Living in Vung Tau, Vietnam

Hi every one,

I'm new here, just came back to England after spending 2 weeks in Vung Tau, Vietnam. We have an intention of getting a sea view flat and living there. 2 weeks isn't enough to know everything there like buying a house/flat, health service, cost of living, expats communities... anyone who can help me?
many thanks
Ha

Health services not great, Saigon is only two hours away and has better services.

Cost of living is cheap.

Buying a property....beware.

Expat scene, it's okay, but a lot of bickering amongst themselves. Depends on your age.

Overall it's not a bad place to live, fairly laid back. As with most places in VN, the local drivers are not inclined to obey road rules.

The idea of retiring in Vung Tau is one that's quite popular these days, so there are lots of seniors roaming about.

colinoscapee sums it up pretty well, although I would say that most traffic troubles are caused by lost or confused weekend visitors rather than the locals.

The major negatives of VT are that it's being overdeveloped (too much construction around), and it's really quite limited (dull).

Regarding the property market, my somewhat uninformed opinion is that it's pretty saturated (buyer's market) but overvalued for the not-so-great quality.

Anyway, if the place appealed to you during your visit, I'd definitely recommend giving it a try without commiting to moving there permanently. You may get tired of it quickly and Vietnam and the region have many other options.

If you have specific questions, let us know.

johnross23 wrote:

The idea of retiring in Vung Tau is one that's quite popular these days, so there are lots of seniors roaming about.

colinoscapee sums it up pretty well, although I would say that most traffic troubles are caused by lost or confused weekend visitors rather than the locals.

The major negatives of VT are that it's being overdeveloped (too much construction around), and it's really quite limited (dull).

Regarding the property market, my somewhat uninformed opinion is that it's pretty saturated (buyer's market) but overvalued for the not-so-great quality.

Anyway, if the place appealed to you during your visit, I'd definitely recommend giving it a try without commiting to moving there permanently. You may get tired of it quickly and Vietnam and the region have many other options.

If you have specific questions, let us know.


Riding around on a bike registered in Vung Tau usually tells me that they are a local. The tourists, especially from Saigon are even worse on the roads.

Moderated by Priscilla 6 years ago
Reason : please post in the housing section

Thank for your reply, have you been living there long? working ? retiring? my hubby and I are attracted by that place. Traffic is a bit better than Saigon, quite crazy and too messy.  foreigners can buy houses or flats there. laws in vietnam always change, so a little scared of something unstable. Anyway, thank a lot for your information . Ha