Nomadsurance

Cost of living

Cost of living in Vietnam for digital nomads

What a solo remote worker actually spends per month in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hanoi, and where the money really goes.

by Lukas Schönberg, founder
Draft notice: First-draft editorial; review pending.

Key takeaways

  • A solo nomad gets by on roughly $540–$1,000 (₫14M–26M) a month in Ho Chi Minh City, before flights, visa and insurance.
  • Rent moves the number most: about ₫6,861,717 ($260) for a place outside the centre, ₫14,978,088 ($570) for something central in Ho Chi Minh City.
  • Hanoi is the cheapest of the three on rent, with a central one-bed around ₫10,993,942 ($418).
  • Eating out stays cheap. A plate at a local restaurant runs about ₫55,000 ($2).

Monthly budget

ItemUSDLocal
Rent, 1-bedHo Chi Minh City, outside centre to central$260–$570₫6,861,717–14,978,088
Utilitieselectricity, water, cooling and garbage, 85m² flat$99₫2,603,556
Foodmostly-local diet plus some groceries$171–$285₫4,500,000–7,500,000
Mobile datamonthly plan, calls plus 10GB+$6₫150,952
Local transportcheap; many skip a fixed passscooter rental or Grab
Coworking deskoptional café or monthly hot desk
Typical totalsolo, lean to comfortable, excl. flights, visa, insurance$540–$1,000₫14,000,000–26,000,000

What different budgets get you

Lean, solo

~$540

A one-bed outside the centre, mostly local food, a scooter, working from cafés.

Comfortable, solo

~$1,000

A central flat, eating out more often, and a coworking desk.

Couple

~$1,150

A shared central one-bed, food and transport for two, plus a desk.

Monthly budget

  • Rent, 1-bed: $260–$570 | ₫6,861,717–14,978,088 (Ho Chi Minh City, outside centre to central)
  • Utilities: $99 | ₫2,603,556 (electricity, water, cooling and garbage, 85m² flat)
  • Food: $171–$285 | ₫4,500,000–7,500,000 (mostly-local diet plus some groceries)
  • Mobile data: $6 | ₫150,952 (monthly plan, calls plus 10GB+)
  • Local transport: scooter rental or Grab (cheap; many skip a fixed pass)
  • Coworking desk: optional café or monthly hot desk
  • Typical total: $540–$1,000 | ₫14,000,000–26,000,000 (solo, lean to comfortable, excl. flights, visa, insurance)

Rent by neighbourhood

Ho Chi Minh City

District 1 (CBD)$500–$1,000studio to 1-bed in the centre
Thao Dien (District 2 / Thu Duc City)$800–$1,500furnished 1-bed, the main Western-expat area
District 3$780–$1,200good cafés and coworking, better value than D1 or Thao Dien
Binh Thanh$560–$1,050roughly 20–30% cheaper than comparable Thao Dien units

How it compares

Hub1-bed, centre
Bali (Denpasar)$380
Chiang Mai$500
Ho Chi Minh City$570
Bangkok$665
Lisbon$1,625

Central one-bed monthly rent, US$. Bali here is Denpasar; Canggu and Ubud cost more.

FAQ

About $540 to $1,000 a month (₫14M–26M) for one person, covering rent, utilities, food, transport and data. That leaves out flights, visa costs and insurance. The low end means a one-bed outside the centre and mostly local food; the high end is a central flat, more eating out and a coworking desk.

Hanoi, mostly on rent. A central one-bed averages about ₫10,993,942 ($418) against ₫14,978,088 ($570) in Ho Chi Minh City, and utilities run lower too. Food, transport and data cost roughly the same across all three cities, so the gap is almost entirely the apartment.

Yes, comfortably in any of the three cities. A thousand dollars covers a solo nomad's central rent, food, transport and data with room for a coworking desk, but not insurance, visa costs or flights. In Hanoi or Da Nang it stretches further than in Saigon.

In Ho Chi Minh City, roughly ₫6,861,717 ($260) a month for a one-bed outside the centre and ₫14,978,088 ($570) central. Da Nang's central figure is similar at about ₫13,346,310 ($508); Hanoi is cheaper at ₫10,993,942 ($418). A monthly lease beats nightly rates for any stay over a few weeks.

No, this is living costs only. International health insurance and visa costs are separate and add up fast. Our Vietnam insurance and visa guide covers what those actually run.

Both. A monthly mobile plan with calls and 10GB or more is about ₫150,952 ($5.74) in Saigon, with Da Nang and Hanoi within a few thousand dong, and apartment fibre is everywhere. For most work the basic plan plus fibre is plenty.

Eating mostly local runs about ₫4,500,000–7,500,000 ($171–$285) a month for one. A plate at a local restaurant is around ₫55,000 ($2) in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and ₫60,000 ($2.28) in Da Nang, and cooking with cheap groceries pulls it down further.

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