Vietnam is genuinely inexpensive to live in, and the headline numbers you see quoted — $700 a month, $1,000 a month — are real for the people quoting them. They are also nearly useless without knowing what they include. This guide breaks the monthly cost of living into the lines that actually vary, gives three budget tiers for six cities, and is explicit about the four expenses that make Vietnam stop being cheap.
This is a long-stay guide rather than a holiday budget. For trip costs see our Vietnam travel budget guide and the 2026 cost index. All figures are hedged as of mid-2026 and converted at roughly 26,000 VND to the US dollar.
The short version
- Lean but liveable: $600 to $800 a month outside the big two metros. A modest local apartment, Vietnamese food, a motorbike, no international insurance.
- Comfortable: $900 to $1,400. A decent furnished one-bedroom, a mix of local and Western eating, ride-hailing when it rains, real health cover.
- Premium: $2,000 and up. Serviced apartment, imported groceries, regular international dining, private healthcare without thinking about it.
Rent is typically 40 to 50 percent of the total, which is why the city you choose matters more than any other single decision.
Rent by city
| City | Modest local 1BR | Central furnished 1BR | Upscale or serviced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City | $250 to $400 | $400 to $700 | $800 to $1,500 |
| Hanoi | $250 to $400 | $400 to $550 | $700 to $1,200 |
| Da Nang | $220 to $380 | $400 to $800 | $700 to $1,100 |
| Hoi An | $200 to $350 | $350 to $600 | $600 to $900 |
| Nha Trang | $200 to $350 | $350 to $600 | $600 to $1,000 |
| Da Lat | $180 to $320 | $300 to $500 | $500 to $800 |
A few things the table cannot show. Deposits are commonly one to three months, and six to twelve month leases get materially better rates than monthly ones. Serviced apartments usually bundle cleaning, water and sometimes internet, which narrows the apparent gap. And in Da Nang and Nha Trang the sea-view premium is steep for what is often a five-minute walk saved.
Utilities, internet and the aircon problem
Electricity is the line that swings. A one-bedroom with restrained aircon use runs roughly $25 to $45 a month; the same apartment with aircon running most of the day through the southern summer can reach $80 to $120. Water is negligible, typically under $10. Fibre internet is cheap and fast at roughly $8 to $15 a month, and mobile data is among the better-value in the region.
Vietnam runs 220V at 50Hz with Type A, C and F sockets, so most travellers need no adapter beyond a two-pin plug.
Food
This is where Vietnam earns its reputation. Eating Vietnamese is genuinely cheap and genuinely good:
- Street bowl of pho or bun cha: roughly 40,000 to 70,000 VND, about $1.50 to $2.70
- Com binh dan (rice with two or three dishes): about 35,000 to 60,000 VND
- Local market groceries for one person: roughly $80 to $150 a month
- Mid-range restaurant meal for two: $20 to $40
- Supermarket run with imported items: two to four times the local equivalent
The realistic monthly food line is $150 to $250 for someone eating mostly local, $300 to $500 for someone cooking Western food at home or eating out in international restaurants several times a week. Coffee, at 25,000 to 60,000 VND a cup depending on the venue, is a smaller line than most people assume — see our coffee price guide for the detail.
Transport
Most long-stayers ride. A monthly automatic scooter rental runs $50 to $90, and a decent used Honda or Yamaha sells for $400 to $900 and resells well, so anything beyond about four months usually favours buying. Fuel is a few dollars a week.
Ride-hailing is the alternative and is cheap by international standards: a typical cross-town Grab car trip runs $3 to $7, a motorbike taxi $1 to $3. Budgeting $60 to $120 a month covers heavy ride-hailing use without a bike. The legal point matters more than the money: riding without a Vietnamese licence or a recognised international permit is both an enforcement risk and, more importantly, the thing that voids most insurance claims.
Healthcare and insurance
Routine care is cheap. A local clinic consultation costs a few dollars; an international clinic runs roughly $40 to $90. Pharmacies are widespread and many medicines are available without the prescription they would require at home.
Serious care is where the budget assumption breaks. International hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi charge close to Western prices and typically want a deposit or a written insurer guarantee before treating. Most long-stay foreigners carry international health insurance at roughly $60 to $200 a month depending on age, coverage region and whether medical evacuation is included. Going without is the most expensive mistake available in this whole budget.
The visa line
Vietnam's e-visa allows stays of up to 90 days. Beyond that you need a renewal, a fresh visa, or a border run — and each carries fees, usually agent charges, and often travel costs. Business and work visas require sponsorship and cost more.
Treat this as a recurring monthly line rather than an occasional surprise. Depending on the route you take, amortised visa costs commonly land somewhere between $20 and $80 a month. Vietnamese visa policy has changed repeatedly in recent years, so verify current rules before committing to a long stay; our visa and immigration atlas covers the current position.
Three monthly budgets, by city
Single person, all-in, excluding international flights and excluding schooling.
| City | Lean | Comfortable | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City | $750 to $900 | $1,100 to $1,500 | $2,200+ |
| Hanoi | $700 to $850 | $1,000 to $1,400 | $2,000+ |
| Da Nang | $650 to $800 | $900 to $1,300 | $1,800+ |
| Hoi An | $600 to $750 | $850 to $1,200 | $1,700+ |
| Nha Trang | $600 to $750 | $850 to $1,200 | $1,700+ |
| Da Lat | $550 to $700 | $800 to $1,100 | $1,600+ |
Couples do not pay double. Sharing a one-bedroom typically brings the per-person figure down by 25 to 35 percent, since rent and utilities are the largest shared lines.
What breaks the cheap-Vietnam assumption
Four things, in rough order of impact:
International schooling. Full international schools in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi reach Western fee levels and are, for families, larger than every other line combined. This single item is why family budgets and single-person budgets are not comparable.
Imported groceries. Cheese, wine, cereal, Western baby formula and similar run two to four times home prices. A household that shops mostly imported can add $200 to $400 a month over one that shops local.
Cars. High import duties make car ownership expensive relative to everything else in the country. Almost nobody in the long-stay foreign community buys one.
Western-style nightlife. Local beer is very cheap; imported spirits in international bars are not. This is a lifestyle line that can quietly double a discretionary budget.
How Vietnam compares regionally
Against Thailand, Vietnam is generally cheaper for rent and everyday food, with the widest gap against Bangkok and the established expat hubs. Thailand counters with better healthcare infrastructure and a more developed long-stay visa framework, which is a reasonable thing to pay a premium for.
Against the Philippines, Vietnam is usually cheaper for groceries and domestic travel, while Philippine rent outside Manila can be competitive. Vietnam's internet quality and food scene are the clearer wins.
Limitations
These are mid-2026 estimates for a single person in shared or one-bedroom accommodation, and they exclude international flights, schooling, dependants and any business costs. Rent figures come from asking prices in listings aimed at foreigners, which run above what Vietnamese tenants typically pay for equivalent space and are negotiable on longer leases. Exchange-rate movement alone can shift every dollar figure here by several percent. We have not modelled tax, which depends on residency status, source of income and treaty position, and which anyone staying long-term should take professional advice on rather than reading about in a travel guide. Visa costs are indicative only: Vietnamese immigration policy has changed several times in recent years and the current rules should be verified directly before you rely on them. Provincial cities outside the six listed are cheaper but have thinner infrastructure for foreigners, and we have not surveyed them in enough depth to publish figures.