Is 17 000 000 enough to live and save for 12 months; and recoup total flight and set-up costs of flight of
52 000 000 vnd. (incl. 45 days rent, living and working expenses and round trip flights)
Living costs and salary in SG
Goldeni
07 January 2018 18:42:11
1
Ciambella
07 January 2018 20:30:29
3482
Assuming 17M is net and not gross income, you may be able to save 52M in one year if all of your expenses are less than 12.6M. Your rent cannot be more than 5.8M (share room, maybe?) All other expenses including food cannot be more than 225K each day (eating sparingly, cooking at home, walking to work.)
I know many young Vietnamese who live on a net income of 6M, but none of them has to pay rent or food, and some hand over only 1M each month to the parents as small contributions for their keep.
GuestPoster0147
08 January 2018 03:16:19
0
With a budget of 225K, you also can't ignore the cost of taxi or other public transportation (depending on where you live and work).
Unlike locals, you also have to expect paying between 30 and 100% more for street food, shopping at street markets and taxi/motorbike taxi (longer route at taxi with taximeter), at least in districts like D1 where they do not really like the strangers. 
gobot
08 January 2018 03:26:08
1430
A math problem with ambiguities. Why didn't you just state your net monthly income? My guess is you mean:
( (17M * 12) - 52M ) / 11 months = 13.8M per month.
Assuming you need an 11 month lease because you are in a hotel for a month, and those flights, visa, and arrival expenses are covered in the 52M. My shallow notion of Vietnamese employment practice is that employers will withhold 10% for taxes. Assuming my notion, then net 12.4M or US$546. That was what my rent was last year but it was 2 bedrooms in Q7.
No. Pretty sure that will be living way below your South African lifestyle. I've seen pho, and rice/noodles dishes on the street in Q8 for 25,000, those are poor-town prices, so 100.000 a day is rock bottom for food. $150 a month. Allow at least $100 for expenses like phone, soap, toilet paper, bus fare. I don't know if locals can even rent in inner Saigon for $300 with utilities now. You might not last the whole year if you are miserable.
The second question you can ask yourself is, what is the value of a year in Saigon? What is the potential of this move to advance your career, gain some personal growth, have fun on a foreign adventure? A long term view of the tangible and intangible benefits may be worth borrowing an extra $200 a month that would make your life much more pleasant, even safer. 
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