Are Hanoi or HCMC still the best choice for expats to stay?

[ASEAN NOW News]

According to Numbeo’s ranking, the largest website in the global price data field, Vietnam ranks 86th in the world but sixth in Southeast Asia in terms of cost of living.

 

Their survey results show that Vietnam ranks in the position with the lowest cost of living for foreigners.

 

Ninety-three percent of foreigners living and working in Vietnam said they have enough or more money than they need to cover their lives.

 

In the past, it would be fair to say most expats especially those working chose the two main cities Hanoi and HCMC (formerly Saigon) as their base.

 

However, now that Vietnam has invested heavily in its infrastructure, resorts, and destinations, the savvy expat especially retirees are becoming a bit more adventurous in their choice of final destination.

 

Not everyone wants or needs to live in a big city, so here are a few alternatives to consider.

 

Da Lat

 

Da lat – is a cool place to live in Vietnam.

 

 

Although the job opportunities are not as many as those in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city, this old city blessed with great atmosphere and landscape, Da Lat is also among the best places to live in Vietnam.

 

When the French were running the country, they chose Da Lat for its cooler summer temperatures as it is approx. 1,500 metres above sea level, so is cool all year round.

 

Da Lat is known as the miniature Paris, the city in the fog, the city of love, the valley of thousands of flowers, and the city of pine forest.

 

When arriving here, visitors will feel many unforgettable impressions. Located on Lam Vien plateau, Da Lat has long become an attractive tourist paradise for domestic and foreign tourists.

 

This place is like a giant air conditioner running all year round with moderate heat.

 

The annual average temperature fluctuates around 20 degrees Celsius, so it is very suitable as a resort.

 

Besides natural beauty, this city is also famous for works imbued with luxurious and noble French architecture.

 

Another plus is you can experience playing golf all year round and early morning you will even need a sweater too!

 

Up to now, Da Lat has preserved and maintained hundreds of old villas, and even the street signs are blue similar to any French town.

 

Da Nang

 

Da Nang – Vietnam’s capital of golf.

 

 

Da Nang is located in the South-Central region, which is the center of three world cultural heritages, including the ancient capital of Hue, the ancient town of Hoi An and the My Son Sanctuary.

 

This city has been praised by many domestic and international tourists for its impressive natural scenery, fantastic beaches and clean-living environment.

 

Da Nang is a city that has created its own brand and identity in many areas during the past years.

 

Many people think that Da Nang is a place worth living for because of its clean environment, low pollution, diverse service models, abundant living standards and stable infrastructure.

 

In 2011, Da Nang won the ASEAN award for “Environmentally Sustainable City”.

 

However, one reason why many tend to retire here is because of the likes of Nicklaus, Faldo, Norman or Donald who have all created some exceptional fine golf courses around the region.

 

Da Nang also boosts a series of famous tourist destinations that you cannot ignore.

 

Visitors will have the opportunity to visit Son Tra peninsula – about 10 km from the city center: Ba Na Mountain with rich ecological area about 1500m from the sea level or ancient craft villages such as Cam Ne mat village, Tuy Loan ancient village, Non Nuoc fine art stone village.

 

Nha Trang

Nha Trang is known as a paradise with famous tourist attractions and cool climate.

 

 

Located in the center of Khanh Hoa province, Nha Trang city is also known as “the pearl of the far east” with the bestowed nature gifts such as many beautiful beaches with clear blue water, long stretches of sand, several golf resorts, wonderful sunshine, as well as spacious and airy roads, no traffic jams, and well-invested infrastructure.

 

There are many attractive tourist destinations in Nha Trang that visitor should not miss such as the Hon Chong, Vinpearl tourism paradise, and Hon Mun Island.

 

So, in the end you are actually spoilt for choice.

 

If you are not sure, the best suggestion is first to go and rent a place for a month and see what it is like to live like a resident. Then make your choice.

 

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[Henryford]

I thought Vietnam was a no go area for expats now with their new visa requirements.

[BangkokBaksida]

I worked in Ho Chi Minh City from 2015 to the end of 2021, at which time I fled the country to avoid getting vaccinated.  During my time in Vietnam, I visited Dalat a dozen times, Nha Trang four or five times, and Danang three times.  They are all highly livable places.  Should the world ever normalize again, I would consider retiring in Vietnam, basing myself in the lovely beach city of Nha Trang, but then spending the three or four months of the year when Dalat's weather is at its best in that city.  (November through February).  The rest of the year in Dalat is quite rainy.  It's just a relatively short/cheap bus ride from Nha Trang to Dalat - about four hours or so - so it's not necessary to fly.

 

Danang is also a wonderful city - a good sized city right on the sea, so you have the beach life there, along with all of the amenities of city life.  And the cost of living there is quite low.  The airport is right in the city and you can fly to pretty much everywhere in Vietnam (and a few destinations abroad) directly from there.

 

Finally, the Vietnamese are quite welcoming towards Westerners, which can even be seen in the word they call us:  "Om tay" - which means "Mr. Westerner".  It has a totally different feel to it from "farang".

[MaiDong]

34 minutes ago, Henryford said:

I thought Vietnam was a no go area for expats now with their new visa requirements.

I just came back from HCMC, I had the offer of a 1 year visa there for $450, that alone was a tempting reason not to bother coming back to Thailand! 

Wife, son, dog, cats, fish & plants all disagreed with me. 

[Henryford]

24 minutes ago, MaiDong said:

I just came back from HCMC, I had the offer of a 1 year visa there for $450, that alone was a tempting reason not to bother coming back to Thailand! 

Wife, son, dog, cats, fish & plants all disagreed with me. 

Sounds good. I am maybe out of date but isn't it difficult to stay long term/retirement there?

[MaiDong]

On 4/19/2022 at 9:44 AM, Henryford said:

Sounds good. I am maybe out of date but isn't it difficult to stay long term/retirement there?

I'm not sure, sorry. But 1 year without the need to leave or report your existence, for 450 bucks is a bargain IMO. 

[thecyclist]

While the Vietnamese people might be welcoming of Farangs, the government here is not, or a lot less so. Constantly changing visa rules, (a lot worse than the dithering we see in Thailand) makes it impossible to plan long-term. The exception is marriage to a local. You can get a 3 year residency without putting any money in a bank. 

[AMcC]

On 4/19/2022 at 8:44 AM, BangkokBaksida said:

Finally, the Vietnamese are quite welcoming towards Westerners, which can even be seen in the word they call us:  "Om tay" - which means "Mr. Westerner".  It has a totally different feel to it from "farang".

Careful there.

"ơng tây" means "Mr. Westerner".

"ôm tây" means "hug a westerner"

[Yellowtail]

On 4/19/2022 at 9:18 AM, MaiDong said:

I just came back from HCMC, I had the offer of a 1 year visa there for $450, that alone was a tempting reason not to bother coming back to Thailand! 

Wife, son, dog, cats, fish & plants all disagreed with me. 

The cat wouldn't care...

[MaiDong]

On 5/29/2022 at 7:29 PM, Yellowtail said:

The cat wouldn't care...

This is true, unless they were ten times their current size, then they'd want me to return so they could eat me, bum first. 

[Someone Else]

On 4/25/2022 at 5:12 PM, AMcC said:

Careful there.

"ơng tây" means "Mr. Westerner".

"ôm tây" means "hug a westerner"

 It is most likely "Ông tây".

 

I think "Ôm Tây" would mean something closer to "hug the west".  To say "hug a westerner" you'd have to add subject context such as "ôm một người tây" or something like that.

 

 

[Rhys]

Phu Tong villas are nice