[2022] Cost of Living in Vietnam: Average of $535 Per Month (2023)

This is exactly my question before I purchased my very affordable ticket to Vietnam,what is the cost of living in Vietnam?Many travellers and former expats in Vietnam assured me that it is cheap, which I think was one enoughreason to move to Vietnam. After I moved, I found their statement both right and wrong.

Vietnam is relatively cheap, especially if you are looking in retiring in Vietnam or simply planning to start a new chapter of your life. The cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City is different from Hanoi or from the smaller towns in the country. It also depends on what lifestyle you are planning to have;the type of accommodation, food to eat, where to shop, orhow to get around in Vietnamare the factors you have to consider. The cost of living in Vietnam depends on the type of person you are andwhich city you want to live in.

To give you an idea, I will list down what are the expected living prices in Vietnam from housing, food, alcohol, transportation, and other things that can be helpful. You can also check out this article aboutthe budget for moving to Vietnam.

If you are in a hurry, you can check this table below, and scroll further down to know more about the cost of living and expenses in Vietnam.

WHAT IS THE COST OF LIVING IN VIETNAM – BREAKDOWN

These prices are the only estimation,your cost of living may differ depending on how you want to live and your own lifestyle. Read further to understand what is the standard expenses for an expat in Vietnam.

You may use this table of contents below to navigate faster

HOW MUCH IS THE AVERAGE COST OF LIVING IN VIETNAM

For an expat, the average cost of living in Vietnam is $500includingcheap rent, decent food, transportation, and a budget for leisure. I’m spending a little less than this as I share a room with my boyfriend in a shared apartment. We alsorented a motorbiketo go around the city andmostly cook the foodfor ourselves. Ourbiggest expenseis theapartment and leisure during the weekends.

Get your visa in a few hours only FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VISA IN VIETNAM

UTILITIES AND ACCOMMODATION PRICES IN VIETNAM

The best thing here is that Vietnam can accommodate both expats who are looking for cheap living and those who are keen to have a luxurious life. Here is more detail about the difference between the type of housing in Vietnam and its prices. The price varies depending on the location and services that are included.Finding an apartment or house in Vietnamcan be easy or hard depending on where and when are you arriving or moving.

ALSO READ: A guide on how to move to Vietnam

Cost of Apartment

Therent costin Vietnam is between$200-$1,000+depending on the type of accommodation, location, and size. For example, a studio, mini loft studio, or shared apartment in Dalat or Mui Ne costs about 3,500,000 to 4,500,000 VND ($150 to $200) but in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, that same kind of housing could cost 5,000,000 to 7,000,000 VND ($250 to $350).

You also have to remember the utility bills. In Dalat, the weather is cooler hence, it’s not required to have an AC. Because of this, landlords usually include all bills on the rent cost, especially for studio apartments that are being rented for one person.

>> Read more about how to find apartments and housing in Vietnam.

Length of Contract

Theminimum length of contract for your rent is 6 months, while is itvery normalthat a landlord may ask you to signa year contract. If you can findsomeone to take over your placebefore your contract expires, you canget your deposit back.

However, there are many expats who never got their deposit back regardless of finishing the contract, the landlord always finds a way to not give it back. I recommend you find a place that is managed by respectable real estate companies or agents (recommended by friends) or a place that only requires a 1-month deposit.

Electricity price in Vietnam

The electricity cost in Vietnam is about3,000-4,500 VND per KW. If your landlord is charging you more than this, something is definitely not right.

To give you an idea of how much electricity might run you:

In a studio apartment in Ho Chi Minh City (about 40 sqm), you can keep the AC on nearly all day and enjoy your own laundry machine at home. This could cost you about 1,200,000 VND ($50) per month.

On the other hand, in Dalat, there’s a two-bedroom apartment for two people. It has an electric stovetop, big fridge, hot water machine (to turn on about 15-minutes before you jump in the shower then off), and two computers/laptops running nearly all day – the electricity costs about 600,000 VND ($30).

The electricity prices go up depending on the seasons too. For example during TET (Lunar New Year), the prices are higher. Personally, the utility bills are not too high here. The cost of living in Vietnam, in general, is already affordable, knowing that the utility bills also don’t cost an arm and a leg is great.

Mobile Service and Internet

The SIM card cost is pretty cheap in Vietnam, for just $5, you can buy a sim card with 2 GB of mobile data, while you can top up for credits for as low as 3,000 VND. Every month, you can purchase 28 GB of mobile data for $6 (120,000 CND) Read this ​how to get a Vietnam SIM cardguide.

The internet fee usually is included in your rent. Almost all apartments and housing in Vietnam have this ready and installed. The costs of internet service here are quite cheap to the point that when the apartment or house is vacant, the owners don’t bother having it removed to save money.

PRICES OF FOOD IN VIETNAM

Personally, I find it almost the same price when you decide to cook at home or eat out but that depends where you are eating; those small shacks on the streetoffers reallyaffordable meal. Although a lot of expats are concerned with its cooking sanitationand most of the time, the food they serve has gone cold.

Cooking

If you cook for yourself, it would cost about$1-$3, while cookingmeals without meat is always cheaper. I also cookedbig portionsso I cansave the rest for the next day. My roommate wouldfreeze the leftoverfor the future. If you are on atight budget, rice and pasta are pretty cheapas well. Doing yourgroceryat the local dry marketis alwayscheaperthan shopping in commercialised grocery stores.

Eating Out

$1-$2for theside street vendorswhich you can mostly find both in commercial and residential areas. Whilecasual restaurants are about $3-$4 for a meal and/or fast-food chains,fancier restaurants are about $6 and up. It’s always moreexpensive to eat in touristy areaslike Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien street. It can be challenging to find a great place to eat there as well.

Food Delivery

You can have yourfood delivered for $2 and up(sometimes the delivery fee is free). I love this option, they arefast and very affordable. Some apps for this kind of service even have promo codes and “happy hour” discounts.

COST OF TRANSPORTATION IN VIETNAM

Forget about driving a carunless you can’t stand the pollution in the big cities or you are moving to a smaller city. Driving a car willtake you forever to get to where you want to go. There is a big chance you will be stuck in traffic especially if you plan to use this when going to work.Motorbikesare your on-the-go solution to get around.

You can check this article abouttransportation in Vietnamfor some ideas on how you can get around the city or in the country.

Before you buy one though, remember that Vietnam does not technically allow you to use your international diver’s license (IDP) here. However, you can translate this, notarise, and convert your driver’s license to a local version.

Buying a Secondhand Motorbike

You canbuy a motorbike for $250(Hanoi)$350+(Ho Chi Minh City),cheaper in the smaller cities/townslike Da Lat, Phong Nha, and Ninh Binh.

Many motorbike repair shops are selling a secondhand motorbikes. You can also find some on Facebook Market place. Remember to ask for all the documents of the motorbike (blue card specifically), you will need this to register your motorbike in your name.

Renting a Motorbike

Renting a motorbike can cost about$40(1,000,000) and up per month with a deposit of$40-100+ (1,000,000-2,300,000 VND) and a copy of your passport (never give your passport as a deposit). This often includes a monthly check on your bike and basic repair.

Gas

The gas for your motorbike or car is not too expensive too, about$1 per litre. But of course, at the moment (2022) the oil prices are quite high which is affecting other services and products as well.

Motorbike Taxi

Motorbike taxi is one of themost common public transportation in Vietnam. About$.50(minimum) depending on how far and thedemand at the time of booking, you can use eitherGrab, Be, or GoJek for car and motorbikes services. Check the list ofphone apps you can use in Vietnam.

Bus

Taking the bus is one of the cheapest options to go around, for only $.25 (local buses within the city), just prepare for the traffic. On the other hand, for about$7+(depending on the bus company and the travel distance) –Check thebus times and pricesof out of the city busesherealso remember to book in advance during the holiday season

Bicycle

It’s the cheapest but probably not the safest way to go around the city. For$25you can buy asecond-hand push bike. While a new one can cost between $80 for the cheaper ones, $120 for decent mountain bikes, and $200 for decent road bikes. The motorists ignore the traffic lights most of the time, there are alsonobike traffic lightsorlanes just so you know.

However, it’s more recommended to use a bicycle in cities like Da Nang, Da Lat, Hoi An, and Hue.

RELATED POST:Teaching in Vietnam; Important things you need to know

ALCOHOL PRICES IN VIETNAM

Alcohol is quite cheaptoo, depending on where you are buying – the cheapest is at the local grocery stores.Cocktails and beersareexpensive in bars and clubsespecially in the big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, also in touristy places.

Get certified and start teaching! GET YOUR CERTIFICATE WITH A DISCOUNT

OTHER ITEMS YOU MIGHT NEED TO SPEND MONEY ON

There are other costs that you might want to add to your list when calculating the cost of living in Vietnam such as gym membership, vacations, cleaner/maid, meal preparation service, weekly spa or nail services, to name a few.

You can’t drink water out of the tap in Vietnam (unless you get some filters installed). It’s very affordable though, about $.50-$3 per 20L and you can have the water vendor or your building management deliver one to your door whenever you need it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Vietnam is honestly can be very cheap if you can follow a good budget and know the places to go, eat, shop, and party. Also, it will help a lot if you build a great network of friends (locals or expats) to get some tips.

It’s easy to live cheap in Vietnam but also to live comfortably and luxurious. It all depends on the lifestyle you want for yourself or can afford at the moment.

I hope this article about the cost of living in Vietnam has been helpful for you, if you have any questions or suggestions, let us know below the comment section. Remember that you can download theseuseful phone apps that you can use in Vietnam. Join theseFacebook groupstoo to get help and support from expats in Vietnam.

ARE YOU ON PINTEREST? SAVE THIS FOR LATER READ: