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Your budget is about four times what a middle-class local would spend. Your spotless serviced apartment in a resort-like property is way out of reach of most Vietnamese. Even factoring in the evil reality of “foreigner prices” (a foreigner in Vietnam will always pay more for everything), you should be able to get a decent, furnished air-con apartment that maybe looks a little lived-in for $200. Also, no one in Vietnam who wants to live on a budget should ever set foot in a Western-style supermarket. Everything can be had cheaper in neighbourhood markets and shops. You can also eat in locally-oriented restaurants for $2 to $6 per person per meal. There is a lot more available than noodles and banh mi at one end or pricey Western restaurants at the other. Anyone thinking of living there for a year or more might also want to consider buying a used motorbike for $500 or $600 rather than renting. Finally, since you aren’t working apparently and are out being active everyday, it seems that gyms and protein powders are something most people could do without. But at least you are spending your money on that and not on masses of beers like so many expats! I also agree with you 100% about Vietnamese coffee: it’s a daily essential. Fresh juices and smoothies are available everywhere too - super cheap. In short, I could live in Vietnam, with a SO, for closer to $800 per month (and have done so). You are definitely living it up.

With only $600 per month, a person can live a *very good life* in Vietnam! Count me in. I am paying $1500 per month for a shoebox apartment in the States. I am packing for Vietnam.

Awesome video guys. I have lived in both places as well (Da Nang instead Hoi An) and didn't realize the costs were so similar. I have always thought it was cheaper to live in Vietnam than Thailand. Thanks for the breakdown!

This just popped up on my feed. Very informative video. We are heading to Thailand next month and Vietnam in February, so Very appreciated.

Welcome to Vietnam. We Viets are very welcoming of nice foreigners like you. Enjoy our beautiful culture, rich history and proud traditions. Chao!!!

Great video guys! I have been living in Chiang Mai for nearly 5 years and I am almost ready to move on. I visited Hoi An last year and fell in love with the place. Now seriously considering moving there. This video helped a lot. Cheers ✌

Can I just say I don't get as excited watching other travel videos anymore as much as I watch your videos. It's so incredibly well put together and your budget breakdowns are very informative. You have both inspired my boyfriend and I to travel to different cities and live like locals and it has been an incredible experience. Next stop Vietnam here we come!! Thank you for sharing!! ❤❤❤

This is probably one of the most informative and thorough breakdowns I've seen about expat living in Asia. Not only did I subscribe but I'm pretty much about to watch more of your videos.

I love the sharpness of your videos and thumbnails. You guys inspire me!

I came across your channel while researching our upcoming trip to Hoi An in January and I'm hooked! I've been binge watching all day. You two do a terrific job of filming and editing. I like that you give the names of places and restaurants you try. I stop the vid and pin them on google maps. Your positive attitudes and charming personalities come across very well. Keep vlogging please!

Very nice. I liked that gym a lot better. No golf balls used! Thanks for sharing all the details. It seems some things are more and some less in either country and your average was very close in both Thailand and Vietnam.

Great overview and summation of your expenses guys. I'm jazzed and encouraged. After living in Mexico, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Cambodia and Thailand, I think Vietnam most likely has the MOST to offer. By that, I mean the highest quality of goods, services and infrastructure than anywhere I've been to date for the cost. Your total for 2 people is wonderful for what you get and how you live. Again... well done!

dang nang and Hoi An are the best places to live in vietnam

I pay around $85/month for an apartment here in Viet Nam, utilities included. He's right, it's darn cheap.. though if you still want to live with your western amenities (A/C, Swimming pool, heated water), it will cost a bit more.

Great video . Good straight foreward info. Are you both from New Zealand. I am too. Live in Thailand. And I do love Vietnam and the people. Would love to go back.

Very useful information and great quality of production! It's also super nice to hear a kiwi accent. I'm making the move to Thailand in a month but I love Vietnam also.

Awesome detailed info man! I’m currently in the process of planning my own budget too for a big move back to Saigon in the next few months, which is probably going to be a bit more expensive compared to Hoi An but there are some of your categories that I don’t spend on so hopefully it will come out to be around $1000-1200. If you guys ever think of going to Saigon again in 2018, I would love to meet up with!

You guys put together quality content that is so helpful and it's obvious that you spend a lot of time on it. Thank you for your hard work, my family and i appreciate it!

Wow guys thanks for the great info. Just found your videos. Wife and I are looking at doing the same sort of thing in Hoi An next year so your videos have been super helpful. Cheers!

Excellent video, one of the best of it's kind I have seen. Glad I discovered your site.

Hoi an is great! Good cost analysis video! Seen a lot of them.. Well paced and layed out.. Yes!! Going out to eat in hoi an is great but expensive I think.....

New here. Fantastic video. Thank you for taking the time to make it. This is the best cost of living video I've seen. You got straight to the point and everything was super clear. Thanks again.

Hello Daneger and Stacey! I am looking to come to Vietnam soon early December. I am curious what you guys do for a living (maybe I should watch more videos haha). Anyways I just finished my iOS Coding Bootcamp and looking to do some freelance/contract work and work remotely to be with my girlfriend in Vietnam. I was wondering if you guys are doing something similar because some of your video title talks about being a Nomad. If you are doing some kind of digital work, I would definitely like to know more! Anyways thanks for these videos, they are very entertaining to watch. Keep up the good work!

This is the first video I've watched from you and I enjoyed it! Great job! Can you do a video on how to search for a furnished apartment in Vietnam and get set up there?

Thank you for doing this! Yours was way easier to follow than the other vloggers cost vidz. Thanks again and keep up the great work!!

Great video, very helpful! The gym and protein powder are actually pretty important to me so I'm glad you included those. Great insights about the food and activities too. Thanks for the info!

Hi guy's. Thanks for the breadown. I think thats reasonable for two people and to have all the fun you have. If its one person the eating cost should come down. I love that aparment on the river its awesome. Thanks

Hi Daneger and Stacy,thanks for your Honest,informative and professional video.I have commented on some of your previous videos,since then I have been to Chiang Mai,loved it and you were spot on.Thanks again.

Terrific vid Dan and Stace. Packed with great and very useful info. My wife and I head to Hoi An for three months in May next year and was keen to know what hotel/villa you stayed at. I think the pool is a big plus.It was also good to see the comparisons with Chang Mai, as we intend to head their following our stay in VN.Thanks and happy travels. Steve

Great stuff guys. So comprehensive. I can’t believe that it’s so cheap to live over in Asia. Thanks for your video 👌🏻💪🏻👍🏻

Great details. We were just back from 3 weeks holiday in vietnam and spent like aud 3000 there

the coffee is amazing. thanks for the upload. keep up the good work!

If the costs were similar, I personally think Chiang Mai was overpriced because living in a well known UNESCO World Heritage Site should be costlier. However in reality, living in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Hoi An Vietnam is even cheaper than living in Chiang Mai Thailand, which is NOT a UNESCO World Heritage Site. SURPRISINGLY!

I love the style of your video, super nice job dude! :) Just subscribed. Living in Phuket now so pretty expensive but we also like to live like locals so can still live on about 1000USD for a family of 3. Not bad :)

Very good and detailed comparison vid. Both places are in my plans to visit and I finally bought my ticket from Hawaii to Chiang Mai, flying end of May. I'll probably be there for 6 months before checking out VN. If I run into you guys sometime I'll have to buy you a couple of beers ;)

Excellent breakdown of the costs of both cities - you included everything. Consistently good content, guys! :)

Great video thanks I visited Da Nang in 2017 and I want to go back to Vietnam and stay longer thanks

Very informative video guys thanks for sharing such information I plan to visit Indonesia and Vietnam both next month and I find your video really very help full for me thanks keep it up

Nice one Daneger, Stacey, loved hearing about it and your travels etc. (Hi from Melbourne.)

Excellent video. Valuable for me. I'm going to visit your link to see how you travel full time. Stacey is so awesome.

I REALLY enjoyed this video and detailed information given. It shed a lot of light and perspective on costs there. I truly appreciate the breakdown too and not being too general and vague. Question: What size & how many bedrooms was your apartment and also, was WiFi/internet included? Don’t forget to mention to have everyone look for your special deals in the description box. Thanks for everything!

absolutely fantastic videos....please keep including the gym memberships and supplement costs info in your videos. We live a similar lifestyle. Ive been living in Cebu City for three years now and might be looking for a change. thanks again.

Just found your channel tonight. Thanks for the information. How long are you planning to stay in Vietnam? Do you plan to stay in any other city in Vietnam?

Thank you very much for that informative video I am retired American and I would like very much to return to Vietnam I would like to go around the Vung Tau area. But I really like that apartment that you were staying in especially if I can get one on the ground floor because it's easier for me at my age and I would have no problem running a motorbike and exploring I would enjoy that very much. I would like to spend approximately 3 to 4 months in Vietnam and then go to Thailand for 3 to 4 months. I would also possibly be interested in going to Bali but I've heard it's gotten quite expensive there. Thank you again for posting that and I will most definitely follow your post

Great to watch a video from a fellow kiwi. Thanks for all the details on both Chiang Mai and Hoi An. Just wondering where you’ve lived in NZ?

Thank you very much. It is very useful. I travelled to both cities and plan to live there later. But do you mind make a comparsion table to summarize it more clearly? Thanks a lot!

Thanks for the great video on the comparison between two lovely cities. It is really useful! For me, I will definitely vote for Chiang Mai!!!

I was hoping you'd make a video like this one, really useful. Thank you! Still torn between the 2 places. What's making me lean a bit more towards Hoi An is the fact that I already have a friend in Mui Ne, with whom I would stay a week or 2 to get myself a bit accustomed. And the fact that I do not drive, nor do I desire to learn. Another thing I noticed is that there is so much toxicity in CM expat facebook groups, compared to Hoi An/Da Nang wherein there is rarely any drama and the locals are much more engaged and everybody is just having fun. You are lurking in both so am I just imagining things?

Great summary....very comprehensive. Thank you.

Thanks so much for this - I am considering moving to both places (not sure which one will be first or second) so this is so helpful. I'll check out your other videos now

My boyfriend and I are beginning our journey from Sweden to Thailand in 3 weeks. I would love to see a video about SIM cards, for example we're wondering how we can keep a phone number to contact people but keep the price low, as well as more info about data, the total cost, how to get the SIM card, what to do when you enter a new country, etc... we're just a little lost! =)

Thanks! Very helpful and concise.

Such a helpful video, thank so much!

$400??! OMG. I want to move there! It costs me 2K to rent a one bedroom apartment in the U.S.

Great video! Professionally done and to the point..Thanks)

Great videos, Try Udon Thani & Khon kaen &...better than the tourist hype of Phuket & Chang mai

Actually a useful video, a lot of people miss out all of the small items that add up in the end when making travelling cost videos. It's nice to see that your living a good lifestyle but so cheaply too. Too right that coffee has its own category hah we will see how much more it ends up being in Philippines!

Thank you guy ,you did a good jod for the comparation of prices. Thank again bewell

One year ago today was your first episode. Congratulations

This video has helped a lot even though it's now 2021. It's all relevant and relative. $1200 for 2 people is pretty good.

Great video and information. I plan to be in SE Asia later this year and into 2020.

Thankyou! I’m hoping to settle in Chang Mai for a while next year

We stayed for a month in Hoi An a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. This is an excellent comparison of the cost of living between Thailand and Vietnam. Thailand has a better infrastructure. It's safer, the police force is better. Vietnam is more corrupt. Most people park their motorbikes in the house because they're stolen if not. I think food is better in LOS, although it's close. We also didn't like the number of rats we saw at night. Phuket, where I live is a little more expensive, but it's simply a better place to live. May in Hoi An was ridiculously hot. We'll be staying in Phuket although pollution is becoming a turnoff with poor sewer treatment and construction runoff turning beach water brown. I shared the video on Facebook/The Phuket Sun.

Great overview and much appreciated. Got to try some of that coffee.

Just subscribed !! Great and to the point video...could you do an update on costs in 2022 ?

A few anomalies in your Chiang Mai figures and standards but no big deal, good work overall 4.5 stars :)

thanks for this vlogg mate i hope you enjoyed the game on Saturday i did haa

Another great video. Very helpful. Where are you staying right now in hoi an? Any website or is it on airbnb? Thanks

Great videos, keep them coming! Thanks

Thanks for the overview Daneger & Stacey - just what I was looking for. One thing did pop into my mind while you were comparing with Chiang Mai... air quality. I've been in Thailand for several years now, and go to CM several times year. It is pretty cool place with great food... but it is also crazy congested and the air is toxic - especially in the smoky season. How would Hoi An compare?

Great video guys! Really appreciate it 😁🙌... signed up to receive a notification when your e-books done... I'll be there first to buy it 😉... my twin and I are music producers and we have an e-com website so we think the digital nomad lifestyle could really work for us...we a really considering moving to Thailand with our girlfriends in the new year so the info you share is great! Helps a lot... ps. We love everything about Chiang Mia but no beach is a no go with our girlfriends lmao... what other places in Thailand would you recommend that are similar to chiang mia but closer to the ocean and suite more of a 2-3 bedroom villa lifestyle? Thanks again for the help!

Cool video very informative. Can't wait to move to Vietnam..

Hey guys!! Long time follower of your channel and love the vids! Living in Chiang Mai now and love the location independent lifestyle. Can you go into the process of traveling with protein powder and how you go about getting more while on the road. It is so expensive in Thailand!! thanks, you two are the best!!!

This is such a great detailed breakdown. Thanks for doing this. It seems like more and more are heading to Asia because of the low cost of living for a luxury lifestyle.

aloha. I ended up back at this video from the link in the PDF of your book (love it, BTW!!!) I was wondering if you totalled up all the airfare of your travels? that part was indeed a big expense for me in 2017. While the "travel lifestyle" that you enjoy would probably be quite similar to the one I'm transitioning into, there will also be at least 2 "flights home" for me back to the US. not a million dollars but certainly several million Dong ;-) I'm guessing flights back to NZ could be on-par with a flight from BKK back to California.. Anyway, thanks for your input on this item... fwiw, my 2017 expenses for airfare were about $12,000 for the year... multiple trips...

Hi. Yeah, I'm a bit late to the party here! Just wanted to thank you for your comparison between Hoi An and Chiang Mai, it's very useful. I'm currently living in Chiang Mai and have been considering Vietnam (I've been thinking of Da Nang), so the direct comparison is exactly what I needed and very informative.

Thank you for including protein powder! One of the first videos I found with it, and I saw you used myprotein which means it’s available there!

Love your videos guys!

Great vid guys 😊

Thank you so much! We love your videos! What was the villa called where you stayed? Thank you Linda and Jonas

Very helpful. Thanks very much guys.

Great Video really helped cheers you two

I'm spewing, the apartment raised it to $500usd a month 😪😪 Loved the video guys, very helpful and detailed!

Well done, great info, thanks!

How is the quality of life in these parts of the world ? I know that's a pretty vague question however i hear a lot of Americans living in Countries such as Indonesia/Spain/Hong Kong/Malaysia etc seem to be happy and can live off $1,000 a month rent/food etc. No way that would be possible in the USA What do they do for work? Majority of them life off savings? Jobs are not easy to come across i always use to hear about retired people doing this they are on a fixed income social security etc but more and more young people 20-40 year old's are leaving the USA and living in these areas.

Hey Daneger, if you will visit again the Philippines, try to visit Amanpulo. It is like the world's #1 beach. It's kinda expensive though and more private. Also some hollywood actors visit the place already like Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey etc. Try to check it out.

awesome vid, did you buy the protein powder there & gym membership is 31 PP right? thanks

I go to Chiang Mai every year I like chiang mai was laid-back N and many activities to do there is there any other place that you know of Vietnam excetera is comprable to the lifestyle in Chiang Mai I don't party , don't drink I like the Street Markets in as you know you lived in Thailand I like that vibe

Very well done Mate!!!!

This is very helpful thank you

Great video!!!!! Nice one kiwis x

Great video. New sub-American in Hong Kong

You really can't talk for Vietnam after being in Hoi an, it's a nice place, but really touristy and the prices have gone up for that reason. You can get some better prices if you go to Cửa Đại on the river side or other places far enough away from the city not to be touristy.

We lived in HoiAn for a year and loved it. Soon we are moving to Siem Reap Cambodia to live. Have you been to Myanmar yet.

Cheers bro Really useful infos👍

great job thanks for the info

this is just awesome I love this page !!!!

Super helpful video, thnx so much!

great post ! hi, new subscriber here !!!