Thank you for this video! Made me so hungry, would move to Vietnam tomorrow but I tried moving to another country years ago, was getting prepared for an interview, TESOL certification, and in the process of obtaining a visa to South Korea to teach English with Korvia Consulting and then I backed out bc I was so young and couldn't imagine living without my family but boy has the temptation resurfaced watching this video ❤
Great interview session with the one and only Calvin Bui which provides a unique perspective on life in Vietnam. The cost of living insights are particularly valuable... thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this informative video. Everything was delivery so clearly and concisely. Excellent collaboration. I look forward to the two of you working together again.
I appreciate your channel, and I do think teaching English in Vietnam is a great option for many people. However, I do think you should mention other costs to keep in mind of living in HCMC. Yes, you can get beers, and a bowl of phở from small street vendors for $1. However, if you want to escape the Saigon heat and enjoy having these inside a cafe that has a/c, then you can expect to pay double or triple that amount. Forget about shopping in the malls, as the prices here are equal to if not higher than malls in the USA. Also, if you go to the nicer restaurants or bars, they usually charge VAT and service charges in lieu of tips. One often overlooked cost is the need for health insurance regardless of age. You may be young and healthy, but you're not immune to something happening, such as a motorbike accident where you may need hospitalization.
If youre anyway frugal with your lifestyle then you can save a lot of money. Cost of living overall is cheap but its getting higher. Thankfully though there are still a huge number of properties to rent for all budgets in the bigger cities. And teaching work to go with it.
I've met Calvin at CTY. He's super cool & I enjoyed his restaurant. However, I think they r a bit off in terms of cost of living in HCMC. Yes, u can get by under $1k USD, but only if u can live in a 12x12 box (144 sq ft) w a shared bathroom & kitchen, and only eat street food (no western food). I paid $550 USD for a 1BR in Phu Nhuan, electricity $50/m cuz 24h AC, food $600+/m, alcohol & entertainment (no limit, depends on you). And if u wanna live in Thao Dien in D2 or D7 (Expat areas) ur rent will be double or even triple. Last note: the street foods are unsanitary here. I was born here, and I sometimes get the runs eating street foods. My cost of living is about $1200-$2000, depending on how hard I party 😅
@@lukenguyen813 It's hard to give u an estimate cuz it depends on ur lifestyle. For example, if u want to live in D2 or D7, w a 4 BR, based on American standards, I would guess the rent to be around $1500-$2k. Do u need a housekeeper? A cleaner? A cook? Etc... Food is inconsequential unless u want western food, I say $1k easily covers for 5. Total $3k-$4k for 5, maybe less. Of course, alcohol & entertainment would be extra
@@wiohrwqihr1329 Yup. Can't agree more. Sadly, some young people will fall for the peddle. I chk them out b4, they wanted $1700 for the course, (now $2200, LOL), not that I needed a job but it was for research. The average paying salary for English teachers is less than $1500, so u already lost 1 month pay. And if u think u can eat at CTY at that salary, u r dreaming.
Hey Alex, I'll be traveling to Vietnam this November and will be staying for two months initially. Do you have any advice on how to live there full-time? What type of Visas are needed and how to acquire proper housing?
You can get a 90 day visa for a short stay of 2 months. We have some videos about housing on this channel. To stay longer term you need to obtain employment to get a long term visa (or become an investor). If you're interested in getting a job teaching English in Vietnam feel free to visit our site to see how we can help: ninjateacher.com
Whenever you guys (generally, not just you) say “cheap”, “affordable”, I wish you would add “for western(ish) income, for tourists, or for rich Vietnamese”. Yes I watch these videos, and thankfully the local Vietnamese who don’t speak English don’t watch these channels. But if they did, imagine how offensive these kind of assessment are to them. It is totally ridiculous to compare food price or rental price in nyc vs. VN. The salary difference is night and day! I get that these videos are for foreigners or for rich Vietnamese. But please be respectful and add a disclaimer for the audience you aim to court. It’s kind of hurtful to keep hearing “cheap” as for the majority of well educated Vietnamese who work for many years for 16 - 20 million dong a month, or the woman who sells fruits on the side of the street, or that student who has to side hustle Grab/delivery service to make ends meet. Normal average Vietnamese will never be able to afford a “cheap” apartment for $500 a month, or eat out every day. P.s as a rule - “cheap” means it’s affordable for the average locals. Which is NOT the case here. Those prices that you guys glorified about were anything but affordable for the locals.
I agree with the sentiment of this. I find the trend of “cheapest country in the world” titles for clicks to be distasteful, and I personally don’t use the word anymore when describing costs in Vietnam for that reason. The main audience of our channel is people considering teaching English in Vietnam, who want to get a sense of the life they can live in Vietnam with what they will earn as an English teacher. With rising costs in the West, knowing about these living expenses and the lifestyle they can live here can be reassuring. I think the video did highlight that theres a budget for everyone here, and that there’s a great Vietnamese food scene that locals and foreigners alike can afford. There’s a huge eating out culture in Vietnam, and most Vietnamese do eat out most days in my experience, regardless of their income. That’s pretty much impossible in a lot of other countries unless you’re earning a very high salary. With that being said, thanks for raising the point and I’ll continue to keep this in mind moving forward, to remain respectful to the amazing people of Vietnam.
It’s implied isn’t it, that they are comparing Vietnamese to Western cost of living? The audience is clearly those thinking of moving over from their own more affluent country - well, affluent compared to their country. It wouldn’t offend me if a Norwegian commentator compared my country’s economic standard with theirs. It is what it is. You’re a tad over- sensitive over some factual information. On another note, there are plenty of videos out there which are derogatory towards my country, Australia, with the state of the economy and the hardship. It makes me feel even more inclined to move to somewhere like Vietnam where life could be of a higher standard and has less of a housing crisis, for someone like me. Chill out dude.
I live in spain and we are a cheap country for many european countrys and that is okey.I do not get why people get those kind of feeling it is just economy. They are not less than than any one becose they have a cheaper economy than our.
A bachelors is a legal requirement set by the Vietnamese government in order to teach English in Vietnam. If you don’t have have one you could consider Cambodia as an alternative where a degree may not be required to teach.
What proof is required to teach English? I have associates degree diploma and then multiple certifications, EMT, Tech support, cannot find bachelor diploma from 1989 college. 😢
Want to learn more about teaching English in Vietnam? Download our salary, living expenses and start-up costs guide here: ninjateacher.com/free-guide
Great guide 👌🙏💪💪
Thank you for this video! Made me so hungry, would move to Vietnam tomorrow but I tried moving to another country years ago, was getting prepared for an interview, TESOL certification, and in the process of obtaining a visa to South Korea to teach English with Korvia Consulting and then I backed out bc I was so young and couldn't imagine living without my family but boy has the temptation resurfaced watching this video ❤
Great interview session with the one and only Calvin Bui which provides a unique perspective on life in Vietnam. The cost of living insights are particularly valuable... thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this informative video. Everything was delivery so clearly and concisely. Excellent collaboration. I look forward to the two of you working together again.
I appreciate your channel, and I do think teaching English in Vietnam is a great option for many people. However, I do think you should mention other costs to keep in mind of living in HCMC. Yes, you can get beers, and a bowl of phở from small street vendors for $1. However, if you want to escape the Saigon heat and enjoy having these inside a cafe that has a/c, then you can expect to pay double or triple that amount. Forget about shopping in the malls, as the prices here are equal to if not higher than malls in the USA. Also, if you go to the nicer restaurants or bars, they usually charge VAT and service charges in lieu of tips.
One often overlooked cost is the need for health insurance regardless of age. You may be young and healthy, but you're not immune to something happening, such as a motorbike accident where you may need hospitalization.
Awesome content ,Alex. Looking forward to doing your course in November 🎉
If youre anyway frugal with your lifestyle then you can save a lot of money. Cost of living overall is cheap but its getting higher. Thankfully though there are still a huge number of properties to rent for all budgets in the bigger cities. And teaching work to go with it.
The man on the right he speaks well
Great to see Calvin on your channel, see if you can grab Sonny when he's in country!
I've met Calvin at CTY. He's super cool & I enjoyed his restaurant. However, I think they r a bit off in terms of cost of living in HCMC. Yes, u can get by under $1k USD, but only if u can live in a 12x12 box (144 sq ft) w a shared bathroom & kitchen, and only eat street food (no western food). I paid $550 USD for a 1BR in Phu Nhuan, electricity $50/m cuz 24h AC, food $600+/m, alcohol & entertainment (no limit, depends on you). And if u wanna live in Thao Dien in D2 or D7 (Expat areas) ur rent will be double or even triple. Last note: the street foods are unsanitary here. I was born here, and I sometimes get the runs eating street foods. My cost of living is about $1200-$2000, depending on how hard I party 😅
I plan on living there with my family of 5. 2 adults 3 small children. Whats your estimate on my cost of living? Any info would be helpful.
@@lukenguyen813 It's hard to give u an estimate cuz it depends on ur lifestyle. For example, if u want to live in D2 or D7, w a 4 BR, based on American standards, I would guess the rent to be around $1500-$2k. Do u need a housekeeper? A cleaner? A cook? Etc... Food is inconsequential unless u want western food, I say $1k easily covers for 5. Total $3k-$4k for 5, maybe less. Of course, alcohol & entertainment would be extra
@@wiohrwqihr1329 Yup. Can't agree more. Sadly, some young people will fall for the peddle. I chk them out b4, they wanted $1700 for the course, (now $2200, LOL), not that I needed a job but it was for research. The average paying salary for English teachers is less than $1500, so u already lost 1 month pay. And if u think u can eat at CTY at that salary, u r dreaming.
So cool to see you collaborated with Kevin Alex. How is that spring roll?
Very ngon
Great content quick question what is the city that you guys are in?
I think they in Ho Chi Minh City. But maybe district 1 or 2
Love the video very educational
Hey Alex, I'll be traveling to Vietnam this November and will be staying for two months initially. Do you have any advice on how to live there full-time? What type of Visas are needed and how to acquire proper housing?
You can get a 90 day visa for a short stay of 2 months. We have some videos about housing on this channel. To stay longer term you need to obtain employment to get a long term visa (or become an investor). If you're interested in getting a job teaching English in Vietnam feel free to visit our site to see how we can help: ninjateacher.com
Whenever you guys (generally, not just you) say “cheap”, “affordable”, I wish you would add “for western(ish) income, for tourists, or for rich Vietnamese”. Yes I watch these videos, and thankfully the local Vietnamese who don’t speak English don’t watch these channels. But if they did, imagine how offensive these kind of assessment are to them. It is totally ridiculous to compare food price or rental price in nyc vs. VN. The salary difference is night and day!
I get that these videos are for foreigners or for rich Vietnamese. But please be respectful and add a disclaimer for the audience you aim to court. It’s kind of hurtful to keep hearing “cheap” as for the majority of well educated Vietnamese who work for many years for 16 - 20 million dong a month, or the woman who sells fruits on the side of the street, or that student who has to side hustle Grab/delivery service to make ends meet. Normal average Vietnamese will never be able to afford a “cheap” apartment for $500 a month, or eat out every day.
P.s as a rule - “cheap” means it’s affordable for the average locals. Which is NOT the case here. Those prices that you guys glorified about were anything but affordable for the locals.
Hell yeah. Right to the point. It's not cheap even for an average myself. I see how hard the life might be e.g for those young national graduates
I agree with the sentiment of this. I find the trend of “cheapest country in the world” titles for clicks to be distasteful, and I personally don’t use the word anymore when describing costs in Vietnam for that reason.
The main audience of our channel is people considering teaching English in Vietnam, who want to get a sense of the life they can live in Vietnam with what they will earn as an English teacher. With rising costs in the West, knowing about these living expenses and the lifestyle they can live here can be reassuring.
I think the video did highlight that theres a budget for everyone here, and that there’s a great Vietnamese food scene that locals and foreigners alike can afford. There’s a huge eating out culture in Vietnam, and most Vietnamese do eat out most days in my experience, regardless of their income. That’s pretty much impossible in a lot of other countries unless you’re earning a very high salary.
With that being said, thanks for raising the point and I’ll continue to keep this in mind moving forward, to remain respectful to the amazing people of Vietnam.
It’s implied isn’t it, that they are comparing Vietnamese to Western cost of living? The audience is clearly those thinking of moving over from their own more affluent country - well, affluent compared to their country. It wouldn’t offend me if a Norwegian commentator compared my country’s economic standard with theirs. It is what it is. You’re a tad over- sensitive over some factual information.
On another note, there are plenty of videos out there which are derogatory towards my country, Australia, with the state of the economy and the hardship. It makes me feel even more inclined to move to somewhere like Vietnam where life could be of a higher standard and has less of a housing crisis, for someone like me. Chill out dude.
@@ninja.teacher keep up the great work Alex! Looking forward to meeting you in November. 🎉
I live in spain and we are a cheap country for many european countrys and that is okey.I do not get why people get those kind of feeling it is just economy. They are not less than than any one becose they have a cheaper economy than our.
You guys make me hungry !! Thanks for great video
Me and my fiance are really wanting to travel and teach there and was wondering if a bachelors required for the ninja program?
A bachelors is a legal requirement set by the Vietnamese government in order to teach English in Vietnam. If you don’t have have one you could consider Cambodia as an alternative where a degree may not be required to teach.
200 USD rent???? :))))))
Can you please make a video of the apartment and the area?
It's probably a shit hole! 😅
Agree
👍💛
👍
Fine dining to me would be a small mom and pop shop.i don't need rich peoples food.
Would I struggle in Vietnam being predominantly carnivore?
Remember, just being a "foreigner" already a plus!
What proof is required to teach English? I have associates degree diploma and then multiple certifications, EMT, Tech support, cannot find bachelor diploma from 1989 college. 😢
You’ll need a physical copy of your bachelor degree diploma. Your best bet would be to request a re-issue from your college / university.
i am waiting till 2026
15 years and now can speak the language!