Aerial view of a supermarket produce section with colorful fruits and vegetables neatly arranged, and shoppers browsing the aisles.

Cost of Living in Vietnam

Living in Asia is generally cheaper than back home, but the cost from country to country varies greatly. Whilst Hongkong and Singapore are some of the most expensive places to visit or live in, Vietnam is one of the cheapest. That’s good news because it means with a little bit of careful planning, your salary is going to go a long way! Eating out, groceries, transportation, and accommodation are exceedingly good value and well within the budget of our teaching staff. The prices listed below are a guideline average in one of the biggest cities (like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh).

Food

The cost of food varies massively depending on the supermarket and restaurants you choose. Before going to a non-Vietnamese food restaurant make sure to check the average spend. Whilst most international restaurants cost between 150,000-250,000 per person it is possible to go to steak restaurant in Ho Chi Minh where the cost of meals can be as high as three million VND per person but those are extreme examples. Below we'll introduce some typical prices at both a large supermarket/ local chain (for example, Mega Mart and Co-op) and typical restaurants.

At a supermarket:

  • A baguette = 7-12k

  • A loaf of sliced bread = 30-45k

  • 500g of chicken = 40-50k

  • 500g of pork = 70-100k

  • 12 eggs = 25-35k

  • 1kg of flour = 10-20k

  • 1kg local fruit or vegetables 15-40k

  • 1kg of imported fruit or vegetables 50-100k

  • At a restaurant:

  • Pho (Rice noodles with vegetables and beef, chicken or seafood) = 50-90k

  • Com Tan (Pork chop/ Chicken with broken rice) = 55-70k

Local Vegetarian food = 50-100k

Typical international restaurant (American, British, Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean etc.)- 150-250k

A market stall displaying baskets of assorted vegetables and fruits, including pineapples, ginger, chilies, limes, garlic, carrots, and more.
Empty shopping cart with yellow handle in front of refrigerated grocery shelves filled with assorted products.
A basket of vibrant dragon fruits next to a person peeling another fruit, with yellow fruits visible in the blurred background.

Leisure activities

Vietnam has a wide range of regional cuisines and eating out is the best way to discover this variety. Vietnamese people are very social going to coffee shops in the evening, eat out frequently and often take day trips over the weekend to beaches or nearby islands. Cities not only have a strong coffee and bar culture with live music, board games, and events but also have a range of fitness clubs, massage options, and sports clubs. Leisure activities are often very affordable in Vietnam.

  • Pickleball/ Badminton 110-150k per hour for a court

  • Cinema 50k (small screen size)-130k (IMAX)

  • Massage 200-350k

  • Coffee 45-70k

  • Fresh Juice/Tea 15-45k

  • Beer 50-120k

  • Wine per glass 120-150k

Three Vietnamese coffee filters on glass cups and three white cups on a wooden table, with sugar bowls and greenery in the background.
Two jars of smoothies, pink and green, with striped straws on a wooden table. Fresh leaves in a bowl and a pink paper decoration nearby.
A hand holding a white shuttlecock with a red band near a black badminton racket, with a colorful blurred background.

Transportation

Vietnam has an inexpensive public transport and Grab makes local travel easy with clearly laid out prices rides are reasonably priced. Vietnamese people often commute by motorcycle, but this mode of transport requires applying for a license and passing a local driving test. If you plan to stay in Vietnam long term, you may want to consider this option it costs around two million VND and takes around two months on average.

  • Bus (all stops) 7k

  • Metro (all stops) 7k

  • Short Grab trip by bike (10 mins) 30k

  • Sort Grab trip by car (10 mins) 60k

  • Long Grab trip by car (30 mins) 120k

Row of parked pedicabs with red canopies on a sunny street against a yellow building with metal railings.

Accomodation

Finding accommodation can be easy and more affordable than in most countries. It is typical in Vietnam that you do not need to pay a fee to the agent who helps you find an apartment; this cost is usually taken by the landlord (make sure to confirm this with them before searching). Be prepared to cover two months deposit and the first month's rent. Below are some general guidelines on the cost of hotels and apartments.

  • Budget hotel-400k per night

  • Hotel (3-4 stars)-750k per night

  • Hotel (5 stars)-1.75m per night

  • (Outside major cities expect to pay 20-40% less per night)

  • Apartment Studio- 8-14M

  • Apartment 1 bedroom- 10-16M

  • Apartment 2 bedroom- 14-24M

  • Apartment 3 bedroom- 21-36M

Modern living room with a TV on a low cabinet, wall-mounted shelves, decorative items, white cabinets, and a window with city view.
A calculator displaying "100200" sits on a black surface next to Vietnamese banknotes in varying denominations.

Sample budget

To give you an idea of how teachers at English 1 Vietnam spend their salary, here is a sample monthly budget:

Gross Income (Salary): From 38,000,000 VND

  • Rent: 12 million

  • Meals and Groceries: 4 million

  • Toiletries: 500K

  • Transport: 2 million

  • Phone & Internet: 100K

  • Remaining Disposable Income for leisure, shopping or savings : 19.6M VND

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