Hanoi Tips, Advice And Cost Of Living For Expat

[fletchsmile]

Hello

I'll be moving to Hanoi in a few weeks, and would appreciate any tips and advice. Reference/ comparisons to Bangkok would be useful, as I've quite a few years in Asia under my belt, particularly Thailand and SE ASia. We'll be looking at about 3 years, with me, Mrs Smile (Thai) and 2 young children aged 3 and 6. Likely the kids will go to UNIS or Concordia school, and I'll be working in CBD area. Particularly of interest would be:

1) Schools - any comments on these 2, or any others people would consider?

2) Suggestions on areas to live - probably near school or near CBD and I've heard Westlake is nice. a common expat area?

3) What's a reasonable monthly expenditure for an expat family excluding rent, car and school fees? i.e what will it cost us to live there/ what do other people find themselves spending in a month or what's it like relative to BKK.

4) Any general tips and advice on life there, including on Thai wife and kids?

Thanks

Fletch

[PattayaParent]

There isn't really a CBD as such in Ha Noi.

There's the old centre around Hoan Kiem Lake where there are some office, the original CBD lets say, but there are new office block being built farther out of the city centre in what is to be the new CBD. So which one will you be working in?

Ciputra International City is handy for both and flats there will cost around $1,000 per month, villas maybe between $1,500 and $2,000. It's close to West Lake and UNIS is located there (there's a waiting list to get in). Singapore International School is also located at Ciputra and is cheaper. Don't know about Concordia or its location.o

Ha Noi International School is a US curriculum school located in the Doi Gan area, near the Japanese and Australian Embassies and where the US Embassy is going to relocate, if it didn't already)..

If you want to go native and rent a VN style house yourself they should set you back around $500~$800 per month.

Cost of living is cheaper than Bangkok for some things (3G mobile internet $3 per month, cable TV same) but if you want to live a western lifestyle it will be more expensive, same like Bangkok.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

I never lived there long term like you will be doing but have spent months at a time there many times.

Cost are higher there

less to offer there IMO

Higher petty crime rate

everyone will think your wife is Viet and want her to speak viet.

[PattayaParent]

I never lived there long term like you will be doing but have spent months at a time there many times.

Cost are higher there

less to offer there IMO

Higher petty crime rate

everyone will think your wife is Viet and want her to speak viet.

Depends what costs you are talking about? I find everything cheaper except maybe rent for a decent flat / house although that is falling now with an oversupply. Carrs are definitely more expensive.

Less to offer in terms of go-gos and beer bars and available girls definitely. But still has many international restaurants and good local restaurants and things to do although it doesn't have the malls of Bangkok and shopping for particular stuff can take a few journeys around town. I tend to shop at Big C or Metro (Makro) for daily needs and MeLinh Plaza for hardware and furniture needs etc. (also a Big C there).

Petty crime is not aimed at foreigners. Police come down heavy on pickpockets and scammers of foreigners so it deters them.

[fletchsmile]

Thanks for the feedback. While I have an interest in Vietnamese culture, with a Thai wife and 2 young children, I don't see us "going local" and following a local way of life. That's to say: rent, school and car would all be as expats.

I expect to eat mainly local food though, and will be happy seeing something of the culture and visiting places/ going around. Will be nice to have international food options available when wanted. In Thailand we eat mainly Thai food, and Vietnamese food always seems good to me, so will probably eat mainly Vietnamese there, in the same way in Indonesia I ate mainly Indonesian.

Good to know that they have decent supermarkets. I'm not a fan of shopping and looking around, but am quite happy with a weekly/twice a week supermarket trip where I can buy most things in a single place. Will also mean that the wife can get similar ingredients to here, even if not exactly the same.

So all in all, aside from the main 3 of rent, school, and car, it sounds like generally cheaper.

How about sports bars/ pubs for football on a Saturday night, and cinemas?

BTW Like the comment about everyone thinking my wife will be Vietnamese, that has happened in a few other places too!

Cheers

Fletch

Edited July 30, 2012 by fletchsmile

[PattayaParent]

There's a place in Ha Noi Towers, used to be called Jacc's but I don't remember the new name, I'll check it if I pass that way in the next few days. That is a sports bar with a mix of expats in it.

Forget cinemas, they're dubbed (badly) into Vietnamese, no English language movies available.

There's now a couple of proper shopping malls in Ha Noi I was told today, Robinson type places, Parkson is one I think. I even noticed a Pizza Hut today at one Big C. The place is getting more liveable now!

Near the new CBD there is a large condo complex called The Manor, but quite a way from UNIS. Depends what the budget is on your accommodation? Fraser Suites is near West Lake, Ha Noi Towers has serviced apartments and is about 10kms (40 minutes) from UNIS.

My missus is always mistaken for Thai when we are in Thailand.

[PattayaParent]

Jaspas is the sports bar in Ha Noi Towers. Football coverage in Viet Nam is a bit limited though (unless they have a bootleg satellite service which receives all EPL games), you'll only get a couple of games a weekend (usually Man United and Arsenal) and they used to be from TrueVisions so I don't know what they'll do now although I have noticed for Olympics coverage they have 7 ESPN stations plus Star Sports.

Did some essential shopping and a can of Heineken is about 25 Baht and a can of local beer (Halida, brewed by Carlsberg) about 12 Baht. A medium pizza from Al Fresco's is about 180 Baht (Tuesdays buy one get one free for delivery only). Lunch today was a local meal for 2 (crab soup, tofu and rice) with 3 beers and a bottle of water for about 300 Baht. Beer is only 4.5% alcohol content so if you're a Chang Classic drinker you might find it a bit weak.

[fletchsmile]

Jaspas is the sports bar in Ha Noi Towers. Football coverage in Viet Nam is a bit limited though (unless they have a bootleg satellite service which receives all EPL games), you'll only get a couple of games a weekend (usually Man United and Arsenal) and they used to be from TrueVisions so I don't know what they'll do now although I have noticed for Olympics coverage they have 7 ESPN stations plus Star Sports.

Did some essential shopping and a can of Heineken is about 25 Baht and a can of local beer (Halida, brewed by Carlsberg) about 12 Baht. A medium pizza from Al Fresco's is about 180 Baht (Tuesdays buy one get one free for delivery only). Lunch today was a local meal for 2 (crab soup, tofu and rice) with 3 beers and a bottle of water for about 300 Baht. Beer is only 4.5% alcohol content so if you're a Chang Classic drinker you might find it a bit weak.

Sounds reasonable to me on the food and drink.

On the football, I'm thinking of taking the GMM box which we bought for Euro 2012 to see if it works. Here we just bought a splitter, messed around a bit and it could use the cable feed from True Visions.

BTW Are you based out there PP or just visit from time to time?

[PattayaParent]

Jaspas is the sports bar in Ha Noi Towers. Football coverage in Viet Nam is a bit limited though (unless they have a bootleg satellite service which receives all EPL games), you'll only get a couple of games a weekend (usually Man United and Arsenal) and they used to be from TrueVisions so I don't know what they'll do now although I have noticed for Olympics coverage they have 7 ESPN stations plus Star Sports.

Did some essential shopping and a can of Heineken is about 25 Baht and a can of local beer (Halida, brewed by Carlsberg) about 12 Baht. A medium pizza from Al Fresco's is about 180 Baht (Tuesdays buy one get one free for delivery only). Lunch today was a local meal for 2 (crab soup, tofu and rice) with 3 beers and a bottle of water for about 300 Baht. Beer is only 4.5% alcohol content so if you're a Chang Classic drinker you might find it a bit weak.

Sounds reasonable to me on the food and drink.

On the football, I'm thinking of taking the GMM box which we bought for Euro 2012 to see if it works. Here we just bought a splitter, messed around a bit and it could use the cable feed from True Visions.

BTW Are you based out there PP or just visit from time to time?

Just visit a few times a year although I have a flat there and some land to build a house on for retirement.