Expat.com article confused about cost of living in Vietnam

One could get along on $500 as long as your willing to live like most of the Vietnamese here but if you want a fairly nice house/apartment I'd plan to spend $400 - 500 for that alone. Another $200 - 300  hundred will cover everything else as long as you don't spend excessive amounts at the bars.

I live a fairly quiet life here & this would be a fairly accurate assessment of my monthly expenditure in HCMC

Un furnished apartment at Celadon City Emerald Tan Phu ………..12,000,000vnd

Parking for 2 motorbikes & one Mobilette…………………………….330,000vnd

Electric…………………………………………………………………800,000vnd

Internet…………………………………………………………………100,000vnd

Supermarket shopping ……………………………………………...2,500,000vnd

Local market for veg, fruit etc………………………………………1,000,000vnd

Refreshments & eating out occasionally…………………………….1,000,000vnd

On top of that you need to take into account transport or buying a motorbike or car.

On top of that visa runs etc (for some) depending on where you go

& how you do it……………………………………………1,000,000vnd to 10,000,000vnd+-   

Did you get your expat.com email "Asian countries benefit from China's decline" ?
Article titled "Which Asian countries are benefiting from China's loss of attractivity (sic) ?"
[ Problem 2: the "link" feature in the editor is not working, nothing happens, so copy/pasta this ]
www.expat.com/en/expat-mag/7508-china-l … omies.html

Quote:
"In big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, 500 USD per month is enough to pay for all basic
necessities – housing, food, utilities and transport. That is the same in Indonesia."

Bali would disagree too.

The article references International Living, but the author can't blame them, they estimate $800-1400
[copy/pasta]
internationalliving.com/countries/vietnam/cost-of-living-in-vietnam/
-@gobot

Indonesia Expert (Fred) agrees with you.

Sharing this thread with Admin in a discussion on the subject.

Indonesia Expert (Fred) agrees with you.
-@OceanBeach92107

In general, yes.

Added - as a serious minimalist (except for my tech) and zero interest in living the city and/or party life, I have lived off a hundred quid a month, but that was with no kids and a wife that wasn`t interested in buying much.

2 kids, a move to Jakarta, and a new wife on the way (Amazon deliver everything these days ), and I need more cash.

However, she's minimalist as well so I'm expecting 6 to 700 USD per month.

Boozers will need a lot more than that.

Hello everyone,

Let me assure you that we have well noted your comments. The thread has taken an interesting turn and I invite you to share your views on cost of living, with regards to the article...

I would request for your patience and cooperation though, till the staff (Editorial dept) resume work on Monday so that we can look into the matter.

Thank you in advance,

Bhavna

Added - as a serious minimalist (except for my tech) and zero interest in living the city and/or party life, I have lived off a hundred quid a month, but that was with no kids and a wife that wasn`t interested in buying much.
2 kids, a move to Jakarta, and a new wife on the way (Amazon deliver everything these days ), and I need more cash.
However, she's minimalist as well so I'm expecting 6 to 700 USD per month.
Boozers will need a lot more than that.
-@Fred

Does the new wife come with a valve and a hand pump?

I live a fairly quiet life here & this would be a fairly accurate assessment of my monthly expenditure in HCMC
Un furnished apartment at Celadon City Emerald Tan Phu ………..12,000,000vnd
Parking for 2 motorbikes & one Mobilette…………………………….330,000vnd
Electric…………………………………………………………………800,000vnd
Internet…………………………………………………………………100,000vnd
Supermarket shopping ……………………………………………...2,500,000vnd
Local market for veg, fruit etc………………………………………1,000,000vnd
Refreshments & eating out occasionally…………………………….1,000,000vnd

On top of that you need to take into account transport or buying a motorbike or car.

On top of that visa runs etc (for some) depending on where you go
& how you do it……………………………………………1,000,000vnd to 10,000,000vnd+- 
-@goodolboy

To help new visitors looking at costs.

Can you break down internet how many phones, what data per day, home internet plan, includes hdtv package or not.

Example

Mobiphone 2gb/day 59k month,

Vinaphone 2gb/day 60k month

Home internet  FPT unlimited plus hdtv 240k month

Added - as a serious minimalist (except for my tech) and zero interest in living the city and/or party life, I have lived off a hundred quid a month, but that was with no kids and a wife that wasn`t interested in buying much.
2 kids, a move to Jakarta, and a new wife on the way (Amazon deliver everything these days ), and I need more cash.
However, she's minimalist as well so I'm expecting 6 to 700 USD per month.
Boozers will need a lot more than that.
-@Fred
Does the new wife come with a valve and a hand pump?
-@colinoscapee

I really hope so

Added - as a serious minimalist (except for my tech) and zero interest in living the city and/or party life, I have lived off a hundred quid a month, but that was with no kids and a wife that wasn`t interested in buying much.
2 kids, a move to Jakarta, and a new wife on the way (Amazon deliver everything these days ), and I need more cash.
However, she's minimalist as well so I'm expecting 6 to 700 USD per month.
Boozers will need a lot more than that.
-@Fred
Does the new wife come with a valve and a hand pump?
-@colinoscapee

OFFS

Did you get your expat.com email "Asian countries benefit from China's decline" ?
Article titled "Which Asian countries are benefiting from China's loss of attractivity (sic) ?"
[ Problem 2: the "link" feature in the editor is not working, nothing happens, so copy/pasta this ]
www.expat.com/en/expat-mag/7508-china-l … omies.html

Quote:
"In big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, 500 USD per month is enough to pay for all basic
necessities – housing, food, utilities and transport. That is the same in Indonesia."

Bali would disagree too.

The article references International Living, but the author can't blame them, they estimate $800-1400
[copy/pasta]
internationalliving.com/countries/vietnam/cost-of-living-in-vietnam/
-@gobot

While the cost of living in Vietnam is among the lowest in the world, I think 500 bucks a month would, at best, only apply to a single guy living in a smaller city in a cheap hotel with a monthly rate of 4 to 5 million and getting around town on a bicycle. Even then, with the other $300 or so, that only leaves you roughly 10 bucks a day (234,500 vnd), which is simply inadequate for a proper diet, You'd have to live off cơm tấm, vegetarian buffets, lots of noodles and fresh fruit.

So, "enough to pay for all basic necessities" may be technically true, but realistically, it's somewhat dangerous misinformation.

Of course, living at the beach in the tropics eating fresh fruit and veg every day all-year round until you get kicked out for overstaying your visa may be better than living in your car in a crime-ridden city and shop-lifting processed food at the convenience stores in the west.

At least they didn't claim that you can "live like a king".