intelligent! ❤
Great video thanks !
Hehe the rent prices are almost same in rural Austria or eastern Germany ;) doesn't seem so cheap related to the average income don't you think ?
That was an AMAZING video! Thank you so much, it was very HELPFUL!🙏❤️🙏
For 500 U.S.,a single person can live in the Philippines province for a month Board & Lodging already. 7:48
But The Philippines is crap compared to Vietnam.
What about health insurance?
Free from my employer for 15 years
Great video, very informative. I'm heading out that way in feb/ march, then I'll decide if I want to teach out there.
Is HCMC the only city you can teach in? Like can I teach in Da Nang?
One concern is I still have bills back in the states :/
Excellent video, I am a new subscriber 😊
Hi Alex, thanks for the videos on living in Vietnam. What options/costs are there for accomodating a family of 5 (2 adults 3 children)?
it depends on the city, You can rent a big house for 450 dollars a month. They just no pool and gym, it is a separate house. Food is cheap, shouldnt be a problem
oh if you kids want to go school there, then it depend, some school is basically free, because you only pay 50 dollars a year.
@@SportsEntertainment.12 thanks. I was looking at Ho Chi Minh City.
I imagine you’d want a 3 bedroom apartment or small house. Could be anywhere from 15 - 30 million depending on the area and the building.
@@ninja.teacher thanks for the info Alex. I’m just trying to work out logistics of my wife and I, who both have early childhood education degrees, being able to work and live in Ho Chi Minh City. I visited your Ninja Teacher HQ back in 2019 and was impressed with the set up.
Very Humble people
Hey Alex, Love your transparency here. Can you clarify if credit cards are widely accepted? I know it may seem petty, but the foreign transaction fees really add up. The 0% foreign transaction fee while earning points really would add up to a significant amount when taken together. I've gone to countries where I am constantly withdrawing from fly-by-night ATMs that charge 10-15% and only let you withdraw, like, 60 bucks. It makes all these 1-3 dollar meals really a lot more overall. Any insight would be helpful!!
Most family / low cost restaurants won't take card but the higher end ones will. You can look into banks that offer refunds on fees (like Charles Schwab if you're American).
I have CapitalOne debit card, which has no foreign transaction fees. However, the ATM cash withdrawal fees charged by the local banks here can really add up, so I always take out much cash as the machine would let me. All the convenience store & the grocery stores (not the outdoor markets) will accept visa and Mastercard, as well as the higher end restaurants.
@@ninja.teacherYou are right about most family/ low cost restaurant don’t take card , now instead of cash you can transfer directly to owner account if you have VN account or you can use many other payment methods like Momo, Zalopay, Vnpay, etc. All is for free.
Charles Schwab has a monthly reimbursement for ATM fees when traveling abroad. I’m not sure if there’s a maximum if there is it’s probably a couple hundred dollars worth of fees.
So that way you can use the ATM whenever you want to replenish your pocket cash?
And maybe do a couple withdrawals to pay rent, depending on what the maximum withdrawal amount is ???
surprised that they limit to only $60. Though the amount may be considered as a lot in VN, but that is quite low for foreigners. Especially if you have multiple purchases and things to do. $120-150 will be the reasonable amount in VN per day.
haha wow. Worth looking into for sure. Super great info! I quickly noticed portion size different from my normal fat ass portions. I end up closer to normal price after multiple plates ordered. Gyms are at least as high as here. Starbucks is still crazy in Vietnam. LOL! I skip them here and I'll skip them in Vietnam.
Hello Ninja, what about healthcare coverage insurance? You don’t mention…
Hi Alex, I know you have your own company so talking about another program may be a little ridiculous but I really want to ask you this. I'm coming to Vietnam with Aiesec in two months to Ho chi minh city and I would like to know if the place we rent should be in certain areas for security and rent vise and is it difficult to send money back to our home country? I love your videos thank you in advance 😊
I’d recommend living within 20 minutes from where you work to avoid a long commute and Ho Chi Minh City is safe practically anywhere. You can send money back home if you have a valid word contract to show the bank.
Thank you for the info. Which district in Saigon is your preferred district to live in?
The rental prices you spoke of; is that weekly or monthly? Great vid 👍
Tháng
Monthly!
@@ninja.teacher Wow. That's so cheap! It's on my list 👍😊
Ninja Teacher - Thank you for your video - informative.
A question for those living in Vietnam. Are these prices still the same in 2024 ? I'm an ESL non-native teacher with 7 years of experience and who is considering moving to Vietnam, yet I don't know what are the actual cons there. Will you be scammed often? Is there high job competition in the ESL teaching market for job seekers?
Good vid... These prices seem similar to Nha Trang. Is this budget for HCMC?
Yes, HCMC.
HCMC is the most expensive place in Vietnam Hanoi is number 2
Thanks, Alex. Very informative. What about health insurance and medications expenses?
In some rich international schools as where I worked in SAIGON, they offer you free accommodation and round tickets every year to visit your home country. Every year you have 2 new year holidays, the TET Vietnamese new year in end of January and the Western new year from the end of Dec to January like in US. I recommend you apply to international schools rather than English Centers because they can offer you good paid, paid holidays, and accommodation included.
If you stayed in VN long enough ( over 6 months ) and your age is under 60 ,you can purchase a VNese health insurance package with cheap price ( 100-150usd for in/out -patient per year) or you can choose international health insurance up to 500usd per year. If you don’t care of health insurance , you can visit doctors with 500k per visit ( 22 usd) , for MRI service it costs 3milks ( 130usd) . It is some basic information to you.
My ninja, thank you. I have been thinking about living 5-6 months in VN a year, the rest in europe. I have some saving deposit in vietnamese bank and I can have around 20 mil vnd (800 usd) a month without job. I also have a small appartment near Hanoi (ocean park 1). Acutally I wanted to double that monthly income, but Im too tired of working 24/7. Maybe I can still live the "baller" way in VN . Anyway thanks for the informations, they are very helpful
Can you provide a link for the Vietnamese restaurant at the start of the video please?
Hey Alex, love your videos. I noticed that when I read your teacher salary and start up costs they are showing for 2018. Obviously, as you stated, prices have risen across the globe since then. You mentioned in 2018 that teacher salaries were between $1,400 up to $2,000 a month. Have salaries increased as well? Just curious. I already have my TEFL/TESOL from ITTT last year. In-class 120 hours.
ESL teacher salaries are still the same and in fact getting lower, while the cost of living is going up. The industry is stagnant. Every Joe and and his dog is coming out to teach here.
@@thecheekymonkey8785Thank you for your honesty. Are you still working in Vietnam? What are the real salaries if you are still there in 2023? I look forward to your answer and anyone else who is living there currently. 😊
The hourly rates range between $18-22 in the big cities. Exactly what it was in 2016. Food, gas and rent prices is up with 30-80% from 2016.
However, it's still possible to live comfortably on an ESL teaching salary. You're just going to find it harder to save much, if anything. 5 to 10 years ago, it was possible to live very well and save a good chunk of cash every month. Now the market is somewhat oversaturated, mostly with non-native teachers who are willing to work for much less than native speakers, driving the wages down. It's also much harder to fill your schedule with enough hours to make $2k, so you're more likely to earn $1200-$1600. It's still a decent wage, although unfortunately that's where it's going stay. Very little to no room for career advancement, unless you are qualified to teach in an international school. In conclusion, teaching ESL in Vietnam is a great option if you're a traveller in your early 20's looking for a gap year. If you're older than that and looking to build a career and a place to settle down, Vietnam is a poor choice. With that said, there are plenty of older teachers here who married local women and settled down, but most of them have a business or side hustle to supplement their income. Some have passive income streams from back home, such as rental income.
Thank you for your time and posting.
Have not watched the video yet but when I was with my ex I was not allowed to do any shopping with the family, nor was I allowed to be around them when looking at stuff to buy until after they bought something so they didn't pay foreigner prices which was noticeable at times. If not all the time. lol
Thanks a lot for this wonderful video.
Amazing video. Very informative.
Living a simple life that is easy, affordable, and stress-free.👍💖
i can life on a thousand dollar in germany if i want to. In fact im spending around 1200 dollar a month. I wonder why everything is so expensive aroudn the world even if they earn under 10$ a day.
great video!
How does the cost of living in da nang or nah trang compare to pattaya thailand?
Same
But no gogos lol
@@machinmon.Ugh
I see loads of videos about how 'amazing the food is in Vietnam, but are there any adventurous activities to do, or is it just food and bars?
Fantastic video. Greatly appreciated
So, for the "budget" selection, it would be upwards of US$300 a month for meals at US$10 a day for someone who would find some of those meals a tad on the small side.
The title of this video is misleading. It should have the words "with foreigner's income". Because the cost of living in Vietnam is definitely not cheap with everyday local people
Thanks for your thoughtful. You know that VNeses don’t eat much Western foods, we like vegetables for our meals, besides we are protected by Government insurance so we are most doing well. If we are sick, we ’d have foods for free in most hospitals , especially in city .They do charity for poor people but foods are quite good.
This is for Americans who want to move to Vietnam.
When you were giving accomodation costs were the prices you quoted based on weekly or monthly rent? If you said what it was I missed it.
Monthly
Baller budget is still very affordable! I expected atleast 2k for Baller
Yeah, we’re not talking about going crazy but you can live a fun lifestyle on that.
ofcourse you can live in vietnam with 1,000 dollars. Im sure because i'm living in New york city with 1,000 expenses a month. 500 dollars for rent and 500 dollars for food and other bills..
Uhhhhhhh
Lived and worked there for 25 years. They are many great things, but the toxicity in food, water and air have driven many conscious expat family away.
Hope the government will start cleaning that up soon to make it one of the most attractive travel destinations in Southeast Asia.
Look at the reports and stats from the WHO on the health conditions of the people in Vietnam.
My heart goes out to them. Too many silent killers.
Air, ground water and noise pollution is just getting worse. The country and its economy is developing at an incredible pace, but at a great cost to the environment. After 7 years I'm leaving as I'm feeling the negative effects on my health. I wouldn't recommend Vietnam to anyone to live long term. It might be cheap to live here, but the negatives far outweigh the positives.
@@thecheekymonkey8785 Where are you moving to? or what alternatives are you considering? Thanks.
@@pathkris2984 I have a shortlist of countries that I'm considering at the moment. Argentina and Romania are high on the list.
@@thecheekymonkey8785 Thank you for the info. Noticed Romania and Bulgaria are joining Schengen in March 2024. That makes it harder to choose these countries in the future I believe.
I have heard many stories about toxic food or how they processed food, cook it....even how they grow veggies (Rau muong for example). Once they had food poison episodes, many people ended up in ER and that is scary.
IS THERE CHANCE YOU TELL US HOW MUCH IS COKE,PESI AND SO ON AND YESS IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR TASTE FOR SODA.
How much is an emergency hospital visit, or a dental procedure. Thank you
10usd- 20usd
USD1k is more than 4x monthly salary of a lot of people in Vietnam.
Why is butter so expensive, imported?
Great video! Very informative
how do you go about renting without getting scammed? Is there like an apartment locators agency? Just want to have a place within a month, and is it hard to find a vacant apartment?
Isn’t it too hot in Vietnam to ride motorbike? Can you rent a car in Vietnam ? With A/C and comfortable transport ?
Have you actually seen what the traffic is like in the cities?? I wouldn’t be hiring a car!! Maybe taxi, walk, motorbike or grabCar or grabBike which is like Uber I think🤔🤔
I know a young 20 or 21 year old girl in Hanoi. Her furnished room in a shared house is about $21 a month 500k Most days she spends $2 a day on food, and could geys to take her out every other day if she wanted. Pays little for electricity water or internet She is living on $10 a day or less.
Is there any sim card you can recommend for a visit of a month?
My monthly building association fee in Hawaii is already passed the baller budget LOL.
AAAAAnd but much can I expect to earn, working for a local company but with English as the working language?
The answer is no though 20years ago you could when things were cheap. I lived and worked there for 10years earning towards the latter years of my stay around $700 US a week that was with overtime as a high level teacher at a good school ie I was qualified ie degree etc. ... I always had money and a good life but others at low end schools were struggling even then with not enough coin. For the record I was in Saigon aka Hoville which is much more expensive than smaller towns i get that! At the present, unless you want to live in the Boondocks that amount of coin would last 2 weeks at best unless you want no life at all in the Boondocks!
Locals live on $75-$100 USD a month so of course you can. - WW
Great Information David
Great video amigo! How do most people stay legally in the country? Do you have a person to help with long term visas? Or are these apartments all month to month?