Hi everyone! Thank you for watching my videos! Please be careful with fake accounts. I only have one clean name What The Pho. I never ask people to send me a message through Telegram. Be safe everyone!
I am here in Saigon. Trying to order vegetarian food. What exactly is in the light brown/pink sliced looking loaf stuff they put i the Pho? It looks sausage/meat. Any vegetarian food recommendations. Would be appreciated.
As a foreigner I can live the same standard of living way under this budget. :D Here's my breakdown: 1) Stay in a 2 room apartment in a more localized district ($400) 2) Use grab instead of taxi 3) Join a local gym near my area that isn't run by big brands ($30 a month) 4) Street food com tam is just as delicious, or perhaps, even more so ($1.50 per portion) 5) Grocery shop in the local market instead, lots of hidden treasures ($50 a week)
I love that Vietnam has great cheap prices on food and cost of living in the country of Vietnam. Also I believe that the people of Vietnam are great cooks. Another great video by you Van. I will be in Vietnam for 2 weeks in February. You're videos help me prepare for my trip.
I'm a 23 yr old uni student from the Philippines and when I went to Vietnam on a spontaneous 10-day trip during my semestral break 2 months ago, I instantly fell in love with the country and even made some friends while I was there. Being southeast asian myself and taking up south east asian studies at uni helped in resonating with the people and culture I encountered in Vietnam, which despite being foreign to me somehow felt familiar/reminded me of home. Travelling our region has given me a newfound appreciation for our regional identity. I'd like to believe that we in fact are one and the same beyond being co-members of ASEAN. Anyway, I really was just gonna ask for recos in Hanoi LMAO (preferably with a younger and more local crowd) since I'll be visiting again next year but it has turned into this sappy love letter to Vietnam and the SEA community hahaha! On a side note, I've connected socials with the friends I made in vietnam and they're already inviting me back to celebrate tet with them on January. I'll spend a couple of days in Hanoi before I fly to Hoi An where I'll be staying for 2 weeks to meet up with my friends and also to explore more of Central Vietnam. I can't wait to go back (and to eat Cao Lau again)! 😆♥️
Great video, though people shouldn't take this as an average breakdown of living costs in HCMC. Van spends much more than even most expats would spend, and you can still live very comfortably in the city on less than $1000 a month. Many locals there live off less than $200 a month. Prices vary wildly depending on the places you decide to eat and hang-out, and where you rent.
I was thinking the same. Those costs here aare for people that want a certain lifestyle that is not cheap. If you're an average person you can live comforatbly for half of that easily. I think it would be worth to make a video with healthcare costs and luxury (e.g. cars) purchases for people to realise you save on something but then you spend more or other things.
@clot shots yes. But back then the earth is much kinder and less polluted. If you follow the ancestors’ footstep, you’ll get food poisoning at the very least or cancer in the long run.
Great video and thanks for your breakdown and transparency. But for those who don't live here, her lifestyle is definitely upper-middle class as 50mil++ a month is far above the average cost of living per month. I would say you can live comfortably for half that. Nonetheless, Saigon has gotten so much more expensive the past few years. I'm definitely shocked at prices every time I come home as a Vietnamese person who studies abroad. Sài Gòn hoa lệ (glorious) Hoa (flowers) for the rich, lệ (tears) for the poor
Nice to see a detailed breakdown like this, thanks. From my experience, you can get much cheaper apartments of very similar quality by looking at smaller buildings not owned by big companies like Vinhomes etc. $1000 seems v. expensive to me, but I haven't been in VN since pre-pandemic so maybe the price has risen a lot. I used to spend about $1000 on everything including rent. Anyway, good to see what a more luxury lifestyle costs in 2022!
I was in Vietnam this past January. An AMAZING country! I was a soldier there in 1970-71. The modernization blew me away! I’m coming back in December to stay at least 60 days. Thank you for sharing all this valuable information!
Elite fitness ranks in top 3 most expensive gym in Vietnam, district 2 has the hightest housing price in HCMC. You can get 2 times cheaper if you try to look up more options in different districts with all the same necessities.
I'm an American who's living in District 4, right now. I've been here for a month. She's blowing Wayyy too much cash. She could certainly live on a fraction of that. However, she is a rock star; & I really appreciate all of the work she does in her videos. But man, you could really scale back on that lifestyle. I think those TH-cam bucks are really fueling her Jet.
Thanks for Van’s video. I am living in Hanoi, Vietnam. My job is selling online. Me and my friends have living cost same with Van. And all she said is true. That’s normal for Vietnamese people living in the cities in Vietnam.
i like to see how you have evolved. the content is very professional. you transition to your sponsored content smoother than anyone i’ve seen. all the best 😊
Everything in this video seems false. She is living a luxurious life as she shows in the video (like how many people need to the bars or attend expensive gym class?). I also just moved to HCM city for 2 months and i think i have a pretty comfortable life here and much more cheaper than hers. My rent is 260$/month (i live in district 3), money i spend for food is 110$/month, and other activities is 100$. Nothing against you Van but it is simply not correct in every cases.
@04:48 A dozen eggs in Bunbury, Western Australia varies between around $AU4.50 ($US3.06, VND72100) for caged raise chicken dozen eggs up to around $AU9.00 ($US6.12, VND144200) for an organic, free range chicken dozen eggs. That is if you can find eggs, always seems to be shortages at the supermarkets of late.
A nice breakdown video for the people who have the lifestyle as Van. But do not worry about the costs in the video, if you do have a simple lifestyle or just visit our country in the limit of budget, you definitely can do that easy. As myself, I want to share with you (foreigners) that my salary is around 500usd in HCMc for a month and I am living very comfortable with it.
Thank you for sharing the info. I am living in Seattle Washington and compared to the cost of living here, living in Vietnam or HCMC is still relatively cheap. The broken rice dish can cost somewhere between $15 to $17 USD plus tax and tip. The tax is about 10%, and the tip is 15-20%. It comes to about $20 USD for the broken rice dish vs. $2 USD in HCMC. Taxi here is definitely much more expensive, the same as rent. I love everything in HCMC and I plan to retire there soon. I don't like the heat and traffic there, but I've heard many people saying good things about Da Nang although I've never been there.
Lived in HCMC for 7 years...from 2011-2018...the air quality is atrocious and gets worse every year. The heat and humidity never wanes...you're better off in Dang like you said...
@@bumble144 I am a retired person. I don't plan to work there. I don't even plan to live there year around. I only plan to live there, perhaps during the winter months.
great video Van! i think its good that we have such videos with detailed breakdowns, people think living in Saigon is dirt cheap, when in reality it can add up a bit, especially when you arent 'street savy'
Thank you for the informational video Em Van. An average plate of com tam here in the USA is $15.00 - Los Angekes, San Jose, Cincinnati, Tampa, (Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, TX) etc...😇
To say the average daily spend is 1.7M VND, or 52M per month, is just ridiculous and so wrong, you are amazingly out of touch if you think that is normal. I feel I spend too much on things here but my living costs are 50% of what you say. For locals I'm sure it's far less. $2000 a month? Sheesh this is wildly wrong.
I am now living in a countryside in Viet Nam. And the price for a dozen of egg ranges from 23k to 26k VND , which is about one Dollar to 110 cents depending on the seller. And if you are a university student, the local sellers even give you a slightly discount 🤣🤣🤣 to be honest, I am a bit surprised by how much you spend for every one thing in your video 😂.
It is not a good idea to live in countryside. As a foreigner, you can get be killed by only couple dollars in your pocket. Anyone in Vietnam can be a thief, or robber.
@@anyname8372 you should better look at the reality and make remarks after that. Not all people in Viet Nam is bad, those being thefts often are those who are addicted to some banned drug or some debauchery game. Try to survive in this beautiful country and feel ! Gradually
Helpful video. As an Indian in Bangkok I wanted to say that it's not really cheap by my home country's standards but on par with Thailand. The prices for utilities, internet, gym, food are almost 1-1 with what you get in Bangkok in terms of USD, which is kind of surprising as I expected Vietnam to be a bit cheaper than Thailand due to the slight difference in average salaries. I suppose that your lifestyle is somewhat on the upper middle class gradient even by VN standards and the average Vietnamese person lives on way less.
Tbh, living in HCMC alone, eating out is cheaper than cooking. Your Dinner was $4 while your lunch (dining out) was only $2. I lived in HCMC for 3 years and only spent no more than $5 daily for food (100% Dining out) while still maintaining my weight healthy.
Totally agree. Same in most Asian countries. Cheaper to eat out than cooking for yourself since the ingredients are expensive for one meal. It will be cheaper if you cook for an entire family. Only Cambodia is more expensive to eat out
I was born and now live in HCMC and here is my opinion: her apartment is quite expensive, you can have a 8-10 mil (400 usd) fully furnished apartment in Dist 9 and dist 2, and Wifi in HCM cost only 200k (8 usd)/month. Gym cost only 400k-800k (30 usd)/month. With 1000 usd, i can enjoy life to the fullest in HCMC. Anyway, appreciate her sharings.
Nice comment but how about the time you have to spend everyday commuting to work if u try to rent a place in d2 or d9, giving that not all jobs can be done remotely
Hello, I'm a Vietnamese. I'll tell you that the easiest way for a Westerner to get a job enough to live a decent life (or at least avoid running out of savings too quickly while living a luxurious life like the one in the video) is to be a native English teacher. It will take you a few months to get a teacher's license, then you can apply to any English center to teach. Salary varies depending on where you are from, and perhaps the color of your skin (I'll talk more about that below), teaching experience really doesn't matter... (which is pretty sad for those of who's the teacher...but that's how things are going). You will get 1500-2000 dollars per month easily. (For easy visualization, an IT student in Vietnam, after graduating from school after 4 years of study and working for >5 years, will receive that salary...).
P/s: About racism, especially with black skin. Don't worry, in Vietnam I'm sure no one will speak ill of you, glance at you, or avoid you because you have dark skin. It's just that Vietnam has its own problems of misconceptions about black people. It would take hours to say it out, but here I am taking English as an example. Vietnamese people often think of "native" English as Americans or British, then other Western countries (and western = white). That's why they prefer to learn native English from white people rather than black people (which we always thought were from Africa...though not...ofc). As an individual, I sincerely and deeply apologize to black people. Hopefully in the future, unnecessary misunderstandings will be cleared. But for now, that's how things go...
Thanks for the info! I'm in the process of becoming a full fledged English teacher in Vn (though l'm not in the country at the moment because of administrative issues...) Anyway, I'm not 'native' per say (I learned English and went to school in the US as a child so l'm "mostly native") but I've got a TEFL and managed to "teach" on a website that requires being native without any problems, so I'm sure if l can get a face-to-face interview I can make the cut. That being said getting experience is more important in this case l think (not being native and having a degree - though l've heard teachers are in such high demands post-covid that it can be worth to try); so my way in is by volunteering, which is very rewarding in a different way. There's much to be done and I really want to provide quality teaching in the future! I hope it's doable, though probably won't have a high-end job at first, and MOST DEFINITELY not Van's lifestyle haha (I learned English and went to school in the US as a child so l'm "mostly native").
@@Airbone i am living in the countryside. I have met a lot of Africans who are asking me how to come. The way of thinking of them is very strange. Because they want everything easy. They want free airplane tickets or they want to teach in hochimin city where most of the natives are.i told them to come as a tourist and ask directly but they said they have to pay a lot of money. Also I recommend all foreigners to legalize the documents.
@@brucetrx agree 💯, but she also does right partly because HCM city so so so expensive like that, and i am Vietnamese too, but i don't live in HCM, so there are quite cheep things like internet i only pay less $2.5 per month, and home wifi just about $65 for half year! And the meal perday it's depend on what you choose!! Like you eat out or cook at home!!
Vietnam is way more expensive now. There is no way locals spend that much a month. This is definitely an upperclass lifestyle for Vietnamese standards.
Not a very good breakdown of costs. The more you earn ,the more you spend. Lifestyle seems luxury and not necessary. We can enjoy similar for half that in HCMC.
Nice video. I understand this described how miss Van spends her day and what it costs for her to do so, but from my experience, this is no way indicative of the average even for HCMC. May be this should be stated some where in the video, that this is not for average folks. A couple of observations. Why would one go out and buy food and cook for a dinner that is $4 and have a bowl of oats in the AM for $3 when a huge plate of broken rice with all the fixins is $2? Does not make sense economically nor gastronomically. You're better off eating out and save money. $65 for gym fees? Wow. That is so much higher than most gyms in US. In total, the cost per day is more than what I spent daily as a tourist staying in a 3 star hotel including all meals, transportation and entertainment.
Wow that is almost the same price as central EU for apartment and services. But a meal is around 300k vnd here so that is much more expensive. I'm moving to Da Nang next year so I'm hyped for the mentioned video!
I'm have been living in HCM for 11 years but the rent house just 90$/month, the rest I spending for nightlife, networking relationship, hangout with friends, entertainment activities ... like you. (barely go to shopping) and the total around 600 - 800$/month. so with 2,150$ budget (50% for rent house) you actually have a over-standard life in here haha
@@macka79if you need room with the affordable price, try to find it in the place where built for students. it's around 100 - 150$ a month, but sure! it's might small and inconvenient
Thank you for your videos, I actually been watching some of your clips from years ago and now that I finally made to Hanoi, even more helpful. Looking forward to experiencing some of your recommendations
Thank you for deconstructing the cost of living in Saigon. Although $2150 is reasonable, it is still considered quite high for a local. Can't believe $65/month on a Gym membership, I guess you get what you paid for ;-)
I had always heard Vietnam was cheap but when I visited it last month I found it to be higher price than Thailand and Philippines. Can you get cheap eats on the street like Bahn Mi of course but overall restaurants and hotels cost more than countries I mentioned above.
I really love this video because this is the type of lifestyle I want to have if I live there. If you want a more cost effective living style, you can find lots of ex pat or TH-cam video. This one is a gem because it shows what living well looks like.
Cost of gym membership is reasonable ($20-100) in Vietnam. In Singapore we pay 100+/month for a gym membership. 😢 To save money, some go to state owned gyms which charge only $2.50 per entrance.
@Whatthepho1. Hello Van. Thank you for the invite to contact you directly. I am honoured being selected for your appreciation package. I am excited to see what it entails Neal.
One can defnitely spend much less, cheaper apartment, have a bike to not have to depend on rideshare apps, cook your own meals, work out at home, etc.. . I live in Hanoi, and as a local, I spend $130 for rent, food for $120 a month, gas for $25, $5 for phone bills, and around another $100 going out.
Cost of living is expected to rise everywhere. But by comparison, the food isn’t really expensive if you are cooking yourself instead of dining out. $NZ6.90 for a dozen eggs from countdown supermarket.
Another interesting video, Van, thanks. I've been in HCMC for just over a month and I'm really enjoying it thanks in large part to the information your videos armed me with. Do you think you could do a video on the cost of living in Da Lat?
Thanks for great video, please if you can share us the night life aslo in hcm, i mean the city at nights and clubs, i watch your videos and sooo great and educational and thanks for make everything in dollar! i real appreciate your support and help for tourists!!! thanks Van vu!!
I have visited HCMC several times before the COVID era. HCMC was never cheap compared with the costs here in Guangzhou (the third/fourth biggest city in China). Things in HCMC were slightly cheaper than in Guangzhou back then, only slightly. Here in Guangzhou having a similar lifestyle costs as much as Van does in HCMC. This is not a lifestyle everyone can afford, but many middle class families are having. I guess it’d be a similar case in Vietnam.
It can be much much cheaper if you're not trying to live like a westerner. I mean either way that apartment is much more bang for your buck than you would get anywhere in the states thats for sure. I live in Chicago and that you would get a fraction in size and quality at that price.
From where I live before which is Jakarta (Capital of Indonesia). I found out that the cost of food here is much cheaper. Also for the vegetables, meat, fruits are cheaper. Clothing and Residence are much similar with Jakarta. But from my experience since 2017, i think it's kinda difficult to find place for family entertainment especially for toddlers. Every weekend me and my wife don't have any idea where to take our 4 yo toddler for hangout. We have been to Dam Sen, Suoi Tien but those place seem a little bit chaotic. Saigon Zoo also very average in my opinion. So we always ending up by going to mall and to the kids playground.
You live a lavish lifestyle and above the working class income… so, not everyone can achieve this unless they figure out their highest potential. Most expat that are much older make less than 2,000 a month, but some make more, it depends and you can always find deals and ways to reduce your expenses. You can also live comfortably under 1,000 or just a bit above that and it depends on your lifestyle.
You can live the same for much much less like a local. Buy local travel insurance is cheaper than those companies online who take big commission being the middle man. I wouldn’t go to a place and pay $1 for a croissant, that’s more than Europe and the US.
living in California, specifically San Francisco Bay Area, everything in Vietnam seems dirt cheap. Just got back from Saigon 2 months ago and everything was literally dirt cheap. Excluding hotel for 7 nights, the entire spending on food from local restaurant to HaiDiLao and high-end French restaurant, transportation, daily coffee shops and local bar, pedicure and spa, the spending for 4 people came under $900. When compared to what it would cost me where I'm at, it will be equivalent to $4200 for 7 days spent
I'm a 45 year old engineer living in wine country north of San Francisco, California. To answer your question about the cost of eggs, I spent $6.99 for a dozen the last time i went grocery shopping. To add to that,my monthly budget is about $8000 with $4250 of that being the mortgage, taxes and insurance on my 1850sq-ft (172 m2) townhouse. Vietnam sounds extremely inexpensive to me.
I am a little over 70 (just a little ho ho). I have been to HCM 4 times since 2019. I was raised by intelligent, strong, independent women. I see why are in this social media industry. It appears to me that the women of VN are the real strength behind the culture. That happens though in every country that has had a fast growing economy and a strong social government presence as it dimishes the traditional male role. After the second time to VN I got my "sea legs" a little. The last time there was a 5 city train, van coach, and plane tour I put together for myself. Nha Trang Beach community after a couple of vists looks to be the slower paced better value for an old guy. After the reinstatement of the 90 day visa the opportunities are limitless. They say if you keep traveling you never see the end of the road. Thanks. Nice job.
Numbers don't make sense. You factored in the groceries expense as daily, which inflated the total cost by 18 million. Also, that oatmeal and banana doesn't look like 74k breakfast to me.
Nice to watch your vlog Van, I remember a while back 1B/1b apt near UCI in Irvine cost 2.3K (gym + pools included) but required 1 yr lease... next yr I'll come to vn for 2-3 wks, 2 days in Saigon only for fly back home
This was probably MAXIMUM activity day for you so it likely won't be $71 every day. Like, you could get more groceries and eat at home, and you don't have to go out every night (or do you? LOL!) BTW, here in Hawaii, a dozen eggs is anywhere from $6 - $9 depending on the brand and size.
She's a busy (and living alone) person so she spends it on easy, fast stuff. You may be surprised if she tells you that no, it is not the maximum activity day for her. When she said that she went out at night and had to pay for the drink and the comedian show, i'll say that she actually just spends the minimum there. The price for a drink is very cheap for going out at night. Usually, if you go karaoke singing you would spend even more than that, especially when you drink. And in the clip, she only took the taxi grab once, the other travel she did with xe ôm. I can imagine some days when she has to take the grab car 3 or 4 times due to the rain or, due to her tight schedule.
@@hoangngoc2905 I don't think you understand my reply. She CHOOSES to go out, get a taxi, have a drink, see a show, etc. And that's great, but I'm sure it's not EVERY day. If it is, well, then perhaps it shouldn't be every day. I'm just saying there are ways to cut costs. Entertainment is optional.
The example in this video is an exception and not a norm. This is a young business woman making money from YT and gigs and not your regular expats that already got money snd likely blood relatives to stay with for free. I expect to pay no rent when I am in VN. I do own two new condos that my relatives manage the leases for me. If I ever decide to retire there, I would either in one of those or keep leasing them out while staying with relatives for free. It is important to not have broke relatives as I will never pay rent to a place that already belong to family. I don't charge rents to friends snd families visiting me and I never pay rent to friends so I’ll be damn if I pay rent to relatives.
Just got back from 3 weeks in VN, primarily in HCMC and Mui Ne. I was shocked how much more expensive HCMC was compared to Mui Ne. The same dishes were 2-3x more expensive in HCMC! Granted, locals often told me if you want good food, go to HCMC and I couldn't disagree. You can find everything and it's always delicious!
Hi everyone! Thank you for watching my videos! Please be careful with fake accounts. I only have one clean name What The Pho. I never ask people to send me a message through Telegram. Be safe everyone!
Thanks for your reminder. Stay Safe Vanvu .
I am here in Saigon. Trying to order vegetarian food. What exactly is in the light brown/pink sliced looking loaf stuff they put i the Pho? It looks sausage/meat. Any vegetarian food recommendations. Would be appreciated.
I'm visiting HCMC in January. Got a local friend who's gonna help us out too.
As a foreigner I can live the same standard of living way under this budget. :D
Here's my breakdown:
1) Stay in a 2 room apartment in a more localized district ($400)
2) Use grab instead of taxi
3) Join a local gym near my area that isn't run by big brands ($30 a month)
4) Street food com tam is just as delicious, or perhaps, even more so ($1.50 per portion)
5) Grocery shop in the local market instead, lots of hidden treasures ($50 a week)
I love that Vietnam has great cheap prices on food and cost of living in the country of Vietnam. Also I believe that the people of Vietnam are great cooks. Another great video by you Van. I will be in Vietnam for 2 weeks in February. You're videos help me prepare for my trip.
I'm a 23 yr old uni student from the Philippines and when I went to Vietnam on a spontaneous 10-day trip during my semestral break 2 months ago, I instantly fell in love with the country and even made some friends while I was there. Being southeast asian myself and taking up south east asian studies at uni helped in resonating with the people and culture I encountered in Vietnam, which despite being foreign to me somehow felt familiar/reminded me of home. Travelling our region has given me a newfound appreciation for our regional identity. I'd like to believe that we in fact are one and the same beyond being co-members of ASEAN. Anyway, I really was just gonna ask for recos in Hanoi LMAO (preferably with a younger and more local crowd) since I'll be visiting again next year but it has turned into this sappy love letter to Vietnam and the SEA community hahaha! On a side note, I've connected socials with the friends I made in vietnam and they're already inviting me back to celebrate tet with them on January. I'll spend a couple of days in Hanoi before I fly to Hoi An where I'll be staying for 2 weeks to meet up with my friends and also to explore more of Central Vietnam. I can't wait to go back (and to eat Cao Lau again)! 😆♥️
Vietnamese have a mythical history that 50 stay on lands and 50 travel to the sea. I believe the other 50 could be Philippines people.
Great video, though people shouldn't take this as an average breakdown of living costs in HCMC. Van spends much more than even most expats would spend, and you can still live very comfortably in the city on less than $1000 a month. Many locals there live off less than $200 a month. Prices vary wildly depending on the places you decide to eat and hang-out, and where you rent.
I was thinking the same. Those costs here aare for people that want a certain lifestyle that is not cheap. If you're an average person you can live comforatbly for half of that easily. I think it would be worth to make a video with healthcare costs and luxury (e.g. cars) purchases for people to realise you save on something but then you spend more or other things.
Obviously
yes spend 200 bucks a month you need to eat food that not suitable for human consumption
@@pinang1 exactly. The average hard working people earn $200 - $400 a month to feed the family of 4 people, you figure out.
@clot shots yes. But back then the earth is much kinder and less polluted. If you follow the ancestors’ footstep, you’ll get food poisoning at the very least or cancer in the long run.
Great video and thanks for your breakdown and transparency. But for those who don't live here, her lifestyle is definitely upper-middle class as 50mil++ a month is far above the average cost of living per month. I would say you can live comfortably for half that. Nonetheless, Saigon has gotten so much more expensive the past few years. I'm definitely shocked at prices every time I come home as a Vietnamese person who studies abroad.
Sài Gòn hoa lệ (glorious)
Hoa (flowers) for the rich, lệ (tears) for the poor
Nice to see a detailed breakdown like this, thanks. From my experience, you can get much cheaper apartments of very similar quality by looking at smaller buildings not owned by big companies like Vinhomes etc. $1000 seems v. expensive to me, but I haven't been in VN since pre-pandemic so maybe the price has risen a lot. I used to spend about $1000 on everything including rent. Anyway, good to see what a more luxury lifestyle costs in 2022!
I was in Vietnam this past January. An AMAZING country! I was a soldier there in 1970-71. The modernization blew me away! I’m coming back in December to stay at least 60 days. Thank you for sharing all this valuable information!
you sure get some sucky sucky?
Elite fitness ranks in top 3 most expensive gym in Vietnam, district 2 has the hightest housing price in HCMC. You can get 2 times cheaper if you try to look up more options in different districts with all the same necessities.
What do you expect when you’re living in nice luxury apartments!
Most people can live in District 1 for under $1,000 easily.
I'm an American who's living in District 4, right now. I've been here for a month. She's blowing Wayyy too much cash. She could certainly live on a fraction of that. However, she is a rock star; & I really appreciate all of the work she does in her videos. But man, you could really scale back on that lifestyle. I think those TH-cam bucks are really fueling her Jet.
Yes, How much you pay for a day/month depending on your budget. So it's really different for everyone. I also spend a lot less money than her
Yeah, i would like to live posh but i just have social security. I would look for a nice place in District 3.
Yeah but district 4 is cheap and not the best district to live tho
Thanks for Van’s video. I am living in Hanoi, Vietnam. My job is selling online. Me and my friends have living cost same with Van. And all she said is true. That’s normal for Vietnamese people living in the cities in Vietnam.
honestly idk why you have only 146K subscribers, you should have 641K now. Thanks for making great videos.
i like to see how you have evolved. the content is very professional. you transition to your sponsored content smoother than anyone i’ve seen. all the best 😊
Your appartment is amazing Van Vu, love it !
You seem like a really cool person. And your video made me learn about a new grocery store in HCMC, so thank you for that.
Everything in this video seems false. She is living a luxurious life as she shows in the video (like how many people need to the bars or attend expensive gym class?). I also just moved to HCM city for 2 months and i think i have a pretty comfortable life here and much more cheaper than hers. My rent is 260$/month (i live in district 3), money i spend for food is 110$/month, and other activities is 100$.
Nothing against you Van but it is simply not correct in every cases.
Most people would get depressed living alone in poor conditions. I've done it and it's not fun after a while.
I am living in Hanoi, Vietnam, i spend 400-500$/month for food for me and my son. That’s normal for Vietnamese people in all cities here
Very nice video.. I really like that you included nightlife expenses! It’s a a rarity in these types of videos.
Thank you💙
@04:48 A dozen eggs in Bunbury, Western Australia varies between around
$AU4.50 ($US3.06, VND72100) for caged raise chicken dozen eggs up to around
$AU9.00 ($US6.12, VND144200) for an organic, free range chicken dozen eggs.
That is if you can find eggs, always seems to be shortages at the supermarkets of late.
A nice breakdown video for the people who have the lifestyle as Van. But do not worry about the costs in the video, if you do have a simple lifestyle or just visit our country in the limit of budget, you definitely can do that easy. As myself, I want to share with you (foreigners) that my salary is around 500usd in HCMc for a month and I am living very comfortable with it.
Thanks for the tips!
im looking forward to the da nang costs video. here in nl 6 eggs for 2,39 euro or 2,59 usd
Thank you for sharing the info. I am living in Seattle Washington and compared to the cost of living here, living in Vietnam or HCMC is still relatively cheap. The broken rice dish can cost somewhere between $15 to $17 USD plus tax and tip. The tax is about 10%, and the tip is 15-20%. It comes to about $20 USD for the broken rice dish vs. $2 USD in HCMC. Taxi here is definitely much more expensive, the same as rent. I love everything in HCMC and I plan to retire there soon. I don't like the heat and traffic there, but I've heard many people saying good things about Da Nang although I've never been there.
Yeah it is cheap u should move there and check your income
Lived in HCMC for 7 years...from 2011-2018...the air quality is atrocious and gets worse every year. The heat and humidity never wanes...you're better off in Dang like you said...
@@bumble144 I am a retired person. I don't plan to work there. I don't even plan to live there year around. I only plan to live there, perhaps during the winter months.
great video Van! i think its good that we have such videos with detailed breakdowns, people think living in Saigon is dirt cheap, when in reality it can add up a bit, especially when you arent 'street savy'
Thank you for the informational video Em Van. An average plate of com tam here in the USA is $15.00 - Los Angekes, San Jose, Cincinnati, Tampa, (Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, TX) etc...😇
Great video Van, very informative as usual.
To say the average daily spend is 1.7M VND, or 52M per month, is just ridiculous and so wrong, you are amazingly out of touch if you think that is normal. I feel I spend too much on things here but my living costs are 50% of what you say. For locals I'm sure it's far less. $2000 a month? Sheesh this is wildly wrong.
I am now living in a countryside in Viet Nam. And the price for a dozen of egg ranges from 23k to 26k VND , which is about one Dollar to 110 cents depending on the seller. And if you are a university student, the local sellers even give you a slightly discount 🤣🤣🤣 to be honest, I am a bit surprised by how much you spend for every one thing in your video 😂.
It is not a good idea to live in countryside. As a foreigner, you can get be killed by only couple dollars in your pocket. Anyone in Vietnam can be a thief, or robber.
@@anyname8372 you should better look at the reality and make remarks after that. Not all people in Viet Nam is bad, those being thefts often are those who are addicted to some banned drug or some debauchery game. Try to survive in this beautiful country and feel ! Gradually
This is my Best guide to acomplish my goal of living in Vietnam, thank you!
Every 10 people go to Vietnam for the first time, only 1 or 2 coming back for a second time.
Helpful video. As an Indian in Bangkok I wanted to say that it's not really cheap by my home country's standards but on par with Thailand. The prices for utilities, internet, gym, food are almost 1-1 with what you get in Bangkok in terms of USD, which is kind of surprising as I expected Vietnam to be a bit cheaper than Thailand due to the slight difference in average salaries. I suppose that your lifestyle is somewhat on the upper middle class gradient even by VN standards and the average Vietnamese person lives on way less.
She has a high life according to the video. on average much cheaper. What matters is the place you go to eat, exercise...
Thanks for bangkok vs saigon comparison
Tbh, living in HCMC alone, eating out is cheaper than cooking. Your Dinner was $4 while your lunch (dining out) was only $2. I lived in HCMC for 3 years and only spent no more than $5 daily for food (100% Dining out) while still maintaining my weight healthy.
Totally agree.
Same in most Asian countries.
Cheaper to eat out than cooking for yourself since the ingredients are expensive for one meal. It will be cheaper if you cook for an entire family.
Only Cambodia is more expensive to eat out
I was born and now live in HCMC and here is my opinion: her apartment is quite expensive, you can have a 8-10 mil (400 usd) fully furnished apartment in Dist 9 and dist 2, and Wifi in HCM cost only 200k (8 usd)/month. Gym cost only 400k-800k (30 usd)/month. With 1000 usd, i can enjoy life to the fullest in HCMC. Anyway, appreciate her sharings.
she wasted a lot of money on overpriced housing
Nice comment but how about the time you have to spend everyday commuting to work if u try to rent a place in d2 or d9, giving that not all jobs can be done remotely
Hello, I'm a Vietnamese. I'll tell you that the easiest way for a Westerner to get a job enough to live a decent life (or at least avoid running out of savings too quickly while living a luxurious life like the one in the video) is to be a native English teacher. It will take you a few months to get a teacher's license, then you can apply to any English center to teach. Salary varies depending on where you are from, and perhaps the color of your skin (I'll talk more about that below), teaching experience really doesn't matter... (which is pretty sad for those of who's the teacher...but that's how things are going). You will get 1500-2000 dollars per month easily. (For easy visualization, an IT student in Vietnam, after graduating from school after 4 years of study and working for >5 years, will receive that salary...).
P/s: About racism, especially with black skin. Don't worry, in Vietnam I'm sure no one will speak ill of you, glance at you, or avoid you because you have dark skin. It's just that Vietnam has its own problems of misconceptions about black people. It would take hours to say it out, but here I am taking English as an example. Vietnamese people often think of "native" English as Americans or British, then other Western countries (and western = white). That's why they prefer to learn native English from white people rather than black people (which we always thought were from Africa...though not...ofc). As an individual, I sincerely and deeply apologize to black people. Hopefully in the future, unnecessary misunderstandings will be cleared. But for now, that's how things go...
Thanks for the info!
I'm in the process of becoming a full fledged English teacher in Vn (though l'm not in the country at the moment because of administrative issues...)
Anyway, I'm not 'native' per say (I learned English and went to school in the US as a child so l'm "mostly native") but I've got a TEFL and managed to "teach" on a website that requires being native without any problems, so I'm sure if l can get a face-to-face interview I can make the cut.
That being said getting experience is more important in this case l think (not being native and having a degree - though l've heard teachers are in such high demands post-covid that it can be worth to try); so my way in is by volunteering, which is very rewarding in a different way.
There's much to be done and I really want to provide quality teaching in the future!
I hope it's doable, though probably won't have a high-end job at first, and MOST DEFINITELY not Van's lifestyle haha
(I learned English and went to school in the US as a child so l'm "mostly native").
@@Airbone i am living in the countryside. I have met a lot of Africans who are asking me how to come. The way of thinking of them is very strange. Because they want everything easy. They want free airplane tickets or they want to teach in hochimin city where most of the natives are.i told them to come as a tourist and ask directly but they said they have to pay a lot of money. Also I recommend all foreigners to legalize the documents.
For Gym like you have, in USA I pay only $13 a month/ lifetime membership
Glad you're humble
It's possible to live cheap here, but your lifestyle is more expensive than most people's in the UK!
She lives American standard in Vietnam.
@@brucetrx Exactly 💯
@@brucetrx agree 💯, but she also does right partly because HCM city so so so expensive like that, and i am Vietnamese too, but i don't live in HCM, so there are quite cheep things like internet i only pay less $2.5 per month, and home wifi just about $65 for half year! And the meal perday it's depend on what you choose!! Like you eat out or cook at home!!
Cheap asf
Always great vids and info, thank you Van. But I am always struck by just how intelligent, beautiful and sweet you come across. You are a blessing.
Vietnam is one of the most beautiful countries in Asia ! I have been twice (Saigon+Hoi An) and each time was wonderful.
PS Greetings from Romania !
Vietnam is way more expensive now. There is no way locals spend that much a month. This is definitely an upperclass lifestyle for Vietnamese standards.
Wow she spends more a month than I do in Hawaii, USA! TH-camrs are certainly making good money these days! Congrats girl!
Not a very good breakdown of costs.
The more you earn ,the more you spend.
Lifestyle seems luxury and not necessary.
We can enjoy similar for half that in HCMC.
Nice video. I understand this described how miss Van spends her day and what it costs for her to do so, but from my experience, this is no way indicative of the average even for HCMC. May be this should be stated some where in the video, that this is not for average folks.
A couple of observations. Why would one go out and buy food and cook for a dinner that is $4 and have a bowl of oats in the AM for $3 when a huge plate of broken rice with all the fixins is $2? Does not make sense economically nor gastronomically. You're better off eating out and save money. $65 for gym fees? Wow. That is so much higher than most gyms in US.
In total, the cost per day is more than what I spent daily as a tourist staying in a 3 star hotel including all meals, transportation and entertainment.
Omg Van Vu! We miss your long hair. 😅😅😅
Nah, the short hair is super cute. Just my opinion, of course. 🙂
Wow that is almost the same price as central EU for apartment and services. But a meal is around 300k vnd here so that is much more expensive. I'm moving to Da Nang next year so I'm hyped for the mentioned video!
I really like this video and it will help a lots of folks.
This costs more like europe than vn - this seems like a very luxurious lifestyle. Rent of 1k USD is more than most earn in a month.
I'm have been living in HCM for 11 years but the rent house just 90$/month, the rest I spending for nightlife, networking relationship, hangout with friends, entertainment activities ... like you. (barely go to shopping) and the total around 600 - 800$/month. so with 2,150$ budget (50% for rent house) you actually have a over-standard life in here haha
Where can I find a house for $90 a month!?? I'm paying $500 for a really shiity place.
@@macka79if you need room with the affordable price, try to find it in the place where built for students. it's around 100 - 150$ a month, but sure! it's might small and inconvenient
@@macka79 where the heck are you paying Z$500 for a shitty place? They even have clean airbnb for less in D1....
Thanks for sharing this Van! Very insightful video
Looking forward to the Da Nang cost of living video~
The only cheap thing i found is the $2 rice dish, $3 taxi ride and $5/month phone bill. And everything else is almost expensive as the west.
great video!! i’m currently visiting Vietnam so it was nice and helpful to see this video❤
I will travel on May to Ho Chi Minh city, this video is so helpful thanks @WhatThePho 🙏🙏
Do you have any video on how to do banking in VN?
Thank you for your videos, I actually been watching some of your clips from years ago and now that I finally made to Hanoi, even more helpful. Looking forward to experiencing some of your recommendations
Happy to hear that!
Thank you for deconstructing the cost of living in Saigon. Although $2150 is reasonable, it is still considered quite high for a local. Can't believe $65/month on a Gym membership, I guess you get what you paid for ;-)
I pay $18 month for my gym and it has all the machines, free yoga classes, etc. She really wanted fancy expensive stuff.
I had always heard Vietnam was cheap but when I visited it last month I found it to be higher price than Thailand and Philippines. Can you get cheap eats on the street like Bahn Mi of course but overall restaurants and hotels cost more than countries I mentioned above.
Cambodia Phnom Penh is the most expensive.
Cheapest street food costs $5 .
@@dongshengdi773 wow surprising to hear
You clearly didn't leave the foreign tourist bubble of District 1 in HCMC.
I clearly did, but hey you know you followed me on my trip LOL@@fs5775
I really love this video because this is the type of lifestyle I want to have if I live there. If you want a more cost effective living style, you can find lots of ex pat or TH-cam video. This one is a gem because it shows what living well looks like.
It’s actually cheaper than what you stated because it’s not like you go grocery shopping every day, correct?
And plus she go to brand supermarket, you know street market are way cheaper.
Nice video. 🙋🇨🇦
Make sure to wear your bike helmet responsibly & tighten that helmet strap ! 😇
Cost of gym membership is reasonable ($20-100) in Vietnam. In Singapore we pay 100+/month for a gym membership. 😢 To save money, some go to state owned gyms which charge only $2.50 per entrance.
Em oi, allow me a suggestion. I have been living more than 1 year in Hanoi, and for saving money I was used to buy groceries at the local markets.
Extremely helpful and so well presented as usual
@Whatthepho1. Hello Van. Thank you for the invite to contact you directly. I am honoured being selected for your appreciation package.
I am excited to see what it entails
Neal.
One can defnitely spend much less, cheaper apartment, have a bike to not have to depend on rideshare apps, cook your own meals, work out at home, etc.. . I live in Hanoi, and as a local, I spend $130 for rent, food for $120 a month, gas for $25, $5 for phone bills, and around another $100 going out.
Very expensive cost of living but if you feel comfortable then the cost wouldn't bother at all.Great info
Her gym membership is more than my LA Fitness from Canada lol..big spender
Yes, you are very convincing Van. Very nice video and informative. I’m coming next year. Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 Van.
Món ăn nào o Việt Nam cũng ngon. Nhất vẫn là món phở bò ❤🎉😊
Cost of living is expected to rise everywhere. But by comparison, the food isn’t really expensive if you are cooking yourself instead of dining out. $NZ6.90 for a dozen eggs from countdown supermarket.
What a great informative detailed video! Thank you!
Very realistic view for living costs. I had the same impression last summer .Thank you!
Another interesting video, Van, thanks. I've been in HCMC for just over a month and I'm really enjoying it thanks in large part to the information your videos armed me with. Do you think you could do a video on the cost of living in Da Lat?
Haha I'll try!
You are prity luky to day
@@WhatThePho Van do I can advise you something by you email ?
Thanks for great video, please if you can share us the night life aslo in hcm, i mean the city at nights and clubs, i watch your videos and sooo great and educational and thanks for make everything in dollar! i real appreciate your support and help for tourists!!! thanks Van vu!!
Thank you so much for your support! And yes, I’m working on it now and will release the list next week
I have visited HCMC several times before the COVID era. HCMC was never cheap compared with the costs here in Guangzhou (the third/fourth biggest city in China). Things in HCMC were slightly cheaper than in Guangzhou back then, only slightly. Here in Guangzhou having a similar lifestyle costs as much as Van does in HCMC. This is not a lifestyle everyone can afford, but many middle class families are having. I guess it’d be a similar case in Vietnam.
It can be much much cheaper if you're not trying to live like a westerner. I mean either way that apartment is much more bang for your buck than you would get anywhere in the states thats for sure. I live in Chicago and that you would get a fraction in size and quality at that price.
Love your videos ❤️❤️
My bills in Singapore are: Electrcity USD29, Water USD21, Wifi USD 21.
Sai Gon is defenitely a diverse city with all kind of walks & activities. Fun to be there every now and then.
Wow very expensive. That's a lot even for luxury lifestyle. If this was me I'd take out gym and nightlife haha 😄
I don't buy a half dozen eggs, I usually buy 18 - so for what I buy it costs just under $6 in Ontario Canada.
From where I live before which is Jakarta (Capital of Indonesia).
I found out that the cost of food here is much cheaper.
Also for the vegetables, meat, fruits are cheaper.
Clothing and Residence are much similar with Jakarta.
But from my experience since 2017, i think it's kinda difficult to find place for family entertainment especially for toddlers.
Every weekend me and my wife don't have any idea where to take our 4 yo toddler for hangout.
We have been to Dam Sen, Suoi Tien but those place seem a little bit chaotic.
Saigon Zoo also very average in my opinion.
So we always ending up by going to mall and to the kids playground.
You live a lavish lifestyle and above the working class income… so, not everyone can achieve this unless they figure out their highest potential. Most expat that are much older make less than 2,000 a month, but some make more, it depends and you can always find deals and ways to reduce your expenses. You can also live comfortably under 1,000 or just a bit above that and it depends on your lifestyle.
Too much , not realistic, i live in vinhomes, everyday food and coffee is less than $50
You can live the same for much much less like a local. Buy local travel insurance is cheaper than those companies online who take big commission being the middle man. I wouldn’t go to a place and pay $1 for a croissant, that’s more than Europe and the US.
Another great video! A dozen eggs - cage free, brown - are USD$4.25 in San Francisco, CA.
living in California, specifically San Francisco Bay Area, everything in Vietnam seems dirt cheap. Just got back from Saigon 2 months ago and everything was literally dirt cheap. Excluding hotel for 7 nights, the entire spending on food from local restaurant to HaiDiLao and high-end French restaurant, transportation, daily coffee shops and local bar, pedicure and spa, the spending for 4 people came under $900. When compared to what it would cost me where I'm at, it will be equivalent to $4200 for 7 days spent
I'm a 45 year old engineer living in wine country north of San Francisco, California. To answer your question about the cost of eggs, I spent $6.99 for a dozen the last time i went grocery shopping. To add to that,my monthly budget is about $8000 with $4250 of that being the mortgage, taxes and insurance on my 1850sq-ft (172 m2) townhouse.
Vietnam sounds extremely inexpensive to me.
Thanks Van, looking forward to Da Nang cost of living video👍
I am a little over 70 (just a little ho ho). I have been to HCM 4 times since 2019. I was raised by intelligent, strong, independent women. I see why are in this social media industry. It appears to me that the women of VN are the real strength behind the culture. That happens though in every country that has had a fast growing economy and a strong social government presence as it dimishes the traditional male role. After the second time to VN I got my "sea legs" a little. The last time there was a 5 city train, van coach, and plane tour I put together for myself. Nha Trang Beach community after a couple of vists looks to be the slower paced better value for an old guy. After the reinstatement of the 90 day visa the opportunities are limitless. They say if you keep traveling you never see the end of the road. Thanks. Nice job.
Numbers don't make sense. You factored in the groceries expense as daily, which inflated the total cost by 18 million. Also, that oatmeal and banana doesn't look like 74k breakfast to me.
Nice to watch your vlog Van, I remember a while back 1B/1b apt near UCI in Irvine cost 2.3K (gym + pools included) but required 1 yr lease... next yr I'll come to vn for 2-3 wks, 2 days in Saigon only for fly back home
Only 30 day visa now in vietnam
You can speak English very well I am very enjoy your video thank you very much I am Japanese
Very informative and useful video! Wjat document do we need to drive in Vietnam
Very surprised at the cost of your groceries!!!
Đồ ăn và đồ uống Việt Nam là số 1 thế giới e ơi ❤🎉😊
love your clips always
This was probably MAXIMUM activity day for you so it likely won't be $71 every day. Like, you could get more groceries and eat at home, and you don't have to go out every night (or do you? LOL!) BTW, here in Hawaii, a dozen eggs is anywhere from $6 - $9 depending on the brand and size.
She's a busy (and living alone) person so she spends it on easy, fast stuff. You may be surprised if she tells you that no, it is not the maximum activity day for her. When she said that she went out at night and had to pay for the drink and the comedian show, i'll say that she actually just spends the minimum there. The price for a drink is very cheap for going out at night. Usually, if you go karaoke singing you would spend even more than that, especially when you drink.
And in the clip, she only took the taxi grab once, the other travel she did with xe ôm. I can imagine some days when she has to take the grab car 3 or 4 times due to the rain or, due to her tight schedule.
@@hoangngoc2905 I don't think you understand my reply. She CHOOSES to go out, get a taxi, have a drink, see a show, etc. And that's great, but I'm sure it's not EVERY day. If it is, well, then perhaps it shouldn't be every day. I'm just saying there are ways to cut costs. Entertainment is optional.
The example in this video is an exception and not a norm. This is a young business woman making money from YT and gigs and not your regular expats that already got money snd likely blood relatives to stay with for free.
I expect to pay no rent when I am in VN. I do own two new condos that my relatives manage the leases for me. If I ever decide to retire there, I would either in one of those or keep leasing them out while staying with relatives for free. It is important to not have broke relatives as I will never pay rent to a place that already belong to family. I don't charge rents to friends snd families visiting me and I never pay rent to friends so I’ll be damn if I pay rent to relatives.
Awesome video 🔥
Just got back from 3 weeks in VN, primarily in HCMC and Mui Ne. I was shocked how much more expensive HCMC was compared to Mui Ne. The same dishes were 2-3x more expensive in HCMC! Granted, locals often told me if you want good food, go to HCMC and I couldn't disagree. You can find everything and it's always delicious!
It's only inflated pricing due to foreigner presence.
Great information