تدريب Shadowing: How to retire in Vietnam? - تعلم التحدث بالإنجليزية عبر الفيديو

What does it really cost to live in Ho Chi Minh City?

How much money do you actually need to retire in Vietnam?

And a big question, can you really live a good life on $2 ,000 per month?

Let's find out!

In today's video, I'm gonna break down everything, rent, food, transportation, and even healthcare and visa expenses.

And by the end of the video, I'm gonna show you the total monthly budget to live comfortably here in Ho Chi Minh City.

Before we start, don't forget to subscribe to my channel

and turn on the bell so that you won't miss any fun videos about Vietnam.

Also, if you like the more detailed breakdown like how much for a dozen of eggs

or how much the local beer costs, don't forget to check out my Ultimate Vietnam Guidebook in the description box below.

If you watched my previous videos, you know

that I used to live in a more local area in

Ho Chi Minh city where my cost of living was significantly lower

but this time i moved to thao dien where most of the expats live

so is it actually worth it to spend extra money to live in one of the most expensive

and one of the most fun neighborhoods in the world i personally think

so because recently vietnam was named one of the best countries to retire in 2026 by the us news

and honestly i can see why every day

when i walk out my apartment i was very excited to

see something new a new restaurant a new coffee shop

and a new reason to spend money i was supposed to

be saving basically taodian has almost everything you need that's why people call it taodian bubble

because you basically never have to leave i love this neighborhood because it's relatively safe quiet and easy to walk around.

Plus, most of the people here speak English, so it's an ideal place for foreigners or expats to live here.

But there are downsides.

Traffic, construction and flooding during the rainy seasons, especially around June to December.

So, how much does it really cost to rent a place in Thao Diên?

Right now, I'm living in a studio with a big kitchen,

a cozy bedroom and one of my favorite features is the Saigon River sunset view that's actually priceless.

What I love the most here is the security.

There's a guard who actually lives here and he always makes sure that the common space is tidy and clean.

The building also has comprehensive fire prevention and firefighting system which is something I pay close attention to when renting in Vietnam.

My apartment came fully furnished and the building also has the gym, laundry room, rooftop pool and cleaning service twice a week.

I didn't know that I needed the cleaning service until I came home after a long day with fresh sheets, an empty trash can and everything is clean.

Honestly, it's a game changer.

In the US, you may pay 10 to 20 dollars per hour for a cleaner.

Here in Vietnam, the cleaning service is included in the rent.

And if it's not included, it's still very affordable for you to hire someone from BixTasky to help you cook and clean.

Vietnam really does spoil you.

My rent is 14 million Vietnam Dong,

which is roughly about 535 US dollars per month with a flat fee of 20 USD for water

and 40 to 60 USD per month for electricity depending on how much I use the AC.

So I'm budgeting around 600 USD for rent and utilities.

If you want something more high -end, apartments in developments like Mastery Thao Diên,

The Edge or Thao Diên Green can cost around 1000 to 1800 USD for a 2 -bedroom apartment.

And a 3 -4 bedroom apartment can range from $3 ,000 to $5 ,000 or more.

Actually, I'm curious, how much does it cost for a 1 -bedroom apartment in your city?

Leave it down in the comment below.

Local tips, if you plan on staying more than 6 months, try negotiating.

Sometimes, landlord will offer 10 -15 % discount if you stay in Vietnam long term.

And make sure within 24 hours of moving in, your landlord properly registers your temporary residence.

Otherwise, if you fail to do so, you might end up paying the fine up to 5 million VN.

Since my internet is included in the rent, free stuff, so I only pay around 10 US dollars for my streaming services.

But some movies and shows are not available in Vietnam and my secret trick is to use a VPN.

So I pay around 3 US dollars per month for my VPN service.

The VPN that I'm using is Surfshark VPN and I've been using them for years now.

That's why I'm very excited to partner with them in this video.

Personally, I use Surfshark not only to access content from different countries,

but also to help block unwanted ads and protect myself from malicious links.

When you're living or retiring abroad, online safety is as important as physical safety.

That's why I use features like antivirus programs,

alternative IDs, and alert to protect myself from third parties snooping around and collecting my data.

They also have a feature called Email Scam Checker, which is super helpful for a creator like me because it can identify phishing attempts and email scams.

If you want to get 4 extra months of using Surfshark, go to surfshark .com and apply my code FU at the checkout.

And if you don't like it, they offer 30 -day money -back guarantee so there's no risk for you.

Besides paying for the VPN monthly, I also pay $3 USD per month for YouTube Premium.

And honestly, I think you should too.

It's a great way to support your favorite creators without having to sit through ads every 5 seconds.

Last but not least, for my phone bill, I pay $6 USD per month with 4GB per day.

And I use Viettel because they have stores everywhere.

It is super convenient and the connection is very strong and fast.

Now let's talk about one of my favorite categories, food.

It's very sweet.

Well if you want to live comfortably here in Vietnam you might want to eat out quite often.

A typical local meal such as pho, bánh mì, bún bò huế, cơm tấm can cost around 2 to 5 US dollars per meal.

I realize that since I'm living here, I often find myself ordering more premium meals like this Bo Ho,

the stewed beef with hand cut noodles which costs around 10 US dollars including drinks, wet wipes and VAT.

And if you're an expat, you might feel homesick sometime and you want to seek for international food options, the prices will be double or triple.

And once you start discovering all the amazing restaurants in Thao Diên.

Your cheap Vietnam style will be disappeared very quickly.

So for eating out, I generously budgeted it as $500 per month.

If you enjoy cooking, you definitely can go grocery shopping.

But for me, shopping at the premium supermarkets like Annam Gourmet isn't necessary much cheaper than eating out.

For example, a one -liter carton of milk is about $4.

A box of cereal is $7.

A box of 10 eggs is $2 and no Vietnam doesn't sell eggs as a dozen.

And this Australian broccoli is $3.

If you want to save money you have other options.

You can shop at An Phu Market

which is right across from An Nam Gourmet or go to MN Mega Market which is basically Vietnam's version of Costco.

Prices can be around 20 to 30 % cheaper than premium supermarkets. For example,

this broccoli is not from Australia and it costs about 1 .5 US dollars

and this Rife Huff with the same brand is 6 US dollars.

Transportation in Taodian is pretty affordable because you can walk to a lot of places and when you don't feel like walking,

there's Grab, Bee and Seng SM.

Those are the three most popular healing services in Ho Chi Minh City.

If you're taking a motorbike, you can often get around for less than $5 USD per day.

A car will cost more, around $10 USD per day.

Depending on the distance and the time you book the healing service, during the rush hours, the price will be more expensive.

100

But they always give discounts so don't forget to check the discount part.

101

If you want to own a motorbike,

102

prices can range from $3 million to $50 million V &D which which is roughly about $115 to $2 ,000 USD.

103

However, Ho Chi Minh City is planning restrictions on gasoline -powered motorbikes in downtown areas.

104

So, if you're planning on buying one, an electric bike may be worth considering.

105

Since coming back from the US, I really don't want the hassle of finding the parking, or filling gas, or fixing my bikes or my cars,

106

so that's why I don't even drive.

107

So for the purpose of this video, I'm just gonna calculate the transportation budget based on the ride hilling.

108

For me, it's around 200 USD per month to go around Thaodian.

109

And if you choose to walk to improve your health, transportation will be zero.

110

Okay, I'm running out of backgrounds in my apartment for this new category.

111

Now, let's talk about something much less fun but very important, which is...

112

Healthcare.

113

You might be wondering what if I get sick or get into an accident in Vietnam.

114

I know if you live in the US, you might have to pay a fortune for your healthcare.

115

But in Vietnam, without the insurance, the private healthcare is still much more affordable.

116

A copay for a general visit in a private hospital or clinic can cost about 30 to 60 US dollars.

117

But personally, I highly recommend having international insurance or at least travel insurance.

118

For example, I know a lot of expats use safety wing for their hospital stay,

119

surgeries, and medication, and they pay around $62 per month depending on your coverage.

120

If you plan on staying in Vietnam long term, you can also look into the Vietnamese -based providers such as Bảo Việt,

121

Liberty Vietnam, or Pacific Cross Vietnam.

122

International options include Signal Global, AllianzCare, GeoBlue, AXA, and William Russell.

123

Depending on your age, coverage, pre -existing condition, and the provider,

124

you can easily pay around $150 per month for the comprehensive international insurance.

125

However, most of the insurance doesn't cover dental care, and dental care is another area where Vietnam is significantly cheaper.

126

A basic dental cleaning can cost around 20 to 50 US dollars.

127

And more advanced treatments like implants can cost a fraction of what you pay in other countries like Australia or the US.

128

As a local, I personally prefer and recommend you to go to private hospitals or clinics.

129

Because public hospitals can be cheaper,

130

but it's always very crowded with long lines and also it may have some more language barriers for foreigners.

131

Some private options that foreigners commonly use such as Vinmec International Hospital, Family Medical Practice and Tam Anh.

132

Personally, I go to Care Plus to have my annual checkup because I find their outpatient service high standard,

133

convenient and very affordable.

134

So yeah, if you plan on retiring in Vietnam, healthcare is one category worth researching carefully.

135

Okay, enough about serious stuff.

136

Let's talk about the reason most of us work in the first place.

137

Having fun!

138

And in Vietnam, there are a lot of ways to spend money.

139

Coffee, shopping, gyms, spas, restaurants, nightlife.

140

Speaking of coffee, a normal cup can cost around 2 to 3 US dollars.

141

But if you want specialty coffee made with premium Arabica beans, you can apparently spend up to 30 US dollars per serving.

142

If you don't drink coffee, you can drink tea, juice, or smoothie.

143

For example, mango smoothie can cost around 45 ,000 VND, which is less than 2 US dollars.

144

And you can find a lot of juice shops on Sun Thuy or Quốc Huong Street.

145

Living in a new country can also get lonely.

146

So that's why I think joining sports clubs

147

or classes is a great way to meet new friends and build your own community.

148

I pay around 350 ,000 VND, which is 13 US dollars per group session at ACTN.

149

Court rental can be around $12 per hour compared to $22 in the US.

150

This month, I spent more on the private lessons

151

and it can cost from 25 to 50 US dollars per one hour per session.

152

So I would budget around $300 per month for entertainment, hobbies and fitness.

153

Which is affordable because health is the most important thing in life.

154

Okay so for things like haircuts, laundry detergent, manicures, barber services and occasional household help,

155

I'm budgeting around 100 US dollars per month.

156

And there's a category that exists in every budget.

157

Usually this is a category that I don't know where my money went.

158

It's like the necessary but also random expenses that you don't even expect to pay.

159

For example, air conditioner maintenance, phone accessories, small household decors.

160

So I would budget around 80 US dollars per month.

161

And you know Vietnam has Shopee and then they ship within 1 to 4 hours.

162

So it is so tempting to shop all the time.

163

Okay so before we calculate the total cost, I want to address a big question is that how can you really retire in Vietnam?

164

Do you want good news or bad news first?

165

Let's start with.. bad news.

166

Currently, at this moment of me filming this video,

167

Vietnam hasn't had the dedicated retirement visa like other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand or Malaysia.

168

But there's some several legal ways that foreigners can stay long term here in Vietnam and there are four main ways.

169

So one is the tourist e -visa.

170

So the Vietnam e -visa can allow you to stay up to 90 days.

171

After three months you have to leave the country and reapply

172

and it's 25 US dollars for single entry and 50 US dollars for multiple entry.

173

And please don't overstay because Vietnamese government is tightening the immigration penalties

174

and you might end up paying 1500 US dollars for the penalty.

175

And the worst case is that you're gonna be in the blacklist.

176

If you are overseas Vietnamese aka Viet Kiều you can apply

177

for the five -year visa exemption however you still need to do the border runs every six months

178

that means you're gonna go to the neighbor countries such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and in

179

that situation you might have to pay extra for travel expenses the third way is the spouse visa Tham Thân

180

if you're married to a Vietnamese citizen you can stay up to three years and get your temporary resident card.

181

Last but not least the investor visa.

182

Depending on the category, the investment requirements can range from around 3 billion VND to 100 billion VND

183

or roughly 115 ,000 US dollars to 3 .8 million US dollars.

184

Depending on the investment level, you may be able to stay in Vietnam from one to five years.

185

Also your spouse and your children under the age of 18 can be your dependent

186

and they can stay here in Vietnam with you.

187

So you can have your family but at the same time you can secure your passive monthly income as well.

188

Also Vietnam is disgusting about the golden visa.

189

It's a potential long -term residency option for investors, skilled professionals and other groups.

190

But this is an area where the rules can change

191

so make sure you check the latest official requirements before you make any retirement plans.

192

So how much does it really cost to live comfortably here in Vietnam?

193

Let me give you the monthly breakdown.

194

So for rent and utility is $600.

195

Food and groceries, $500.

196

Healthcare and insurance, $200.

197

Transportation, $200.

198

Travel, $250.

199

Visa expenses, $17.

200

Personal care and household $100 Entertainment and hobbies $300 Miscellaneous $80

201

So the total monthly cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City is $2 ,247

202

With a 10 -15 % of unexpected expenses

203

and inflation you're looking at roughly $2 ,500 to live comfortably here in Thảo Điên, Ho Chi Minh City.

204

But honestly, there's one thing that I didn't put the price on.

205

The sense of community you can find here is priceless.

206

I've lived in Ho Chi Minh City for 4 years now after moving back from the States, so in the next video,

207

I'm gonna talk honestly about the pros and cons of living in Vietnam, The things that I absolutely love and the things that still drive me crazy.

208

And if you're thinking about living or retiring here in Vietnam, you definitely don't want to miss that one.

209

I hope this video gives you the realistic idea of how

210

much it's cost to live comfortably here in Ho Chi Minh City.

211

So yeah, $1 ,000 cannot guarantee you a good life in Vietnam anymore.

212

Don't forget to subscribe, like, comment, do all the engagement activities so

213

that this video will be boosted on the YouTube recommendation so more people can have more helpful information from my YouTube channel.

214

And also comment down below how much is the monthly cost of living in your country.

215

Thank you so much for watching until the end and I'll see you guys in the next videos.

216

Bye bye!

ما هي تقنية التظليل الصوتي؟

التظليل الصوتي (Shadowing) تقنية تعلم لغة مدعومة علمياً، طُورت أصلاً لتدريب المترجمين الفوريين المحترفين. الطريقة بسيطة لكنها قوية: تستمع لصوت إنجليزي أصلي وتكرره فوراً بصوت عالٍ — كظل يتبع المتحدث بتأخير 1-2 ثانية. تُظهر الأبحاث تحسناً كبيراً في دقة النطق والتنغيم والإيقاع وربط الأصوات والاستماع والطلاقة.

تدريب Shadowing: How to retire in Vietnam? - تعلم التحدث بالإنجليزية عبر الفيديو

عن هذه الدرسة

المفردات والعبارات الرئيسية

نصائح للممارسة

ما هي تقنية التظليل الصوتي؟