Moving to NT: help for a young couple

JackSelman wrote:

Hello everyone,

I’ve been scouring through the threads over the last few months now, to pick up as much information as I can about moving to Nha Trang. There’s some great information and insightful opinions here. I’ve a few more pointed questions, any guidance from you all would be much appreciated.

My wife and I plan on moving around May 2020. I want to work in the dive industry, and my wife plans on teaching English.

How easy is it find accommodation?
How early should we start looking?
What’s the rough cost of living? (we’re both frugal)
What is the experience like of raising young children there?
What’s the teaching market like?

From what I know, teaching jobs in Nha Trang are lowly paid, plus every man and his dog is after a teaching gig.

JackSelman wrote:

How easy is it find accommodation?

As long as your arrival doesn't coincide with one of the big festivals, there is no such thing as difficulty finding accommodation. Book yourself a hotel for your first few days or week, then do some legwork. Price and quality vary enormously and often have little to do with each other, check out some sites like https://nhatrangrenting.com and have a gander at the ads on here to give you an idea of what's available, and remember that everything is negotiable. Do not under any circumstances lead with whatever your max budget is.

JackSelman wrote:

How early should we start looking?

As above, don't commit to anything until you're here and have seen it in the flesh.

JackSelman wrote:

What’s the rough cost of living? (we’re both frugal)

My budget for the last 3 months was 25-30 million VND/month, and if I hadn't found a Viet girlfiend to throw money at I would have struggled to spend anywhere close to that. Even with a weekly massage or three thrown in. That said, I don't drink, see no need to spend money on hilariously priced lattes, and am self-sufficient in the kitchen. Finding a friendly local to help you avoid paying tourist prices will also help enormously. Go with a Viettel SIM, 4G plans are dirt cheap and often more reliable than any given establishment's wifi.

Can't comment on the rest, but VN in general is a very kids-friendly place (traffic aside) and there are plenty of diving places I noticed while wandering about NT.

Brick23
"My budget for the last 3 months was 25-30 million VND/month,"

I have to ask what you are spending 25-30 million a month on. You dont drink, eat at home and no expensive lattes. My wife and I live on about 15 million a month and I drink, go out 3 times a week.

colinoscapee wrote:

Brick23
"My budget for the last 3 months was 25-30 million VND/month,"

I have to ask what you are spending 25-30 million a month on. You dont drink, eat at home and no expensive lattes. My wife and I live on about 15 million a month and I drink, go out 3 times a week.

Fast women , slow horses ......and the rest wasted.

Ask George....he did it that way.

colinoscapee wrote:

I have to ask what you are spending 25-30 million a month on. You dont drink, eat at home and no expensive lattes. My wife and I live on about 15 million a month and I drink, go out 3 times a week.

I evidently did not make myself clear. I arrived with said budget, but found it impossible to spend that much.

After rent, I rarely get through more than 100-200k per day. So 15 million a month sounds about right. The rest gets saved or, so far, pays for trips to Dalat to escape the heat for a while.

Thank you very much for this response this is a massive help and highly insightful!

Best brush up on your Russian, and Mandarin. Are you aware NT is a Russian mafia town?
As far as spending goes???? How long is the string? Some party and spend huge, some exist and spend little.

I do hear that there are a lot of Russians and Chinese in NT but haven't heard of mafia but I guess mafias need a vacation spot too! There are a lot of Russians where I am in Los Angeles. They usually drive exotic cars and are really arrogant. NT wouldn't be my destination if the Russians there are as crooked and arrogant as they are here in Los Angeles.

qnbui wrote:

I do hear that there are a lot of Russians and Chinese in NT but haven't heard of mafia but I guess mafias need a vacation spot too! There are a lot of Russians where I am in Los Angeles. They usually drive exotic cars and are really arrogant. NT wouldn't be my destination if the Russians there are as crooked and arrogant as they are here in Los Angeles.

Better get plan B ready!

It is not as bad as some people make out. I have friends who have lived there long term and have no issues. Just stay away from the tourist areas, its really that simple.

Just stay away from the tourist areas?...
Are you saying to live away from the city?

Canman63 wrote:

Just stay away from the tourist areas?...
Are you saying to live away from the city?

Uhm, yep! There is life away from the tourist areas.

Just like my friends do, they have been residing there for over 10 years.

Yes stay away from the ghetto, they should be ok.
Sounds like Detroit,

Canman63 wrote:

Yes stay away from the ghetto, they should be ok.
Sounds like Detroit,

It was a lovely place 15 years ago. Unfortunately greed has destroyed it.

Yes stay away from the ghetto, they should be ok.
Sounds like Detroit,
Personally I would Iive in a city where I would feel comfortBle living in and not having to avoid certain areas.
But I guess coming from Canada I take this for granted.
Feel sorry for those that don't have this option.

Crikey, I assume some of you lot hailed originally from actual Paradise itself. But that kind of begs the question, why are you here, eh?

Lounging on your balconies with your feet up in the sun with a glass of your favourite poison in easy reach, the warm blue ocean stretched out below, venting woe on expat.com with one hand and idly scrolling through your list of girlfriends with the other, wondering which of your harem of stunning lovelies deserves your attention tonight...

Yeah, Nha Trang sucks folks, stay well away. You might meet a Ruski in the tourist area! 

Would never dream of living there full time, I do live in paradise and wouldn't trade it for anything. But when the winter sets in, it's onto the big birds back, only to return when the snow is gone.
Then the ladies have something to look forward to.

Canman63 wrote:

Personally I would Iive in a city where I would feel comfortBle living in and not having to avoid certain areas.
But I guess coming from Canada I take this for granted.
Feel sorry for those that don't have this option.

Well, nowadays tourists are getting killed in Northern British Columbia so there's nowhere safe anymore, even in peace loving Canada! 

Yes true, nuts all over the world, even Canada. Haha.
Right in the area we go fishing.

Crikey? Am I in the midst of a fellow Brit?