- Housing $260

Here is an example of a one-bedroom apartment about 1.5 miles from the beach in Da Nang. This fully equipped and furnished apartment is located in between the river and the My Khe Beach.

  • Modern apartment design, high-class facilities and full facilities.
  • There is a living room, a kitchen, and a mezzanine. Fully equipped facilities such as sofa, smart TV, air conditioner, washing machine and dryer, cooking stove, elevator, spacious parking space.
  • Located in a quiet location, close to Vincom, only 5 minutes to the city center

- Food $282

Vietnam is in my Top 5 favorite countries when it comes to food. Vietnam was a French colony for close to 65 years. The cuisine is a delicious fusion of French flavors with nearby Thailand, Cambodia, and China. Like Thai cooking, each Vietnamese dish has five foundational flavors: salty, sweet, sour, spicy, and bitter.

Traditional street food costs $1 - $3 per meal. I eat out 2-3 times per day here. Going to the grocery to buy the ingredients to cook a meal will usually cost me more than heading to my favorite Bun Cha vendor down the street.

- Transportation $95

I'm not going to lie. Transportation is where comparisons are not apples to apples. Everyone here rides a motorbike.  It's a culture shock when comparing against the United States' car culture; Even Grab, the Southeast Asian Uber, uses motorbikes. 

You can buy a used motorbike for $300 / 7 million VND and sell it for the same price when you leave. If you're looking to buy a motorbike or other second-hand items, ChoTot is the country's equivalent to Craigslist. Buying also means you are responsible for maintenance. To make life easier, you can rent a Yamaha Mio for $55 per month, and the dealers handle any maintenance and repairs. 

A liter of gas costs around 29,000 VND. Conversion for us US folks is equal to ~$3.2 a gallon. The average MPG for a scooter is about 100 MPG. If you drive around a bit, estimate gas and maintenance costs at $32 a month.

The safer transportation option is Grab. For those that don't know, Grab purchased Uber's Southeast Asian Operations back in 2018. For 12,000 VND initial fare and 3,400 VND per kilometer, you can go about 4 miles for under $1 with Grab.

- Health Care $60

You can buy local insurance for roughly $79 per month. The critical difference between the two is that local insurance will not cover you outside the country, but will cover some in-patient check-ups.

DOES AN AMERICAN NEED A VISA FOR VIETNAM?

If you are from the US, you need a valid visa. Unless you plan on working or studying, you will be applying for a Tourist Visa. You have three options for a short-term visa:

  • Visa from the Embassy or Consulate of Vietnam- Valid for 30-90 days and are single or multi entry. Can be extended.
  • e-Visa- only valid 30 days and are single entry. Cannot be extended, only renewed. Renewals require local sponsorship.
  • Visa on Arrival (VOA)- Require a pre-obtained Letter of Approval. Valid for 30-90 days and are single or multi entry. Can be extended.