One Month’s Spend for Travelers, Retirees and Nomads
When I decided to travel the world full-time, I set a monthly budget for myself of $1600 Canadian dollars (about $1,200 USD) per month. I know that it will vary depending on where I am in the world, but I plan to stick to it as best I can and hope it all evens out in the end. This Blog Post is only to give you a general idea of what to expect to for a long term stay in Ho Chi Minh City. Your expenses could be much lower or higher than mine depending on your style of living.
All figures below will be in US dollars.
Let’s see how my cost of living compares to my budget:
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Cost of Living in Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam has been my #1 bucket list country since my teenage years and to finally make it here after more than 30 years is an absolute dream come true. More recently I have been bouncing around SE Asia for the last two years just waiting for Vietnam to extend their entry visa for US passport holders from 30 to 90 days. They finally did so, and I jumped at the opportunity to enter the country.
I am starting off this 90 day journey in Ho Chi Minh City. The city formerly known as Saigon is also the former capital of the US backed South Vietnamese government. Despite it’s war torn past, Ho Chi Minh City today is a thriving metropolis, not unlike other major global cities like Los Angeles, Singapore or Berlin. Modern skyscrapers and trendy cafes dot the cities landscape but underneath all of that, if you look hard enough, you can still get a taste of old Vietnam. That was what I was looking for when I booked this 4 week stay in Ho Chi Minh City.
Accommodations
I try and do my absolute best when travelling not to stay in the heart of the super touristy areas. Mission partially accomplished in Ho Chi Minh City. While it was touristy in the sense that I was only a ten minute walk away from all the major tourist attractions in District 1, I was located on the edge of District 1. Sandwiched in between district 3 and Binh Thanh, I still got the feeling of a more local Vietnam. No major western hotels near me and very few westerners were in my general vicinity.
My AirBnb was a large 1 bedroom unit located in a family style compound where they rented out several units. It comes complete with a full kitchen and bath, multiple A/C units, the fastest wi-fi I have experienced in my travels, A/C, work station and the unit is extremely well stocked. The Caretaker, Mr. Lai, speaks zero English and despite this, is the nicest person you will ever meet in your life.
The host was also fabulous. Great recommendations on the neighbourhood food scene which you know I loved. As you walk out of the gate to the family compound, an extremely large Vietnamese craft beer brewer has opened up a restaurant/bar. Not to worry, it’s mostly locals and they close usually by 22:00 so I wasn’t kept up at night due to an endless party. It’s just a nice place to try and sample some Vietnamese craft beers and they actually have pretty good food.
Overall a very comfortable stay and I would highly recommend this place if you want comfortable accommodations for an affordable price.
Check out the unit here. Central Serene 1BR Apartment
Total cost for accommodation for the month: $504
Looking for short term accommodations? Check these great deals:
- Luxury Accommodations: – Sun Megalight Apartment Landmark – Each unit is fitted with a terrace, a fully equipped kitchen with a fridge, a seating area, a flat-screen TV, a washing machine, and a private bathroom with walk-in shower and slippers. At the apartment complex, all units are allergy-free and soundproof.
- Mid-Range Accommodations: – Hotel Des Arts Saigon Mgallery Collection – Featuring a restaurant and an outdoor pool, Hotel Des Arts Saigon Mgallery Collection offers pet-friendly accommodation in the bustling Ho Chi Minh City.
- Budget Accommodations: – LANGHAM Boutiqu Hotel – Attractively located in the District 1 district of Ho Chi Minh City, LANGHAM Boutiqu Hotel is situated 600 metres from Tao Dan Park, 700 metres from Fine Arts Museum and 700 metres from Takashimaya Vietnam
Or check here for the latest deals on Booking.com
Related Reading: Cost of Living in Hanoi, Vietnam
Cost of Living in Ho Chi Minh City – Activities
These days most of my activities revolve around the content I create for Youtube, the Blog and other social networks. But Em did spend 2.5 weeks in Ho Chi Minh with me so we got a few things in there as once again this has been my #1 bucket list country for many years. For me the highlight of the activities was the war remnants museum. As a US citizen, I have known about some of things we did to this country since I was young and honestly it is what sparked my desire so many years ago to visit. But visiting the war remnants museum is an eye opening experience.
The other thing that really stands out for me revolves around food. I had to do a food tour on a motor bike and I hired Saigon Vibes to fulfill that desire. My guide Harry was fantastic and I got to try many things that won’t be on your everyday food tour menus. Mainly because I customized it with them and we eliminated some of the more “typical” Vietnamese food items that caters to westerner’s and added some more exotic or lesser know items to it. A top notch tour I would highly recommend.
And the other major expense here was Em’s birthday and we had a night out together to celebrate
Total Cost for Activities for the month: $100
Motor bike Tour with Saigon Vibes video:
Some of the Tours Saigon Vibes offers:
- Top Notch Street Food Motorbike Tour In Ho Chi Minh City – Enjoy this Ho Chi Minh City food tour that is paired with sightseeing by motorbike for the ultimate half-day combo tour of this important city in southern Vietnam.
- Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City – Head out in the afternoon for lunch or immerse yourself in the bright lights of the city at night with a dinner tour around a series of city food stalls.
Dining and Restaurants
As much as I was excited about visiting Vietnam, I was even more excited to try authentic Vietnamese food. I had an awesome experience with the previously mentioned Saigon Vibes motorbike food tour, but there was a lot more where that came from. The freshness of the food in Vietnam is unbelievable. This is just the beginning of my love affair with the cuisine of this country.
As usual, this category makes up Grab deliveries, dining out and expenses incurred for content I made. For comparison sake meals in Ho Chi Minh City can vary widely. You can get a simple rice meal for as little as $1.00 and if you want western food it will be much more expensive. Grab deliveries can vary anywhere from $3-5 to as high as you want to to go for food. As with every country, the local cuisine will always be much more affordable than International dishes
Total Cost for Dining out for One Month: $225
My First Release in Vietnam:
Cost of Living in Ho Chi Minh City – Groceries
I honestly don’t think I saw a large grocery store during my entire time in Vietnam. They exist because I have googled them, but I never went to one and I never happened to see one. Sounds a little weird, but I literally spent $0 on groceries. I did buy toiletries and the occasional snack from small shops but I include that little bit in my miscellaneous category
Total Cost for Groceries for the Month: $o
Cell Phones
I purchased a Viettel sim card when I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City at the airport with unlimited data that was valid for 30 days. Yes, it cost me twice as much as it would at a Viettel shop outside but having data and being able to book a Grab is worth the extra cost to me. Besides, it’s still dirt cheap when compared to Canada. I also topped up my sim card for an additional 30 days before leaving Ho Chi Minh City.
Total Cost for Phone and Data for one Month: $22
Transportation
My transportation included Grab rides to and from the airport, and a few miscellaneous ones when it was just too hot to be walking for 45 minutes or more. I also used grab bike on a few occasions for shorter distances.
Total cost for Transportation for One Month: $53
Looking for fun things to do in Hon Chi Minh? Check out some of these tours from Viator
Visas
As a US passport holder I had to have a visa to enter the country. You can apply for an Vietnam Evisa online and there is only one location you should use. The link provided here is the only official link to apply for an Evisa through the Vietnamese government. Everything else you will find is either a scam or an agent that will charge you a lot more. Be sure to take your time and plan well in advance. Any errors on your Evisa application will be denied and non-refundable. Meaning you will have to start the process all over again and pay for it again.
My Evisa was very straight forward and easy to do and I had an approved Evisa with 5 business days. I experienced zero issues, but I have read that some visas are approved even when there is a minor error. Maybe your fault, maybe the fault of the Vietnamese government. This WILL result in being denied entry into the country. Even if you are approved be sure to read it thoroughly to check for errors. Some of the stories I have read are first name and middle name in the wrong order and people have been denied entry. If you’re worried about this, hire an agent and pay the extra fee for them to deal with it.
A final note is Evisa’s can be valid for either 30 or 90 days. Mine was obviously 90 days and I used every possible day I could.
Total Cost for Visa for one month: $35
Miscellaneous Expenses
This category covers everything that’s not included above. I include alcohol in miscellaneous, because I do enjoy a beer from time to time while hanging around the Airbnb. You might not drink and if you are planning a budget you can easily omit this cost. For me, alcohol makes up about 60% of this category. This month it also included my new found love for ice coffee thanks to Em, snacks and toiletries.
Total Miscellaneous Costs for one month: $75
One thing I can’t live without while on the road full time – Saves me lots of money too!
Cost of Living in Ho Chi Minh City – Totals
Cost of Living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Looking at the table above, you can see I am well under budget this month. Vietnam is an unbelievably inexpensive location to decide to spend a significant amount of time. My $1,014 works out to almost $1,400 CAD keeping me in the clear. Money is quickly running out so If you have a job that I can do remotely from anywhere in the world, send me a message😁. All things considered though, this confirms what I always knew. It is cheaper than living back in North America
Have you lived in Ho Chi Minh City for any length of time? Were your numbers similar to my cost of living in Ho Chi Minh City for one month? Do you have any other tips for potential travelers? Leave a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from you.
