“What if I just pick up and move to Vietnam? The cost of living there must be incredibly cheap, especially compared to the US!” I’m sure that thought has crossed your mind at least once or twice. I’ve had my share of those moments; and the place is Saigon.
Saigon is a dynamic city with an unbelievably large population and traffic jams to … well, make you believe how many people are actually there. Just how one can be in gridlock traffic when so many are on tiny motorbikes is still hard for me to fathom. Despite that, the city has a lot to offer: food, entertainment, education, etc. But most of all it offers an environment brimming with energy. This is where the young people congregates, a place to see and be seen. Business and other opportunities seems abundant. Just spend a day to walk around Saigon and you will feel it.
So just how cheap is it to really live there? To satisfy this curiosity, I poke around a few Vietnamese rental sites. The range of prices I found is pretty large: ~$200 to ~$6000. Of course the price depends on size, location, amenities, etc. But what if I want to live in an American style house with nice floor, modern furnishing, and near District 1 – where all the major companies are? It’s not cheap. The few places that I like start at ~ $900.00. For some examples, feast your eyes on this:
The apartment above locates in District 2 with a good list of amenities is listed for $900.00/month. This is comparable to many US cities.
What if I go all out, what does a $5,500.00/month Saigon apartment look like?
Despite the central location and its large size at 203 sq. meter, the rental price definitely would take a huge chunk out of your wallet, even if you’re earning US equivalent wages.
Indeed you can live in Saigon for pretty cheap but you’ll have to make some compromise on living space. To be able to afford that high flying, straight out of magazine living style, you will need a very generous paycheck.
Or perhaps you should explore other growing cities like the tropical paradise, Nha Trang, or the Paris of Vietnam, Da Lat? Where would you go and how much would you pay to live there? Maybe we should see what Bourdain does …
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