Secrets to Live in Vietnam on $500 a Month

(November 2023 updated edition)

Live well for $500 a month
Vietnam has warm weather, fast internet, cheap, modern apartments, great food, and low prices on everything. In Vietnam, you're not just living cheaply, but living very well for very little money.
Whether you're a digital nomad, a long-term traveller, a location-independent entrepreneur, a retiree, or all of the above, and whether your budget is $500 a month or $1,000 a month or $5,000 a month, Vietnam is a great place for you to live.

A good meal costs $1, a month of mobile data costs $5, and seeing the doctor costs $3
It's easy to live well in Vietnam. But there's not much information out there about Vietnam. These days most digital nomads go to Thailand. Vietnam is actually a much better and cheaper option.

Take it from Elly
I'm Elly Nguyen, author of the acclaimed My Saigon series of travel guidebooks to Vietnam. In my books, I've shown thousands of travelers the best of Vietnam. Now I want to help digital nomads and others who may be interested in longer stays in Vietnam.

Inside info to make your stay a successPrices of everything from meals to massages to apartments
Secret three words for finding an apartment for the Vietnamese local price
A typical digital nomad's day in Vietnam
Being a solo woman in Vietnam
Why Vietnamese people like me don't ride motorcycles around town
Making (useful) Vietnamese friends and dating Vietnamese girls or guys
The lowdown on dealing with government and police
How not to find yourself wearing concrete boots in the Saigon river
Language tips
Reasons you might not like Vietnam

This is a complete inside guide to living in Vietnam long-term, with local information to help you decide whether you want to move here, and to make your stay a great one.