To clarify some confusion with the cost breakdown of this video, these costs are a baseline average of what ONE PERSON "could" expect to pay to live as we are living with a reasonably low budget, here in Da Nang. These costs will obviously vary for each persons individual circumstances, as not everyone will go to the gym or drive a bike or eat 3 large meals per day. Also, if you were to come here as a couple like we did, you can share the cost of rent, utilities and scooter fee's. This would make it quite a bit cheaper per person, but that only works if you come here with a partner who can share the costs. Otherwise all of the costs we listed here will be for one person, should you choose to live similarly to the way we are living.
One tip is don't search online for a place to stay long term. If you walk around the neighborhoods you will find many apartments available for less than what you see online. Many have a sign in front or go ask. As an american you won't realize how many options of everything there are in less than a 1 mile radius. Tons and tons of options. Same goes for food. You can eat at Fly Burgers and spend $6 or you can step back a couple blocks and get a chicken sandwich and coke for .79 cents. Double burger for 15K. So even with western food you have a choice on whether you want to eat expensive or cheap. I didn't realize it until 4 days into my trip that there were many many cheaper options close. And I'm not talking about a drive away I talking about a short walk. So many different options. I could get my clothes washed for 40k per KG($1.60 per 2 lbs) at my hotel, right across the street for 25k per KG($1 per 2lbs) or 2 doors down for 15k per KG(.60 cents per 2lbs). So most people living at home is not going to eat at the most expensive restaurants in their city. They will choose more mid tier restaurants so we might want to apply that same kind of living when we make comparisons. So as an example instead of pricing things on the beach street or 1 block away. Broaden that to make 3 blocks of the beach (within a short walking distance) and you can have western options for a fraction of what you see in the heart of the tourist areas. But that's the thing. Travelers do things like travelers do and so the costs are going to be much more than if you thought about eating the same as you would in your home country. Just putting some things in context from my fact-finding trip there(I didn't go for a vacation. I went to find out first hand if DaNang was as cheap as these youtubers say it is and to see how much it would realistically cost for me to live there). Also factor in how cheap it is to eat out can affect how much you pay for your accommodations. Once you actually see how it is out there you might adjust the way you view accommodation size and features like kitchen size and such. Anyways thanks for putting out content. You are opening the eyes of many to be able to venture outside of those comfort zones most people have. You have a new sub here.
Thank you for this reality check and detailed information. I plan on staying there for 3 - 6 months so this was super helpful. Really enjoyed your personality which made it engaging to watch and hear. Best of luck to both of you!
Currently on holidays in Da Nang. Cannot comment on rental prices. All other numbers are very accurate! Well done. Transportation: Da Nang is spread out geographically. Walking around is not an option. Grab is fairly cheap and convenient but, as explained in the Video, costs are pilling. Gyms: cost per visit 40-100.000 VDN. Excellent Summary. Thank you
Hey Shawn, great breakdown of the cost of living. I do agree with you that living on 1000USD month is not the luxurious life in SEA that everyone thinks it is. One thing I can say is the longer your in one place and the better you get to know the area the cost of living can decrease a bit. But again are you living there or on a vacation? Are you eating out all the time or are you cooking at home? Are you eating western food or local or a bit of both? So many factors! It's great to hear different people's points of view! Keep the videos rolling!😊
Thanks for the comment! I agree completely, after spending almost 4 months we're figuring out where the expensive and more affordable places are, so that helps us save a little money. Our biggest monthly expense is absolutely the food, mainly because of the larger portions. We eat breakfast in sometimes but mostly we're out for our meals
I know you talked about gym memberships. I am wondering if you came across condos with acceptable gyms? I know here in Thailand it can be hard to find but it is possible.
@@TimAllisonPardy It's definitely hard to find a good, equipped gym in a condo here as well. Unless you have a large enough budget to rent somewhere expensive, then you may find a "decent" gym. For the average fitness enthusiast just trying to stay fit and healthy, some of those gyms have sufficient enough equipment to get a work out in if you know what you're doing. But for anyone who is serious into weight training/body building/power lifting, anything like that, they will need to scope out a more advanced gym for sure.
Great breakdown and it felt honest to me. I think since I'm older and not a gym rat, I could probably do it for about $1250 per month but, your explanations on everything seemed pretty right on. Thanks for doing this breakdown and sharing.
Thanks a lot for the comment! Yes it can definitely be done much cheaper if someone was willing to cut out a lot of things or sacrifice certain comforts and conveniences like gym memberships etc.
@@user-retsailor I agree, it definitely is. We're not saying it isn't a great price at $1500. It's Alot cheaper than back in Canada and America for sure! But this video isn't comparing prices to other countries, it's just de-bunking the myth of living comfortably in Da Nang for 1000$. And $1500 is quite a large margin higher than the $1000 everyone is claiming. Thanks for the comment!
$920 a month for a Single is my average,..easy to go under $1000. For a comfortable life for me. I eat two meal out per day eating local food, make my own coffee and breakfast. I walk everywhere I need to go , no scooter rental. If I need to travel outside my local area I call a grab scooter, very cheap. My building has a small gym , no gym membership. Eat like a local, live like a local under $1000 USD is easy ...
Yes, if you want to live like a local Vietnamese person and completely immerse in the local culture 100% of the time and have no freedom of transportation with your own vehicle then $1000/month is easy to do. But for the large majority of westerners, living the life of a local Vietnamese person is not going to be what that would call "a comfortable living". Us personally would starve living on 2 small Vietnamese meals per day. Some people, like yourself, may be able to make this work and be happy and comfortable with that lifestyle. But that's not for everyone. Thanks for the comment!
That's a really good tip. There are some places that definitely aren't following any kind of food safety standard what so ever. We ate at 2 local food places here this month and after the first one got extremely sick for over week with ecoli poisoning which still haven't fully recovered from and the second time we tried a different place and also got a very bad stomach and sick shortly after. We actually witnesses some restaurant staff even in the newer more modern restaurants picking their nose behind the counter with customers sitting on the restaurant in plain sight, and then proceed to prepare someones food with no gloves on and didn't wash their hands. We watched the whole thing, it was pretty gross, and even worse again, the other 2 staff behind the counter with him didn't say a thing, never even noticed it. Hopefully you feel better soon, and thanks for the comment!
Thank you Sean. You should have gone to the hospital to get checked out when you got sick. My hospital bill was only $78.65 after admitted to the emergency room at Benh Vien 199.
@@lightning6718 I was thinking about going for a check up, but I've had ecoli poisoning before in the past so I was quite familiar with the symptoms and how it played out, so I just decided to wait it out and it eventually fixed itself just like before luckily. Thats a Really good price for being admitted to the hospital! wow!
I got drink poisoning, lol, drank whiskey and then local wine mixed together. It knocked me down unconscious and I was rushed to Benh vien da Khoa’ ER. They mri-ed my brain ( due to collapsing in the bathroom) then gave me IV . Eventually I got released 3 hours later when I was fully awake and the MRI came back normal ( Thanks God). All was 1 million ( $40 ) and the service was instant as soon as I got in. I also got 2 occasions of food poisoning in my 3 weeks in Vn . A short trip to a pharmacy will take care of it but still I hate it when that stomachache lasted 3 days each time Originally from Danang born and raised, left in 1992 but still have lots of friends and cousins there Will consider to retire when we are ready to -- Avoid ice at all cost , only bottle of cold beer or juice or whatever but no water -- Avoid vegetables at street food stores as they might not clean them thoroughly -- take probiotics at least a week before you go and continue through the trip Good luck 😂
@@nef.spring WOW!! You got lucky, Holy crap! We will definitely stay away from the whiskey and wine haha That's crazy that it cost $40! In the west that would have cost thousands! The probiotics are a great idea for new people coming to Vietnam to prepare their stomach in advance haha Thanks for the comment!
Great video and breakdown, we could skip the gym, visa, supplements and scooter rental and upgrade to a balcony apt. With a pool and gym, I do like that you were very through with the expenses including miscellaneous, Great job!
Thanks for the comment! We actually tried out a couple of different places and I think our favourite was HD Fitness. They are a bigger brand gym there I think. They have around 5 locations in Da Nang. I would recommend them for sure.
I was looking You Tube find your channel be member today to your channel find you have honesty and integrity and humbleness in your voice which takes me good luck 👍
“Great work, brother! I’ve seen plenty of videos debating the prices in Da Nang, but you did an excellent job breaking it all down clearly. Really appreciate your straightforward approach!”
I can confidently say that my girl and I live in a much better place than you, though we do pay a couple hundred more in rent. To give you an idea of our budget: we spend about $300 on 80 pounds of high-quality protein, which we cook at home. This provides us with 3 meals each, each containing around 200 grams of quality protein. For another $300, we eat out 20-25 times a month, sticking to Western food only. The rest of our expenses go toward other essentials, basically what you mentioned. We manage all of this comfortably on $1,500 per month without ever having to nickel and dime it. So, I’m certain that $1,000 a month can easily cover the needs of one person. Without a shadow of a doubt.
Every person/couple will have their own unique lifestyle, eating habits and spending habits. We are simply sharing our experience exactly as it is in real life for others like us who have the questions we had and may be thinking about coming here to live a similar lifestyle to ours. Thats a really good price for 80lbs of protein!
How would you rank your quality of life on a scale of 1-10? I think thats really what matters. Would be interesting to track if you end up living in various countries over time.
I would say over all our quality of life in Vietnam compared to back in Canada is Significantly better haha Canada would be about a 0-1 out of 10 on a good day and in Vietnam it's about an 8. So much better quality of life!
Nice video ! So it’s not that cheap at all !! We were planning on a 2 month trip , but our plan was to stay in different hotels for 10-15 days per stay . Booking looks pretty affordable $30ish for a regular hotel per night and $70ish for the 5* breakfast included . We are not foodies so that should be cheap . The 1 and only thing we want to do is : sunbath on the beach and having a swim
Thanks for the comment! It can be both expensive or really cheap, depending on the quality of trip you are looking for. But to get extremely cheap, like $1000/month cheap, a lot of things would have to be left out for sure.
@ yes exactly as you mentioned , we just hope not to exceed the €1000 a month ( excluding the hotels ) , I bet all the baby products are extremely expensive
Super useful video! thx. Wondering if you are still tax residents of Canada? I believe it is : if you live in Vietnam (or another country) less than 183 days, you don't have to pay tax. But you still have to pay in your home country? Thoughts/ thx and once again great video!
Thanks for the comment! Well for now, we're Just traveling around, so nothing changes for us because we're technically just on a big vacation, taking time away from home to travel and see the world and not sticking to any 1 place. If we're able to make the digital nomad dream happen then it may be different should we decide to stay in one place for an extended period of time. But we will have to do the research and go through the proper channels to cross that bridge if it comes to that :)
Great vid and completely agree. Most of the budget vids about Da Nang are sensationalized and only really work for people who are willing to live on a shoestring budget. I eat Vietnamese food for most of my meals but I always get extra meat or 2 portions and it hits around 100k at a minimum .
Thanks for the comment! Yes, for a backpacking, single traveller who is ok staying in a rundown hostel and eating the tiniest amounts of food and not spending any money on comforts, $1000 isn't unrealistic. It can be done for sure. But it's definitely not how we would want to spend a longer stay in Vietnam😂
Also, why would you want to live excatly like we did in the West? Why come to a new cultue and eat cheeseburgers??? I eat Banh Mi, noodles, spring rolls and assimilated into the culture. I have playlist on my channel showing apartment tour and dinners in Lao Cai province. Been here 5 years and have fought for my dream to be here and live in Vietnam. To the point i lost nearly 90 pounds and been to surgery over accidents. You live like a tourist. I live here like Vietnamese. To each their own friend
As a local here in Danang, that's pretty interesting to hear about the cost of living for Westerners. Is it normal for lots of people? I'm also curious about the cost for that lifestyle in Canada, thanks 😄
Thanks for the comment! Back in Canada the cost would be WAY higher haha. Apartments in Canada are extremely over priced and also hard to find with the housing crisis. Also in Canada you would need to buy a car or a truck instead of a cheap motorbike because we have long winters with freezing cold temperatures and alot of snow. Which makes it impossible to use a bike all year round. Cars and trucks are CRAZY EXPENSIVE and so is the cost of gas and diesel to fill them. Food is also WAY overpriced for both the groceries and the restaurants. So as a westerner in Vietnam, for us to have all the things we have back in Canada the price would be much higher! But the factors like needing to own vehicles will change the price drastically
@@expatescapeofficial Thanks, thats very insightful! I'm living like a local, so $300-400 in Da Nang (without rent & scooter rental) is very comfortable already haha. Indeed westerners have very different needs then, especially the larger portions that really opened my eyes. But I think if you live in here longer, you'll find many options for cheaper and great foods also, other than An Thuong area 😄
Got to say, I can’t believe the amount of negative comments you’ve got. You are just telling the truth, as it is, from your perspective. No more, no less. I personally wouldnt eat anwhere near the amount of food you eat for example, I therefore make a mental deduction, and carry on from there. Great video. Thanks much!
Thanks for the comment, We appreciate it! I know right! Key board warriors and trolls are always out in full force 😂 They're great entertainment for the rest of us though! haha
I havent come across information on money. Can you use other currencies there? Should you get a bank account there for bills and such? Bring cash and convert it? I'm sure its understood, if anyone has infor, please toss it out. Thanks
Thanks for the comment, Thats a good question. For us personally, we just take out some cash from a reliable ATM when we need it. I don't have any experience with bank accounts here. But if you are just looking to rent an apartment and pay the utility bills you just pay them in cash so no local bank account is needed. It's good to always have some of your own currency with you in case you need it, but most people we see tend to use the ATM machine and just withdraw from there. You might want to do a little research on the exchange rates of each companies ATM machines though. I have heard they can vary quite a bit. Hopefully that helps!
@@expatescapeofficial Thank you for that, any information helps. The ATMs will withdraw from my US bank account using a debit card, like here in the states? That seems to be the easiest way. What are the ATM fees?
@@BlueDoggxlt We're Canadians so I can't say for certain how it will transact with US bank accounts, but for us, when we withdraw at ATM's it just takes the money from our Canadian account just like back at home👍 I believe the ATM fee we were paying was $5 CAD per 2,000,000 VND withdrawal. I thought that was quite expensive. Other people we met said they have found places where you can take out more then 2,000,000 VND in a single transaction which will save you a little in service charges. But for the the sake of a couple of dollars service charge a few times a month, we just decided that for piece of mind using an ATM that we had come to trust without issues, we would rather just pay the extra couple bucks and not worry rather then trying to find a new ATM and possibly get scammed or hacked.
I assume that digital nomads can live and work there, right? Also what are the ways to stay longer over there, let's say for 1 or 2 years? Do you maybe know something about that?
Da Nang is a really popular place for digital nomads! I'm not yet familiar with the process of digital nomad visas for long term stays, since for now we are just traveling around to see different places. But if we were to make the choice to stay in one place and begin working as digital nomads, then we would have to apply for a proper nomad visa for the country we planned to stay. I'm sorry, I don't have any details on this process since we have not been through it ourselves. But I can say that a lot of people do stay here long term by leaving the country before their 3 month tourist visa expires and coming right back either by plane or by Visa Border Run Bus Service, which we discussed in detail in our last video if you want to check it out. Many travellers and nomads stay here for multiple years by simply renewing their visa that way. Hopefully that helps to answer your question.
@@expatescapeofficial Thank u for the answer. I am from Serbia and turist visa for us is 30days. I am planning to stay there a" little "longer than that, that is why i was asking this question. Good video tho, all 3 of them related to DaNang. :)
I have lived in Vietnam for 5 years.... it cost me $400usd per month. Guess the secret.. I didn't live and work in tourist tier 1 cities. I WORKED in Lao Cai/Sapa on the North Vietnam/China border. I have a TH-cam channel myself with over 550 videos about my 5 years here and just about to reach 700 subs. The beauty of Vietnam is in the countryside. I have made videos on my channel proving $400usd is enough
Also, why would you want to live excatly like we did in the West? Why come to a new cultue and eat cheeseburgers??? I eat Banh Mi, noodles, spring rolls and assimilated into the culture. I actually made videos of my apartment and food in Lao Cai on my channel as well
each to their own. To eat what we want in suffcient amounts to fuel our bodies for what we out them through in the gym, we could easily eat 400USD in food alone per month-Each. And easily exceed that. This video is based on OUR experience and the way WE live. Everyone will have their own costs for living the way they want to live. If you can do it for 400, thats good for you. We can't. Noodles and Banh Mi does nothing for me. I can easily eat 4 banh mi's in a single sitting and thats just one meal of the day. Noodles and pasta aren't good for you, let alone to live on. The body needs sensible calories and alot of them to support what we do. So your videos that "proove 400 usd is enough", only proves that 400 usd is enough for You. Not everyone else. And we are travellers. So we aren't going to be in any one place long enough to fully assimilate into Any culture. We experience it, see what we can and move onto the next.
Well put together video although I do take exception to your comments about Vietnamese food not being sufficient for Westerners. Regardless of how much cheaper it is I found it to be tastier, more nutritious, healthier and just as filling as Western food (however you define that). I spent 6 weeks in Vietnam over the Summer and rarely ate Western food and did not miss it at all. My point being if you are on a strict budget eating a diet of Vietnamese street food is easily achievable. Let's face it that's why many tourists head to Vietnam in the first place, for the local food. Also never had health issues such as diarrhea and certainly not from Pho.
Thanks for the comment! We're not on the beach, it was too expensive for us and most all places we messaged were already taken. We had to go further back to find more options that were vacant. Our cost breakdown was based on if you were to stay in the main tourist hub, so right in the An Thuong area up as far as My An (highlighted in yellow on google maps) Once you get outside those areas it's a little easier to find a nice apartment or studio for a cheaper price, especially in off season. But the trade off is, then you have to have transportation or grab rides to travel back and forth to the tourist hub for the restaurants and the beach etc. You save a little money on one, but loose a little on the other haha
The average cost of living in Australia right now is is around $1500 a week for a couple with a child and that’s not including eating out or recreational activities. We could live like kings in Da Nang for $6000 AUS a month. This guy needs a reality check.
The cost of living where we're from in Canada is about the same or more then Australia. But this video isn't about cost of living in Australia, or Canada. It's our personal experience of cost of living in Da Nang to help out people who haven't been here before so they know what to expect for expenses when they come to Da Nang should they choose to live a similar way as us. So our reality is very much In Check.👍 Thanks
Thanks for the comment! Yes, all these costs are a baseline average of what one person "could" expect to pay to live as we are living on a reasonably budget here in Da Nang. This will obviously vary for each persons individual circumstances. And if you were to come here as a couple like we did, you can share the cost of rent, utilities and scooter fee's. This would make it quite a bit cheaper per person, but that only works if you come here with a partner who can share the costs. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the comment, and the sub! We're Canadians as well, so 2100$ for us too! It's a little more expensive than a lot of people expect I think. But luckily it's still way better then Canada's prices haha
@ You’re welcome. I’m binge watching your videos. Great content. I just watched your Border run video featuring Lynn Border Run Service. I’d imagine as you do the run for the day you obviously keep your Airbnb as you will be back later that evening correct? It looks like a great service. I always thought border runs meant you had to leave the country for a week but I see only a few hours. That’s awesome. I’m really enjoying your videos. Next are the ones showing great places to eat. Speaking of gym memberships I’m actually Canada’s 3rd Strongest Master over 50 as I just competed in Strongman Corp Canada Nationals in Moncton New Brunswick Oct 12 and came in 3rd. I’m 62 and still competing 😃 Cheers
@ Oh okay. Nice. I thought by your eastern accent you were but I heard you say something about western Canada so wasn’t sure. Cheers. Love your channel. Cheers 🍻 Martin
Yes for sure! A lot of people come here on a 3 month tourist E- Visa, and after 3 months they either do a border run on the bus over to Laos which we reviewed in our last video if you want to check that one out, and many people also take a cheap flight out of Vietnam to a nearby country for a short stay and then come right back to Vietnam on a new 3 month visa! We have actually met a few people here that have been doing this on repeat for years now.
Hey Susan! I do believe that huge burger in the video was called a My Khe, or a double My Khe Burger and I believe we got it from Burger Bros. They are located half way down An Thuong 4, west side of the road
I call BS. Many of things you mentioned isn't comfortable but luxurious. I've never had coffee for 70000 a cup and definitely not 3 times a day. I have iced coffee for 15-40k each tops. BS also on you can't have cockroach free appartement for 5 mil. You can buy a scooter for 5-6 mil and sell it when you leave. You can easily live comfortably for less than 1000$ a month if you use common sense.
Some people require luxuries to live "comfortably" I've always defined living comfortably as having the financial freedom to afford such luxuries. Different strokes for different folks I guess
@@OpoOnTheGo I agree that living comfortably is being able to buy what you need when you need it. It doesn't have to be extravagant. Coming from canada, luxury is something we've Never had. Things like gym memberships and your own transportation can definitely be luxury items for some people depending on what country they come from and how their lifestyle was there. Gym memberships in Canada aren't luxury items. People pay for memberships every month and don't even go to the gym. It's just a regular monthly bill for many people, no different than paying for your electricity or insurance. Fitness however is what my life has revolved around for the last 22+ years, and nearly as long for Rebecca swell. It's our hobby, our lifestyle, a huge contributor to our mental and physical health and it's also been our jobs for many years. So that's not a luxury item for us. It's simply a way of life. We sacrifice in many other ways that are less important to have gym memberships and things related to our health and fitness. Like never being able to go out for dinner together in Canada because its too expensive, missing out on simple things like having a night at the movies, or a getting a nice hotel or Air BnB for our anniversary. In Canada we couldn't have any of those things, only the necessities to live. Tiny home, and vehicles to get us to and from work. Everything else we had to sell to afford to live. So for everyone who has never met us, but thinks they know us so well and that we need "luxuries" to live. No body knows us. We came from nothing and worked for what we have.
I got my cafe soda fix every morning from a lady on a motorbike in D7 HCMC for 12K. Fantastic coffee and no stomach upset. I alternated between a large pho bo 80K and Banh mi heo (crispy pork) every day. I didn't do it to save money. I like Vietnamese food. Always have and have only every had a queasy stomach once in all the years I travelled there. Comfortable is such a sujective term. I put up with basic rooms in the past. Not now as I've grown older. These cost of living vids always create contoversy.
Thanks for the comment! I can't really recommend getting the IDP, because coming from Canada, the Canadian International license actually doesn't mean anything here. So having the license or even driving here would be "at your own risk". If you have a few minutes, go check out the video on our channel we posted about 2 weeks ago. "Everything to know before coming to Da Nang" In that video I go over the license/driving situation here in Vietnam for Canadians and some info to look up on line about the IDP's. Hopefully that helps!
Nice video. Ive been here for two years and i have never craved western food. You also get used to the smaller portions. Correct about the apartments. I stayed in a 6 million place and there was cockroqches every day. Sometimes 5 a day. Also the walls were so thin. I could hear everything. Neighbours making love. The annoying lady above who did a workout at home every morning dropping and taping things. Also neighbours slamming doors lol. Avoid places where koreans live unless you love slamming doors without a care for anyone else
Thanks for the comment! As avid gym goer's, Big portions for us are a definitely necessity especially for me anyway. Anytime we do eat the local food and the smaller portions I always have to order extra so I have enough to eat. It does still come out a little cheaper than western restaurants but not by much . Im generally still around 100k for a meal. I definitely agree on the apartment situation! We had one place at Sweden hotel and it cost 7 mil/month. We stayed 1 day, and the wifi didn't work at all so we told them we were leaving because we need internet, they tried to steal 4 million from our damage deposit for spending less then 24 hours in the room, we had to fight to get most of it back. Then we went looking for reviews on the place and so many people were talking about rats and cock rock infestations in many of the rooms, and the same shady landlady lady at the front desk stealing people's money. Definitely Would Not recommend going there👎👎
I wonder if you never ever eat out and always cook yourself, make your coffee at home and also the spring water you need to buy, this might end up being how much who knows... I'm also canadian and I don't really like to eat at restaurant unless it's a really nice sushi place and I'm trying to save up so this never happens. To me eating at restaurants is not worth the health risk unless it's a high end place (then it's not worth the expense unless you are well off), who knows how much msg for example they put in there through the sauces they use...
the 1500 is for 2 of you in total because you always say "we". so for one person, it's half food, half gym membership, half supplements, half coffee, half insurance, half phone... and then would be for one person around 1k or less
No actually. You can't buy half a gym membership or split one, we don't split our cups of coffee in 2, or cut our meals in half and share a plate. We are each have to buy our own food, our own memberships, our own insurance. I'd love to know what insurance company lets 2 people go halves on an insurance policy because then they would be making half the money and we would be saving a fortune.... This video is about the costs that ONE PERSON can expect to pay here to live a basic comfortable life without out living extravagantly. If you are fortunate enough to come here with a partner you can save a little by sharing the rent, utilities and scooter costs. But unless you have a partner to share with, every single one of those costs will be your own to pay for. Hopefully this further clarification is sufficient.
@@expatescapeofficial you didn't understand my original question. I was asking if gym pass: 32$, is it 2x 16 or 32$ for one person. Is the food only yours or does it include both your food expenses. Because talking about "we" spent and "i" spent is a bit misleading. Because If I go there alone, and you two spent on food 637 in total, for me alone it will be only maybe 300. thanks for clarifying that's only your expense. man you eat a lot (or on very expensive places). with 16€ burger price in Slovakia i don't spend 600€ and my calorie intake is roughly 2400.
Thanks for the comment. That $1500 is just for one person. Our combined costs are much higher than that. For 2 people you can save a little by splitting the cost of rent, utilities, scooter and gas. But then all your groceries, meals, insurance, entertainment, drinks, excursions, and extra expenses are doubled for 2 people. $1500 is just based on what it would cost 1 single person to come here alone and live comfortably.
@@expatescapeofficial I meant to say for 1 person- my mistake. That is very cheap for living comfortably for one person without health insurance but you have to have coverage in any country.
@@andrearheintgen8523 ok, no problem! Yes it's definitely affordable! And insurance is a must have over here. There are so many accidents and deaths on the road here it would be crazy to come here with out any type of coverage. We've spoken to so many locals here that have trauma from witnessing accidents and pile up's where bikers have literally been ripped in half between buses.(Sorry if that was a little too descriptive) but it really is very serious thing that people need to know before coming here. The horrific accidents and horribleee drivers here aren't something we ever see on tv back home in the west. But it really happens on a daily basis and people need to have some sort of medical insurance coverage before coming here
Yes, there are two of us. So we can split some of our costs on things like rent, utilities and bike. But the video is just based off of all the costs that one would expect have to live here comfortably. As a single person coming here, those would be what you "could" expect to pay to live comfortably. If you come with a partner then costs will differ if you are sharing the bills. Everyone will have a different experience and different cost breakdown specific to their lifestyle and situation.
Prices for the gym and supplements is something we looked for before coming here and had a hard time finding solid info on it, so we wanted to make sure the gym costs were included for all of us gym rats out there! haha
add the entertainment/nights out, and the other misc, ie massages... i've spent ~8k usd in 3 months... u definitely can't live comfortably on a 1k usd budget. thx for being transparent lol
Let's not forget the biggest expense for our Asain Hottie Girlfriends ! A thousand dollars a month will barely keep your new Young Hot 🔥 Asain Girlfriend in TicTock fashion as the whole world becomes Westernized. Haha!!!
People's definitions of "living comfortably" can be widely different. For example, many lazy people don't even know what a gym or supplement looks like.
To clarify some confusion with the cost breakdown of this video, these costs are a baseline average of what ONE PERSON "could" expect to pay to live as we are living with a reasonably low budget, here in Da Nang. These costs will obviously vary for each persons individual circumstances, as not everyone will go to the gym or drive a bike or eat 3 large meals per day. Also, if you were to come here as a couple like we did, you can share the cost of rent, utilities and scooter fee's. This would make it quite a bit cheaper per person, but that only works if you come here with a partner who can share the costs. Otherwise all of the costs we listed here will be for one person, should you choose to live similarly to the way we are living.
One tip is don't search online for a place to stay long term. If you walk around the neighborhoods you will find many apartments available for less than what you see online. Many have a sign in front or go ask. As an american you won't realize how many options of everything there are in less than a 1 mile radius. Tons and tons of options. Same goes for food. You can eat at Fly Burgers and spend $6 or you can step back a couple blocks and get a chicken sandwich and coke for .79 cents. Double burger for 15K. So even with western food you have a choice on whether you want to eat expensive or cheap. I didn't realize it until 4 days into my trip that there were many many cheaper options close. And I'm not talking about a drive away I talking about a short walk. So many different options. I could get my clothes washed for 40k per KG($1.60 per 2 lbs) at my hotel, right across the street for 25k per KG($1 per 2lbs) or 2 doors down for 15k per KG(.60 cents per 2lbs).
So most people living at home is not going to eat at the most expensive restaurants in their city. They will choose more mid tier restaurants so we might want to apply that same kind of living when we make comparisons. So as an example instead of pricing things on the beach street or 1 block away. Broaden that to make 3 blocks of the beach (within a short walking distance) and you can have western options for a fraction of what you see in the heart of the tourist areas. But that's the thing. Travelers do things like travelers do and so the costs are going to be much more than if you thought about eating the same as you would in your home country.
Just putting some things in context from my fact-finding trip there(I didn't go for a vacation. I went to find out first hand if DaNang was as cheap as these youtubers say it is and to see how much it would realistically cost for me to live there). Also factor in how cheap it is to eat out can affect how much you pay for your accommodations. Once you actually see how it is out there you might adjust the way you view accommodation size and features like kitchen size and such.
Anyways thanks for putting out content. You are opening the eyes of many to be able to venture outside of those comfort zones most people have. You have a new sub here.
Well written comment.
Thank you for this reality check and detailed information. I plan on staying there for 3 - 6 months so this was super helpful. Really enjoyed your personality which made it engaging to watch and hear. Best of luck to both of you!
Thank you for the kind comment, we appreciate it!
I love pictures of the rain in SE asia - for me, you could do a vlog on that alone - thanks for the rational review of expenses☔
Thanks for the comment!
Currently on holidays in Da Nang. Cannot comment on rental prices. All other numbers are very accurate! Well done.
Transportation:
Da Nang is spread out geographically. Walking around is not an option. Grab is fairly cheap and convenient but, as explained in the Video, costs are pilling.
Gyms: cost per visit 40-100.000 VDN.
Excellent Summary.
Thank you
Thanks for the comment!
Hey Shawn, great breakdown of the cost of living. I do agree with you that living on 1000USD month is not the luxurious life in SEA that everyone thinks it is. One thing I can say is the longer your in one place and the better you get to know the area the cost of living can decrease a bit. But again are you living there or on a vacation? Are you eating out all the time or are you cooking at home? Are you eating western food or local or a bit of both?
So many factors!
It's great to hear different people's points of view!
Keep the videos rolling!😊
Thanks for the comment!
I agree completely, after spending almost 4 months we're figuring out where the expensive and more affordable places are, so that helps us save a little money. Our biggest monthly expense is absolutely the food, mainly because of the larger portions. We eat breakfast in sometimes but mostly we're out for our meals
I know you talked about gym memberships. I am wondering if you came across condos with acceptable gyms? I know here in Thailand it can be hard to find but it is possible.
@@TimAllisonPardy It's definitely hard to find a good, equipped gym in a condo here as well.
Unless you have a large enough budget to rent somewhere expensive, then you may find a "decent" gym. For the average fitness enthusiast just trying to stay fit and healthy, some of those gyms have sufficient enough equipment to get a work out in if you know what you're doing. But for anyone who is serious into weight training/body building/power lifting, anything like that, they will need to scope out a more advanced gym for sure.
Great breakdown and it felt honest to me. I think since I'm older and not a gym rat, I could probably do it for about $1250 per month but, your explanations on everything seemed pretty right on. Thanks for doing this breakdown and sharing.
Thanks a lot for the comment! Yes it can definitely be done much cheaper if someone was willing to cut out a lot of things or sacrifice certain comforts and conveniences like gym memberships etc.
@expatescapeofficial but, let's be honest, even $1500/mo is great at that location.
@@user-retsailor I agree, it definitely is. We're not saying it isn't a great price at $1500. It's Alot cheaper than back in Canada and America for sure!
But this video isn't comparing prices to other countries, it's just de-bunking the myth of living comfortably in Da Nang for 1000$. And $1500 is quite a large margin higher than the $1000 everyone is claiming.
Thanks for the comment!
$920 a month for a Single is my average,..easy to go under $1000. For a comfortable life for me. I eat two meal out per day eating local food, make my own coffee and breakfast. I walk everywhere I need to go , no scooter rental. If I need to travel outside my local area I call a grab scooter, very cheap. My building has a small gym , no gym membership. Eat like a local, live like a local under $1000 USD is easy ...
Yes, if you want to live like a local Vietnamese person and completely immerse in the local culture 100% of the time and have no freedom of transportation with your own vehicle then $1000/month is easy to do.
But for the large majority of westerners, living the life of a local Vietnamese person is not going to be what that would call "a comfortable living". Us personally would starve living on 2 small Vietnamese meals per day.
Some people, like yourself, may be able to make this work and be happy and comfortable with that lifestyle. But that's not for everyone.
Thanks for the comment!
What kind of jobs do y'all have that lend themselves to living in Asia?
Great video! Adding topic timestamps (e.g., 00:00-05:00: Topic) could make it even better and attract more viewers!
I got food poisoning in Da Nang a few days ago and still in the hospital and waiting to be released. Try to avoid drinking any juice that use water.
That's a really good tip. There are some places that definitely aren't following any kind of food safety standard what so ever. We ate at 2 local food places here this month and after the first one got extremely sick for over week with ecoli poisoning which still haven't fully recovered from and the second time we tried a different place and also got a very bad stomach and sick shortly after. We actually witnesses some restaurant staff even in the newer more modern restaurants picking their nose behind the counter with customers sitting on the restaurant in plain sight, and then proceed to prepare someones food with no gloves on and didn't wash their hands. We watched the whole thing, it was pretty gross, and even worse again, the other 2 staff behind the counter with him didn't say a thing, never even noticed it.
Hopefully you feel better soon, and thanks for the comment!
Thank you Sean. You should have gone to the hospital to get checked out when you got sick. My hospital bill was only $78.65 after admitted to the emergency room at Benh Vien 199.
@@lightning6718 I was thinking about going for a check up, but I've had ecoli poisoning before in the past so I was quite familiar with the symptoms and how it played out, so I just decided to wait it out and it eventually fixed itself just like before luckily.
Thats a Really good price for being admitted to the hospital! wow!
I got drink poisoning, lol, drank whiskey and then local wine mixed together. It knocked me down unconscious and I was rushed to Benh vien da Khoa’ ER. They mri-ed my brain ( due to collapsing in the bathroom) then gave me IV . Eventually I got released 3 hours later when I was fully awake and the MRI came back normal ( Thanks God).
All was 1 million ( $40 ) and the service was instant as soon as I got in.
I also got 2 occasions of food poisoning in my 3 weeks in Vn . A short trip to a pharmacy will take care of it but still I hate it when that stomachache lasted 3 days each time
Originally from Danang born and raised, left in 1992 but still have lots of friends and cousins there
Will consider to retire when we are ready to
-- Avoid ice at all cost , only bottle of cold beer or juice or whatever but no water
-- Avoid vegetables at street food stores as they might not clean them thoroughly
-- take probiotics at least a week before you go and continue through the trip
Good luck 😂
@@nef.spring WOW!! You got lucky, Holy crap! We will definitely stay away from the whiskey and wine haha
That's crazy that it cost $40! In the west that would have cost thousands!
The probiotics are a great idea for new people coming to Vietnam to prepare their stomach in advance haha
Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for the info. Great job.
Thank you!
Great video and breakdown, we could skip the gym, visa, supplements and scooter rental and upgrade to a balcony apt. With a pool and gym, I do like that you were very through with the expenses including miscellaneous, Great job!
Thank you for the comment!
All depends on your definition of 'Living Comfortably'.
Thank you for sharing your experience and honest thoughts about the real cost of living there.
What is the name of the Gym you ended up joining?
Thanks for the comment!
We actually tried out a couple of different places and I think our favourite was HD Fitness. They are a bigger brand gym there I think. They have around 5 locations in Da Nang. I would recommend them for sure.
I was looking You Tube find your channel be member today to your channel find you have honesty and integrity and humbleness in your voice which takes me good luck 👍
Thank you for the very nice comment!
“Great work, brother! I’ve seen plenty of videos debating the prices in Da Nang, but you did an excellent job breaking it all down clearly. Really appreciate your straightforward approach!”
Thank you, we really appreciate that!🤝
I can confidently say that my girl and I live in a much better place than you, though we do pay a couple hundred more in rent. To give you an idea of our budget: we spend about $300 on 80 pounds of high-quality protein, which we cook at home. This provides us with 3 meals each, each containing around 200 grams of quality protein. For another $300, we eat out 20-25 times a month, sticking to Western food only. The rest of our expenses go toward other essentials, basically what you mentioned. We manage all of this comfortably on $1,500 per month without ever having to nickel and dime it. So, I’m certain that $1,000 a month can easily cover the needs of one person. Without a shadow of a doubt.
Every person/couple will have their own unique lifestyle, eating habits and spending habits. We are simply sharing our experience exactly as it is in real life for others like us who have the questions we had and may be thinking about coming here to live a similar lifestyle to ours.
Thats a really good price for 80lbs of protein!
How would you rank your quality of life on a scale of 1-10? I think thats really what matters. Would be interesting to track if you end up living in various countries over time.
I would say over all our quality of life in Vietnam compared to back in Canada is Significantly better haha
Canada would be about a 0-1 out of 10 on a good day and in Vietnam it's about an 8. So much better quality of life!
Nice video ! So it’s not that cheap at all !! We were planning on a 2 month trip , but our plan was to stay in different hotels for 10-15 days per stay . Booking looks pretty affordable $30ish for a regular hotel per night and $70ish for the 5* breakfast included . We are not foodies so that should be cheap . The 1 and only thing we want to do is : sunbath on the beach and having a swim
Thanks for the comment!
It can be both expensive or really cheap, depending on the quality of trip you are looking for. But to get extremely cheap, like $1000/month cheap, a lot of things would have to be left out for sure.
@ yes exactly as you mentioned , we just hope not to exceed the €1000 a month ( excluding the hotels ) , I bet all the baby products are extremely expensive
Super useful video! thx. Wondering if you are still tax residents of Canada? I believe it is : if you live in Vietnam (or another country) less than 183 days, you don't have to pay tax. But you still have to pay in your home country? Thoughts/ thx and once again great video!
Thanks for the comment! Well for now, we're Just traveling around, so nothing changes for us because we're technically just on a big vacation, taking time away from home to travel and see the world and not sticking to any 1 place. If we're able to make the digital nomad dream happen then it may be different should we decide to stay in one place for an extended period of time. But we will have to do the research and go through the proper channels to cross that bridge if it comes to that :)
Great vid and completely agree. Most of the budget vids about Da Nang are sensationalized and only really work for people who are willing to live on a shoestring budget. I eat Vietnamese food for most of my meals but I always get extra meat or 2 portions and it hits around 100k at a minimum .
Thanks for the comment!
Yes, for a backpacking, single traveller who is ok staying in a rundown hostel and eating the tiniest amounts of food and not spending any money on comforts, $1000 isn't unrealistic. It can be done for sure. But it's definitely not how we would want to spend a longer stay in Vietnam😂
Also, why would you want to live excatly like we did in the West? Why come to a new cultue and eat cheeseburgers??? I eat Banh Mi, noodles, spring rolls and assimilated into the culture. I have playlist on my channel showing apartment tour and dinners in Lao Cai province. Been here 5 years and have fought for my dream to be here and live in Vietnam. To the point i lost nearly 90 pounds and been to surgery over accidents. You live like a tourist. I live here like Vietnamese. To each their own friend
seeing your choice of coffee was enough for me..
As a local here in Danang, that's pretty interesting to hear about the cost of living for Westerners. Is it normal for lots of people? I'm also curious about the cost for that lifestyle in Canada, thanks 😄
Thanks for the comment!
Back in Canada the cost would be WAY higher haha. Apartments in Canada are extremely over priced and also hard to find with the housing crisis. Also in Canada you would need to buy a car or a truck instead of a cheap motorbike because we have long winters with freezing cold temperatures and alot of snow. Which makes it impossible to use a bike all year round. Cars and trucks are CRAZY EXPENSIVE and so is the cost of gas and diesel to fill them. Food is also WAY overpriced for both the groceries and the restaurants.
So as a westerner in Vietnam, for us to have all the things we have back in Canada the price would be much higher! But the factors like needing to own vehicles will change the price drastically
@@expatescapeofficial Thanks, thats very insightful! I'm living like a local, so $300-400 in Da Nang (without rent & scooter rental) is very comfortable already haha. Indeed westerners have very different needs then, especially the larger portions that really opened my eyes. But I think if you live in here longer, you'll find many options for cheaper and great foods also, other than An Thuong area 😄
@@lamngo4518 Well 400$ without rent and scooter is not very different cause rent and scooter is easily 600$.
Hey, noticed you said you used to be PT's do you box?
Yes! We were both weight and power training PT's. We never taught boxing though. But I do enjoy it, it's great cardio!
Got to say, I can’t believe the amount of negative comments you’ve got. You are just telling the truth, as it is, from your perspective. No more, no less. I personally wouldnt eat anwhere near the amount of food you eat for example, I therefore make a mental deduction, and carry on from there. Great video. Thanks much!
Thanks for the comment, We appreciate it!
I know right! Key board warriors and trolls are always out in full force 😂 They're great entertainment for the rest of us though! haha
I havent come across information on money.
Can you use other currencies there?
Should you get a bank account there for bills and such?
Bring cash and convert it?
I'm sure its understood, if anyone has infor, please toss it out. Thanks
Thanks for the comment,
Thats a good question. For us personally, we just take out some cash from a reliable ATM when we need it. I don't have any experience with bank accounts here. But if you are just looking to rent an apartment and pay the utility bills you just pay them in cash so no local bank account is needed. It's good to always have some of your own currency with you in case you need it, but most people we see tend to use the ATM machine and just withdraw from there. You might want to do a little research on the exchange rates of each companies ATM machines though. I have heard they can vary quite a bit. Hopefully that helps!
@@expatescapeofficial Thank you for that, any information helps.
The ATMs will withdraw from my US bank account using a debit card, like here in the states?
That seems to be the easiest way.
What are the ATM fees?
@@BlueDoggxlt We're Canadians so I can't say for certain how it will transact with US bank accounts, but for us, when we withdraw at ATM's it just takes the money from our Canadian account just like back at home👍 I believe the ATM fee we were paying was $5 CAD per 2,000,000 VND withdrawal. I thought that was quite expensive. Other people we met said they have found places where you can take out more then 2,000,000 VND in a single transaction which will save you a little in service charges. But for the the sake of a couple of dollars service charge a few times a month, we just decided that for piece of mind using an ATM that we had come to trust without issues, we would rather just pay the extra couple bucks and not worry rather then trying to find a new ATM and possibly get scammed or hacked.
I assume that digital nomads can live and work there, right? Also what are the ways to stay longer over there, let's say for 1 or 2 years? Do you maybe know something about that?
Da Nang is a really popular place for digital nomads! I'm not yet familiar with the process of digital nomad visas for long term stays, since for now we are just traveling around to see different places. But if we were to make the choice to stay in one place and begin working as digital nomads, then we would have to apply for a proper nomad visa for the country we planned to stay.
I'm sorry, I don't have any details on this process since we have not been through it ourselves.
But I can say that a lot of people do stay here long term by leaving the country before their 3 month tourist visa expires and coming right back either by plane or by Visa Border Run Bus Service, which we discussed in detail in our last video if you want to check it out. Many travellers and nomads stay here for multiple years by simply renewing their visa that way.
Hopefully that helps to answer your question.
@@expatescapeofficial Thank u for the answer. I am from Serbia and turist visa for us is 30days. I am planning to stay there a" little "longer than that, that is why i was asking this question. Good video tho, all 3 of them related to DaNang. :)
@@Veljko-s6o Thank you!
I have lived in Vietnam for 5 years.... it cost me $400usd per month. Guess the secret.. I didn't live and work in tourist tier 1 cities. I WORKED in Lao Cai/Sapa on the North Vietnam/China border. I have a TH-cam channel myself with over 550 videos about my 5 years here and just about to reach 700 subs. The beauty of Vietnam is in the countryside. I have made videos on my channel proving $400usd is enough
Also, why would you want to live excatly like we did in the West? Why come to a new cultue and eat cheeseburgers??? I eat Banh Mi, noodles, spring rolls and assimilated into the culture. I actually made videos of my apartment and food in Lao Cai on my channel as well
each to their own. To eat what we want in suffcient amounts to fuel our bodies for what we out them through in the gym, we could easily eat 400USD in food alone per month-Each. And easily exceed that. This video is based on OUR experience and the way WE live. Everyone will have their own costs for living the way they want to live. If you can do it for 400, thats good for you. We can't. Noodles and Banh Mi does nothing for me. I can easily eat 4 banh mi's in a single sitting and thats just one meal of the day. Noodles and pasta aren't good for you, let alone to live on. The body needs sensible calories and alot of them to support what we do. So your videos that "proove 400 usd is enough", only proves that 400 usd is enough for You. Not everyone else.
And we are travellers. So we aren't going to be in any one place long enough to fully assimilate into Any culture. We experience it, see what we can and move onto the next.
Well put together video although I do take exception to your comments about Vietnamese food not being sufficient for Westerners. Regardless of how much cheaper it is I found it to be tastier, more nutritious, healthier and just as filling as Western food (however you define that). I spent 6 weeks in Vietnam over the Summer and rarely ate Western food and did not miss it at all. My point being if you are on a strict budget eating a diet of Vietnamese street food is easily achievable. Let's face it that's why many tourists head to Vietnam in the first place, for the local food. Also never had health issues such as diarrhea and certainly not from Pho.
Great video and explanation of cost breakdown. But, I assume you're living right on the beach and rents drop greatly the further away you are...
Thanks for the comment!
We're not on the beach, it was too expensive for us and most all places we messaged were already taken. We had to go further back to find more options that were vacant. Our cost breakdown was based on if you were to stay in the main tourist hub, so right in the An Thuong area up as far as My An (highlighted in yellow on google maps)
Once you get outside those areas it's a little easier to find a nice apartment or studio for a cheaper price, especially in off season. But the trade off is, then you have to have transportation or grab rides to travel back and forth to the tourist hub for the restaurants and the beach etc. You save a little money on one, but loose a little on the other haha
@@expatescapeofficial Thank you.
The average cost of living in Australia right now is is around $1500 a week for a couple with a child and that’s not including eating out or recreational activities. We could live like kings in Da Nang for $6000 AUS a month. This guy needs a reality check.
The cost of living where we're from in Canada is about the same or more then Australia. But this video isn't about cost of living in Australia, or Canada. It's our personal experience of cost of living in Da Nang to help out people who haven't been here before so they know what to expect for expenses when they come to Da Nang should they choose to live a similar way as us.
So our reality is very much In Check.👍 Thanks
After years $875 a month not skimping and completely enjoying the life of Da Nang
Thanks for sharing! Just to clarify, this was per person? So u pay about $1k/m for rent? And $3k/month cad per couple is a reasonable budget?
Thanks for the comment!
Yes, all these costs are a baseline average of what one person "could" expect to pay to live as we are living on a reasonably budget here in Da Nang. This will obviously vary for each persons individual circumstances. And if you were to come here as a couple like we did, you can share the cost of rent, utilities and scooter fee's. This would make it quite a bit cheaper per person, but that only works if you come here with a partner who can share the costs.
Hope this helps!
Leave the costs list up longer. Good content. Remember to breathe lol
haha thanks!
$1500 USD is about $2100 CAD for me 😞 I better start preparing 😃🙏 Great video. I just subscribed.
Thanks for the comment, and the sub!
We're Canadians as well, so 2100$ for us too! It's a little more expensive than a lot of people expect I think. But luckily it's still way better then Canada's prices haha
@ You’re welcome. I’m binge watching your videos. Great content. I just watched your Border run video featuring Lynn Border Run Service. I’d imagine as you do the run for the day you obviously keep your Airbnb as you will be back later that evening correct? It looks like a great service. I always thought border runs meant you had to leave the country for a week but I see only a few hours. That’s awesome. I’m really enjoying your videos. Next are the ones showing great places to eat. Speaking of gym memberships I’m actually Canada’s 3rd Strongest Master over 50 as I just competed in Strongman Corp Canada Nationals in Moncton New Brunswick Oct 12 and came in 3rd. I’m 62 and still competing 😃 Cheers
Where in Canada are you from? I’m in Edmonton Alberta
Over on the east coast!
@ Oh okay. Nice. I thought by your eastern accent you were but I heard you say something about western Canada so wasn’t sure. Cheers. Love your channel. Cheers 🍻 Martin
Is it easy to find a way to stay long term in Da Nang (if your passport only allows 30 or 90 days)?
Yes for sure! A lot of people come here on a 3 month tourist E- Visa, and after 3 months they either do a border run on the bus over to Laos which we reviewed in our last video if you want to check that one out, and many people also take a cheap flight out of Vietnam to a nearby country for a short stay and then come right back to Vietnam on a new 3 month visa! We have actually met a few people here that have been doing this on repeat for years now.
Appreciate this pal!
8 million is only 250 gbp, so it's still an awesome price.
No problem, thanks for the comment!
8mil is definitely a good price for a little apartment, Way better then we would pay for the same back in the west
Where did you get the burgers!
Hey Susan! I do believe that huge burger in the video was called a My Khe, or a double My Khe Burger and I believe we got it from Burger Bros. They are located half way down An Thuong 4, west side of the road
SUSAN HASNT YET STEPPED ON ASIAN SOIL AND ALREADY THINKING OF THEM JUICY WESTERN BURGERS😂
I call BS. Many of things you mentioned isn't comfortable but luxurious. I've never had coffee for 70000 a cup and definitely not 3 times a day. I have iced coffee for 15-40k each tops. BS also on you can't have cockroach free appartement for 5 mil. You can buy a scooter for 5-6 mil and sell it when you leave. You can easily live comfortably for less than 1000$ a month if you use common sense.
clearly you did not watch the video in it's entirety.
@expatescapeofficial yes I did.
Some people require luxuries to live "comfortably" I've always defined living comfortably as having the financial freedom to afford such luxuries. Different strokes for different folks I guess
@@OpoOnTheGo I agree that living comfortably is being able to buy what you need when you need it. It doesn't have to be extravagant.
Coming from canada, luxury is something we've Never had. Things like gym memberships and your own transportation can definitely be luxury items for some people depending on what country they come from and how their lifestyle was there. Gym memberships in Canada aren't luxury items. People pay for memberships every month and don't even go to the gym. It's just a regular monthly bill for many people, no different than paying for your electricity or insurance.
Fitness however is what my life has revolved around for the last 22+ years, and nearly as long for Rebecca swell. It's our hobby, our lifestyle, a huge contributor to our mental and physical health and it's also been our jobs for many years. So that's not a luxury item for us. It's simply a way of life. We sacrifice in many other ways that are less important to have gym memberships and things related to our health and fitness. Like never being able to go out for dinner together in Canada because its too expensive, missing out on simple things like having a night at the movies, or a getting a nice hotel or Air BnB for our anniversary. In Canada we couldn't have any of those things, only the necessities to live. Tiny home, and vehicles to get us to and from work. Everything else we had to sell to afford to live.
So for everyone who has never met us, but thinks they know us so well and that we need "luxuries" to live. No body knows us. We came from nothing and worked for what we have.
I got my cafe soda fix every morning from a lady on a motorbike in D7 HCMC for 12K. Fantastic coffee and no stomach upset. I alternated between a large pho bo 80K and Banh mi heo (crispy pork) every day. I didn't do it to save money. I like Vietnamese food. Always have and have only every had a queasy stomach once in all the years I travelled there. Comfortable is such a sujective term. I put up with basic rooms in the past. Not now as I've grown older. These cost of living vids always create contoversy.
great video! See ya on the beach come February. Yay!
Thank you!
Good honest appraisal
Thanks!
I am coming to south east asia next month no real plan , fellow east coaster here. should i get an international license.
Thanks for the comment!
I can't really recommend getting the IDP, because coming from Canada, the Canadian International license actually doesn't mean anything here. So having the license or even driving here would be "at your own risk".
If you have a few minutes, go check out the video on our channel we posted about 2 weeks ago. "Everything to know before coming to Da Nang" In that video I go over the license/driving situation here in Vietnam for Canadians and some info to look up on line about the IDP's.
Hopefully that helps!
Nice video.
Ive been here for two years and i have never craved western food. You also get used to the smaller portions.
Correct about the apartments. I stayed in a 6 million place and there was cockroqches every day. Sometimes 5 a day.
Also the walls were so thin. I could hear everything. Neighbours making love. The annoying lady above who did a workout at home every morning dropping and taping things.
Also neighbours slamming doors lol. Avoid places where koreans live unless you love slamming doors without a care for anyone else
Thanks for the comment!
As avid gym goer's, Big portions for us are a definitely necessity especially for me anyway. Anytime we do eat the local food and the smaller portions I always have to order extra so I have enough to eat. It does still come out a little cheaper than western restaurants but not by much . Im generally still around 100k for a meal.
I definitely agree on the apartment situation! We had one place at Sweden hotel and it cost 7 mil/month. We stayed 1 day, and the wifi didn't work at all so we told them we were leaving because we need internet, they tried to steal 4 million from our damage deposit for spending less then 24 hours in the room, we had to fight to get most of it back. Then we went looking for reviews on the place and so many people were talking about rats and cock rock infestations in many of the rooms, and the same shady landlady lady at the front desk stealing people's money. Definitely Would Not recommend going there👎👎
Agree - slamming doors is a key metric mark for low life idiots - no consideration of others 🤨🤨🤨😖
I wonder if you never ever eat out and always cook yourself, make your coffee at home and also the spring water you need to buy, this might end up being how much who knows... I'm also canadian and I don't really like to eat at restaurant unless it's a really nice sushi place and I'm trying to save up so this never happens. To me eating at restaurants is not worth the health risk unless it's a high end place (then it's not worth the expense unless you are well off), who knows how much msg for example they put in there through the sauces they use...
I agree with you that it’s a risk to eat out at a restaurant. If you have the time to cook, then you can eat well and healthy food for less.
the 1500 is for 2 of you in total because you always say "we". so for one person, it's half food, half gym membership, half supplements, half coffee, half insurance, half phone... and then would be for one person around 1k or less
No actually. You can't buy half a gym membership or split one, we don't split our cups of coffee in 2, or cut our meals in half and share a plate. We are each have to buy our own food, our own memberships, our own insurance. I'd love to know what insurance company lets 2 people go halves on an insurance policy because then they would be making half the money and we would be saving a fortune....
This video is about the costs that ONE PERSON can expect to pay here to live a basic comfortable life without out living extravagantly. If you are fortunate enough to come here with a partner you can save a little by sharing the rent, utilities and scooter costs. But unless you have a partner to share with, every single one of those costs will be your own to pay for. Hopefully this further clarification is sufficient.
@@expatescapeofficial you didn't understand my original question. I was asking if gym pass: 32$, is it 2x 16 or 32$ for one person. Is the food only yours or does it include both your food expenses. Because talking about "we" spent and "i" spent is a bit misleading.
Because If I go there alone, and you two spent on food 637 in total, for me alone it will be only maybe 300.
thanks for clarifying that's only your expense. man you eat a lot (or on very expensive places). with 16€ burger price in Slovakia i don't spend 600€ and my calorie intake is roughly 2400.
How do you sleep after 3 coffee in one day😂
Viet coffee hits hard.
We don't 🤣🤣
I think we go for days at a time without even blinking😳 haha
Rainy season is shite. From January it should be better
Yeah we haven't seen too many sunny days. But it's all good, even on the rainy, stormy days, it's still 10x better then a cold Canadian winter😂
@@expatescapeofficial I hear that dude. Today has been nice
Isn't $1000 for one person and not two people?
yes, thats for one person.(note the pinned comment at the top of the comment section)
$1500 a month to live a conformable life. Where I live in the USA that lifestyle would cost me at least $8000 a month
same as Canada. It's much cheaper overseas
Left half way through, you keep prattling on without saying anything. Bye.
Thanks for saving me the time
$1,500 a month for 2 people is very very cheap
Thanks for the comment.
That $1500 is just for one person. Our combined costs are much higher than that.
For 2 people you can save a little by splitting the cost of rent, utilities, scooter and gas. But then all your groceries, meals, insurance, entertainment, drinks, excursions, and extra expenses are doubled for 2 people. $1500 is just based on what it would cost 1 single person to come here alone and live comfortably.
@@expatescapeofficial I meant to say for 1 person- my mistake. That is very cheap for living comfortably for one person without health insurance but you have to have coverage in any country.
I'd get different health insurance when I move to Thailand but just travel in Vietnam. Great content- thanks again
@@andrearheintgen8523 ok, no problem!
Yes it's definitely affordable! And insurance is a must have over here. There are so many accidents and deaths on the road here it would be crazy to come here with out any type of coverage. We've spoken to so many locals here that have trauma from witnessing accidents and pile up's where bikers have literally been ripped in half between buses.(Sorry if that was a little too descriptive) but it really is very serious thing that people need to know before coming here. The horrific accidents and horribleee drivers here aren't something we ever see on tv back home in the west. But it really happens on a daily basis and people need to have some sort of medical insurance coverage before coming here
@@andrearheintgen8523 Thank you!
But there are 2 of you
Yes, there are two of us. So we can split some of our costs on things like rent, utilities and bike. But the video is just based off of all the costs that one would expect have to live here comfortably. As a single person coming here, those would be what you "could" expect to pay to live comfortably. If you come with a partner then costs will differ if you are sharing the bills. Everyone will have a different experience and different cost breakdown specific to their lifestyle and situation.
Finally a budget that includes the gym and supplements
Prices for the gym and supplements is something we looked for before coming here and had a hard time finding solid info on it, so we wanted to make sure the gym costs were included for all of us gym rats out there! haha
@ definitely much appreciated 🤙🏼🤙🏼
@@expatescapeofficialdefinitely! There are a few of is gym rats around.😂
add the entertainment/nights out, and the other misc, ie massages... i've spent ~8k usd in 3 months... u definitely can't live comfortably on a 1k usd budget. thx for being transparent lol
100%! The cost adds up REALLY QUICK when "fun" gets added to the budget😂
Now it's your turn to be transparent, Tapemamba. Tell us, what do you spend your money on? I bet I can guess.
Let's not forget the biggest expense for our Asain Hottie Girlfriends ! A thousand dollars a month will barely keep your new Young Hot 🔥 Asain Girlfriend in TicTock fashion as the whole world becomes Westernized. Haha!!!
People's definitions of "living comfortably" can be widely different. For example, many lazy people don't even know what a gym or supplement looks like.
Agree 100%!