How is Quy Nhon as a place to live as a retiree

International Cost of Living Index - Expatistan

https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/

Someone recently posted a much better site here but I couldn't find it.

Hey Dennis,

I've been living and working in Quy Nhon for the past three years and it's mostly been a sleepy little coastal city, but over the past year there has been a significant construction boom in and around the city with many new apartments,  hotels and resorts being developed along the waterfront.  Unfortunately,  your assessment of QN being the future Nha Trang is probably correct, but now it still has the charm and friendliness of the more traditional areas of VN without the BS and expenses of the big city.

Your monthly stipend would serve you well here. The cost of living is very reasonable with apartments or houses currently running less than $300 a month,  utilities another $50 and good quality food for less than $10 a day (much cheaper if you can cook).

There is also a growing expat community here with mostly Aussies and Americans and a growing backpacker following passing through the city.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

All the best,

Mark

Mark   so kind of you to  reply to  me so quicky  and with good information. You have helped me to believe I am looking in the correct direction. At my age in life I am past the late   nights  out, drinking till 2 am. I am looking for a good healthy life style, not  much  traffic or noise, yet enough stores to find what I need  with an ocassional trip into " the big city" .  The  cost seems unreal for  the essential items  much  cheaper than here   in the PH and that is my  objective, how to get more on less and  have some  left for savings, long  trips, emergencies,ect.   Can I ask   what do you do there  for  work??   I would like to stay some  what busy.   I play music, maybe teach Engllish,this is a voluntier stuff  just to contribute back soome how.   OK   I think I will visit  Quy  Nhon first weeks   in December before    Christmas maybe 3-5 days,get a first hand oook  and feel.   Thanks again

Hey Dennis,

No worries. I'm happy to share my experiences here.

I, like many expats, teach English. Luckily, I teach FT at an international school here. If this is a path you are considering just be aware of a couple things. To legally teach English in VN or even teach online you'll need a four year degree (even if it's a degree in basket weaving), a state criminal background check from the US or the Philippines and a teaching certificate (TESOL, CELTA, whatever). If you can have them you can get them certified at the US Consulate in HCMC or the Embassy in Hanoi and then get them "Red Stamped" in VN. Also be aware of how working here can affect your SSA benefits. Anything over 45 hours a month of paid work through a company makes you ineligible for SSA benefits. But private tutoring can't really be tracked so that is a possible option.

Based on your description of what you're looking for then QN might be the ideal location. The streets mostly roll up by 10:00ish. The morning and evening rush hours are tolerable and can be missed entirely if you are retired. The food is pretty much very fresh and fairly high quality in most of the markets and restaurants.

Give me a shout when you think you'll be here and I can point you in some good places to hang out.

Good luck,

Mark

Thanks Good_Man    Mark  your nick  name is correct  you are indeed.  I will just  do that.   Looking up flights   from Manila to  Hanoi looks the cheaest   then vietjet   from  Hanoi to  Quy Nhon.  see you  in  a few months then  my email is   XXX   Thanks    Mark

Good_Man wrote:

Also be aware of how working here can affect your SSA benefits. Anything over 45 hours a month of paid work through a company makes you ineligible for SSA benefits.

The OP stated that he is 65 which in the US allows him to seek as much wage income as he wants without a reduction in his SS check.  Is there a different rule for overseas income?  Overseas income is even exempt from income taxes subject to a limit that no teacher is going to reach.

Domestic and international 

If you work, and are full retirement age or older, you may keep all of your benefits, no matter how much you earn. If you're younger than full retirement age, there is a limit to how much you can earn and still receive full Page 3 2 Social Security benefits.

You are correct.  It is "full retirement age" which is creeping up.  It was 65 for me but I think it is 66 now.  The earnings allowed is still fairly generous and overseas income may not count as it is not considered "earned income."  Best to check the SS website and publications as Jim seems to have.

Thanks for this info all    Yes I believe you are correct  being born in 1952  full  retirement for me  is 65   but it is on a graduated scale moving upward toward age 70  now.  I  dont  know about the  Tesla thing  I meet  all other requirements  was just going to voluntier my time   not for money anyway.  I wanted to get back to my main topic    information  on  Quy Nohn  as a place to live and retire  not so much work for me  LOL   Thanks to all

You might want to take a look at Vung Tau. About the same size as Qui Nohn, hour and a half from Saigon. Much better weather than Qui Nohn. I've been here almost a year and love it.

Thank you kindy  for  this  info     I am  open  to considering  all  options at this  time.  Looking for a non tourist type town,about   the size of Quy Nhon, with same  or lower  cost  of living.  Thanks for  the  tip, will research  this now.  This  is why I joined and posted here  guys    Dennis

Hello,
I am coming to VN tomorrow and staying 1 month in HCMC but I come to come over to Vung Tau Can I get in touch with you. I am also thinking about Danaga Thanks Minewman63

Jim-Minh wrote:

International Cost of Living Index - Expatistan

https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/

Someone recently posted a much better site here but I couldn't find it.

Here's another resource to compare COL: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/

Hello,

I am an English teacher and was looking at Quy Nhon. I have all the paperwork. I am in VN now.

Is it a good place to just drop by and do the rounds? Or send CVs?

My main problem is that the hours are low in the most desirable places such as Da Nang.

Just wondered what your opinion was about Quy Nhon.

Any input would help a lot. Thanks.

Hello Songwriter,

I've been living and working in QN for the past 3+ years. If you have the Golden Three, which include the 4 year University Degree, Pedagogy Certification (Any accredited ESL program) and a clean criminal back ground check, then you'd be Golden. If you've already got them Red Stamped and translated in the last six months you can walk into almost any English center and find meaningful work, I may know of another place or two that might be interesting for you.

Anyway, QN is a fairly rapidly developing area. It's still a very economical place to live. There are a variety of activities that local expats pursue, and it's at a slower pace

If you have any specific questions PM me.

All the best,

Mark

Yes, I have all the goodies re paperwork.

Thanks for the input. I will PM you and I hope that I get to buy you a coffee or a beer to say thanks.

Hey Songwriter,

What's your time frame for coming to QN? The next couple of weeks are tough, obviously, but looking forward to catching up when you arrive.

M

I am looking to move in April. So I will visit after Tet. Beginning of March I hope.

Just returned from a thirty-day recon mission to Vietnam which included two weeks in Quy Nhon. Was fortunate enough to spend several hours with Mark (Good_Man) learning about daily life.

Also spent hours upon hours per day walking the streets to get a "feel" for the city. It is everything Mark describes. My experience with Quy Nohn it that it is a low cost of living, friendly city with a beautiful long beachfront surrounded by mountains. There are some traffic choke points within the city, yet for the most part, highway infrastructure is not taxed even during "rush hour." In my untrained opinion, this city is on the brink of rapid growth. There are at least five "beachfront" luxury high rise shopping/hotel/apartments complexes currently under construction. Everywhere you look there is both residential and commercial construction.

Like Mark, the expats are friendly and accommodating. For those into it, there are two expat watering holes Quy Nhon Sports Bar (Docker and Reece) and John and Pauls Inn. These two places are great resources to get local recommendations.

Services are very reasonable. For example, the QNSB recommended a local massage shop (no happy ending), The Tuan where all masseurs are blind. An 80-minute massage is 70,000 dong (my tip was 40,000 dong) for a total of $4.75 USD. The price of two pedicures and two manicures plus fingernail/toenail polish for the woman (six separate services) at a local shop was 400,000 dong or $17.25 USD.

Good luck with your journey and decision, can't vouch for the weather in Quy Nhon compared to the Southern Region, yet Quy Nhon where I'm choosing to live.

Great feedback workplacestars I am warming to the place already.

SongwriterUK wrote:

Great feedback workplacestars I am warming to the place already.

If you haven't already, apply to join the "Expats and Locals in Quy Nhon (city)" FaceBook group. There are two FB groups yet the other one no longer seems active. Paul John who owns the Discovery Language Center in QN is a member (hiking expert) of this group. He is probably the expat with the most longevity in QN and is an upstanding person and an excellent resource about all things QN.

workplacestars wrote:

SongwriterUK wrote:

Great feedback workplacestars I am warming to the place already.

If you haven't already, apply to join the "Expats and Locals in Quy Nhon (city)" FaceBook group. There are two FB groups yet the other one no longer seems active. Paul John who owns the Discovery Language Center in QN is a member (hiking expert) of this group. He is probably the expat with the most longevity in QN and is an upstanding person and an excellent resource about all things QN.

I will .... right now. Thanks.

mlnewman63  how does Vung Tau differ from Quy Nohn? I am looking into moving to VN for 6 months with my wife. Not sure where the best place would be but started getting interested in Quy Nohn last night, until you mentioned Vung Tau, yet another city we heard off. We are looking for a quiet place, but not too quiet, with a beach, a few places for some night life, markets with fresh fruit and a bus system. Both sound awesome so will visit both when we get there. We are early retirees 57 and 62, so still very active. We are looking for a place with a few ex pats and as we are from Australia and New Zealand we would like to know if there are many in Vung Tau? is it a lot more touristy than Quy Nohn?We are going to VN for 6 months, so we would like to set up a base.

I was just in Quy Nhon. Lovely place. Lots of small secluded beaches nearby also. Great little city.

Hi Steve - Sue

I've been living in Quy Nhon for the past three and a half years. It's a pretty nice little seaside town that's been going through a growth spurt. A lot of hotels, resorts and apartments are being built now. But it's still maintains the charm of a small city.

There is a small but vibrant expat community with quite a few Australians living and working here. Part of the local night life at an Australian owned sports bar (Quy Nhon Sports Bar) and there a good mix of local delicacies.

One of the things I love most is the combination of mountains and the sea. There are a couple hiking groups that go up into the mountains and many early morning and late afternoon swimmers.

I've heard QN compared to a younger version of Vung Tau. I've been to Vung Tau and it's nice,  but a lot busier and touristy. Not my cup of tea. It depends on what you prefer. If you like a quiet little coastal city that mostly rolls up the streets by about 10:00 (there are a few places for the late night crowd), but it's changing slowly.

I hope this helps. If you have any specific questions I can answer then give me a shout.

As far as Vung Tau goes, it's only a hop, skip, and a jump from Ba Ria (Baria in Aussie) which was home to the 1st Aussie (ANZAC) Task Force during the war years, and vets still pass through to visit. Many stay at Tommy's Place which is an Aussie Pub and Hotel. Several other Aussie businesses in town. Vung Tau is far more accessible than Qui Nhon (or Quy Nhon, as I believe the gov't spells it now). Fairly easy to get to Saigon, Dalat, and Nha Trang from Vung Tau. It's a bit touristy but the locals walk the beachfront at night and exercise in the beachfront park in the early morning hours, as they also do in Nha Trang. Haven't been to Qui Nhon since new years eve 68/69, but it was an interesting town then. During the Tay Son rebellion, Qui Nhon was home to the Tay Son brother's "Imperial" capital for a few years before they were defeated by the Nguyen. Lots of Cham ruins from Qui Nhon to Danang.

Seems like a lovely place. Like a cheaper version of Nha Trang.

Good_Man wrote:

I've been living and working in Quy Nhon for the past three years...

Will you please clarify the train station name and connections into Quy Nhơn?

I use the official Railway system website, and had no luck finding trains to Quy Nhơn from Đà Nẵng or Nha Trang.

It seems the nearby train station is at Diêu Trì:

Ga Diêu Trì

Google Maps link

I also found a reference that said there is (or was) another train station in Quy Nhơn proper, but that it only services a couple of distant locations; not on the main line.

Best to catch a cab from Diêu Trì?

Does "Grab rideshare" operate there?

Any other options?

Thanks much for any help.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Good_Man wrote:

I've been living and working in Quy Nhon for the past three years...

Will you please clarify the train station name and connections into Quy Nhơn?

I use the official Railway system website, and had no luck finding trains to Quy Nhơn from Đà Nẵng or Nha Trang.

It seems the nearby train station is at Diêu Trì:

Ga Diêu Trì

Google Maps link

I also found a reference that said there is (or was) another train station in Quy Nhơn proper, but that it only services a couple of distant locations; not on the main line.

Best to catch a cab from Diêu Trì?

Does "Grab rideshare" operate there?

Any other options?

Thanks much for any help.

The station that serves QN is Dieu Tri. About 20 minute taxi/grab to QN. There used to be a connection, the service was shut down.

Hey Good_Man,

I have been in Quy Nhon a week, in a small hotel, renting a small Honda, trying to get something from the online Vietnamese language courses.

Things have changed since I was in V.N. 50 years ago - that was I Corps, near Da Nang. Even the language - I am surprised the words I was taught at the language school in Monterey are no longer is use.

Could use help getting settled in, learning how to learn needful phrases,  finding a map of the city,  getting registered at a hospital, locating a coffee shop where they actually serve coffee. .... someone to talk to.

If you have time some time I would like to buy you a coffee and pick your brain about local info.

Loi chao tam biet

I've arrived in Quy Nhơn.

I'm disappointed...

The trip to Quy Nhơn from Tam Kỳ by train was ok.

Very beautiful scenery.

The drive from the train station at Điêu Trì was very nice and scenic.

The coastal hills remind me of California, except Vietnam is green, not brown... 😁

The waterfront drive here is quite beautiful with extensive landscaping.

I really like the hotel (Mương Thanh).

Mostly.

Unfortunately, the pool is closed for remodeling.

I did not know...

Most disappointing was my swim in the bay this afternoon.

More trash on the beach than in Đà Nẵng.

Very cloudy water that smelled bad so I wouldn't put my head/face in it.

I'm a San Diego native, and I know bad water when I smell it.

Maybe somewhere else in the area is better for swimming.

I have a week to look around and change my opinion.

Any suggestions?

Now I ran water for a bath in the BIG tub and it is dirty too...

Since my personal priorities are sand and saltwater, preferably clean, I might be moving on...

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Now I ran water for a bath in the BIG tub and it is dirty too...
.

Dirty water coming out from the faucet?  What did the hotel say about it?

Ciambella wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Now I ran water for a bath in the BIG tub and it is dirty too...
.

Dirty water coming out from the faucet?  What did the hotel say about it?

There was already a warning posted in the room that the tapwater is not safe to drink, and to call for as much complimentary bottled water that you need.

I showed the head housekeeping lady (they work in 3-person teams) and I took a photo to show to reception later.

I think they know it and can't do anything about it.

I should have read this article before coming here (on new page, click "do" subheading):

https://wikitravel.org/en/Quy_Nhon

Breakfast buffet was incredible!

I'm taking a walk down the beach later, as that article implies that conditions improve going south.

We stayed at Mường Thanh in Ban Mê Thuột (can't get my tongue around the new name Buôn Ma Thuột).  Large and bright rooms, even larger breakfast with more variety of dishes than anyone could possibly eaten in one day, with linen tablecloth and linen napkins (my weakness).  Hotel employees must take a training course to walk without making a sound (no shuffling), with back straight and only the slightest of arm swinging.  Everyone in that hotel, including housekeeping staff, spoke English and maintained eye contact with guests at all time.

Hey, O.B.

Reading this at 1:30 p.m..  Going out momentarily for lunch.

So, now you are in Q.N. I  am getting a dinner arranged - for me and maybe for 1 or 2 or 4 more people - things get complicated - at the Sisters Restaurant. It is Italian and a really nice place.

So,  if you would like to meet up you can P.M. me.

Yes, I read about the water in the bay being polluted, though it doesn't look so bad to me, just walking on the beach.
But I think I will go farther SOuth to swim.

Gia-na-dai wrote:

Hey, O.B.

Reading this at 1:30 p.m..  Going out momentarily for lunch.

So, now you are in Q.N. I  am getting a dinner arranged - for me and maybe for 1 or 2 or 4 more people - things get complicated - at the Sisters Restaurant. It is Italian and a really nice place.

So,  if you would like to meet up you can P.M. me.

Yes, I read about the water in the bay being polluted, though it doesn't look so bad to me, just walking on the beach.
But I think I will go farther SOuth to swim.

Private Message (PM) reply sent

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Gia-na-dai wrote:

Hey, O.B.

Reading this at 1:30 p.m..  Going out momentarily for lunch.

So, now you are in Q.N. I  am getting a dinner arranged - for me and maybe for 1 or 2 or 4 more people - things get complicated - at the Sisters Restaurant. It is Italian and a really nice place.

So,  if you would like to meet up you can P.M. me.

Yes, I read about the water in the bay being polluted, though it doesn't look so bad to me, just walking on the beach.
But I think I will go farther SOuth to swim.

Private Message (PM) reply sent

So where in Vietnam are there are sandy beaches with clean water?  This is what I want and no point going to Vietnam if the water is polluted.  Any ideas?

Maggiemac wrote:

So where in Vietnam are there are sandy beaches with clean water?  This is what I want and no point going to Vietnam if the water is polluted.  Any ideas?

It's a simple question with a complicated answer.

First, here's a video I took yesterday at the southern end of the beach at Quy Nhơn:

YouTube Video: Quy Nhơn Beach, Việt Nam

If a person isn't a swimmer, then a beautiful scene such as this might be enough.

Some folks just like to be near an ocean breeze.

However, the cleanest beaches here "seem to be" (I haven't seen them all yet) in places that big money is invested in hotel developments, OR, far from the supportive infrastructure of vibrant cities.

So if having Western style facilities and English signage and paved roads isn't that important to you, you'll have no trouble finding your own bit of pristine shoreline with low cost-of-living to call your home.

Today I'm taking a day trip south from here to explore such coastal places in neighboring Phú Yên Province

Or, pay higher rent, and pick one of the coastal resort areas that cater to foreigners.

Between those two extremes are a lot of variables, and it's very difficult to know what will work for you until you come for a visit.