How much does the average person in Vietnam earn per month?

What is the average monthly income in Vietnam?

Man, Vietnam. Hot, sticky Hanoi, July 2023. I was sweating buckets. My friend, Linh, she makes, like, 8 million dong a month. That’s a decent chunk of change, right? Enough to live comfortably, I guess. But she works her butt off. Teaching English, crazy hours. She’s always tired.

My own situation? Forget about it. I was barely scraping by on freelance writing, maybe half that. 5 million dong, maybe less, some months. I ate a LOT of pho. Cheap and filling, you know? I definitely felt the pinch. Rent was brutal. Hanoi is expensive, especially if you’re not living somewhere super cramped.

Linh said the official numbers are way off, those government statistics. Complete BS. She mentioned her sister, in Ho Chi Minh City, earns significantly more—way over 10 million dong. Different industries though. She’s in tech. Big difference.

• Linh’s income: ~8,000,000 VND/month (Teaching English)
• My income: ~5,000,000 VND/month (Freelance Writing) – a real struggle.
• Linh’s sister’s income: >10,000,000 VND/month (Tech)

The official number, 6,857,000 VND, feels…low. Seriously low. Doesn’t reflect reality for a lot of people. Especially in the cities. People I met, most were earning far more than that. Or far less. It’s all over the place.

What is considered a good salary in Vietnam?

14.9 million VND. Enough.

• Median income: 14.9 million VND monthly. Comfort exists.
• Currency conversion: 600 USD, give or take. Exchange rates shift.
• Comfort is relative. Try surviving on 600 USD in District 1. I did. Once. Never again.
• Location matters. HCMC demands more.
• Consider Ha Giang. Less is enough.
• Ha Giang, though. No jobs. Just rice and stunning emptiness. Worth it? Maybe. Maybe not. Choices.
• Salaries often exclude benefits. Assume nothing. Calculate everything. Taxes bite.
• Experience. Skills. Degrees. Play a role, of course.
• Negotiate. Always.
• Or don’t. Your choice. Either way, life persists.
• 600 USD? Pfft. Adequate survival. Not prosperity. At least, not by Western standards. A decent motorbike? A bowl of pho. A place to lay your head. What else matters?
• Ultimately, “good” is subjective. Happiness isn’t a number. Or is it? Think about it.
• My salary once barely covered rent. Oi gioi oi.
• Check current rates. Numbers evolve.
• Don’t trust everything you read. Especially online. Seriously.
• Consider your values. Peace over possessions?
• Imported cheese costs a fortune. Just saying.
• Good luck. You’ll need it. Kidding. Sort of.

How much do hotel staff get paid in Vietnam?

Hotel staff pay in Vietnam? Six point something million dong for dudes. Five and a half for ladies. Like buying a fancy coffee vs. instant noodles. In 2022, mind you. This year, who knows! Could be buying pho vs. a single spring roll.

• Men: Think 6.73 million dong. Roughly. Like, enough for a scooter payment…maybe. If they don’t eat much.
• Women: 5.5 million. Like, enough for… hmm. Several good haircuts? A small mountain of fruit? My cat eats better, I think.

Hotel work. Tough gig. Long hours. Demanding tourists. Like herding grumpy cats, but the cats tip. Sometimes. And the tips? Probably not factored into those averages. Just sayin’. My friend’s cousin works at a fancy hotel in Da Nang. Totally different story. But I’m not telling. Secret stuff.

What is the average living wage in Vietnam?

Okay, so living in Vietnam, eh? I can tell you something about that. Last year, 2023, things were… well, let’s just say making ends meet was a thing.

I was helping my cousin, Hai, with his street food stall in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Man, that place is chaotic, beautiful, and insanely hot. The humidity! Don’t even get me started.

We were hustling every day, from like 5 am till late. He always said he needed to earn enough to provide for his family. He mentioned, a living wage of 7,884,064 VND monthly. That’s after taxes and everything.

• VND 7,884,064 per month gross: that’s what Hai quoted me, roughly.
• It feels like a lot when you look at it, but trust me, things are expensive in the city center.
• Rent alone for a tiny place? Forget about it!

Hai was working his butt off. And he told me it was still tough, ya know? Getting materials, paying for the spot, and then, you know, life. Medical bills if someone gets sick, school for the kids, all that stuff.

He’d complain sometimes about the taxes, too. But hey, who doesn’t?

How much money do I need to live comfortably in Vietnam?

$700 could be your baseline. Think barebones, street food, shared housing. That’s like, my friend Linh in Hanoi, she gets by on that. $1,000 bumps you up. More comfortable, occasional nicer meals. Explore different regions. Maybe a private room. $1,500, you’re living pretty well. Think imported groceries, more frequent travel within Vietnam.

• Rent: $200-$500+ (HCMC, Hanoi more expensive. Smaller cities, cheaper.)
• Food: $200-$400 (Street food cheap, Western food more.)
• Utilities: $50-$100 (Electricity, water, internet.)
• Transportation: $20-$50 (Motorbike is common, taxis available.)
• Entertainment: $100-$300+ (This is where it gets variable.) Nightlife, weekend trips. Personal choices impact this the most.

Is happiness really about money? I dunno. Remember the guy who won the lottery and then it ruined his life? Anyways. $2,000+ per month? You’re indulging. Fancy restaurants, regular international travel. Consider Da Nang. It’s growing fast. Good wifi. Cost of living rising there though, like everywhere. My friend in District 2, HCMC pays $800 for a small studio. Crazy. Location matters! Ha Long Bay is more touristy. More expensive than say, somewhere off the beaten path. Phu Quoc? Beaches. Tourism. Prices going up. Think about that. Digital nomad visa. Makes longer stays easier. Lot of coffee shops with AC. Essential.

How much to live in luxury in Vietnam?

Four grand a month? Vietnam? You’ll be living like a sultan on stilts. Think solid gold chopsticks. Silk pajamas woven from unicorn tears. Pet water buffalo with diamond-encrusted halters.

• Housing: Palatial digs overlooking a lake teeming with mythical creatures. Think Loch Ness monster, but smaller and tastier. Like, $1,500-$2,000 will get you a place fit for royalty… or at least a Kardashian.

• Food: Forget pho. Think caviar and champagne breakfasts. Lunch? Only the finest imported cheeses. Dinner? Whatever Gordon Ramsay is cooking up these days. Budget? Let’s say $1,000. You’ll be eating like a Roman emperor. Except with better plumbing.

• Travel: Private jet to Phu Quoc? Done. Helicopter tour of Ha Long Bay? Easy peasy. Weekend jaunt to Hoi An for custom-tailored suits? Consider it done. Figure another $1,000 for gallivanting.

My friend’s aunt’s neighbor’s dog walker’s cousin went last year. Spent like three grand a month. Said it was like living in a rap video. Minus the questionable lyrics. And the entourage.

Personally, I’m saving up for a trip myself. Gonna hire a personal chef to make me banh mi all day. Maybe two days.

What net worth is considered rich in Vietnam?

Vietnam’s Wealthy: A Shifting Landscape

A net worth exceeding $1 million USD firmly places an individual within Vietnam’s HNI (High-Net-Worth Individual) bracket in 2024. This isn’t chicken feed, you know? It’s a significant achievement, reflecting substantial financial success.

Think of the implications; private islands, perhaps? Not quite, but definitely a comfortable lifestyle. Owning several properties in Ho Chi Minh City? That’s plausible. Maybe even a yacht… though maybe a smaller one than what you picture.

The ultra-high-net-worth crowd? That’s a different ball game. $30 million USD and up is the UHNI (Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individual) threshold. These individuals wield considerably more influence. It’s a whole other level of wealth. Seriously. Think global investments, sprawling estates, possibly even a private jet—this is the kind of stuff you’d see in Forbes’s top lists. Crazy, right?

This isn’t static, of course. Vietnam’s economy is booming, creating more millionaires faster than you can say “pho.” The numbers are likely to climb even higher in the coming years. Expect to see adjustments to these figures within the next few years, if not sooner. The whole thing feels dynamic and exciting to watch!

• HNI (High-Net-Worth Individual): $1 million USD+ Think substantial comfort and significant assets.
• UHNI (Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individual): $30 million USD+ This represents a level of wealth typically associated with significant global influence.

I’ve been tracking this data for my own investment portfolio, naturally. The rising tide of wealth in Vietnam is fascinating and rather impressive. It’s a compelling story of economic growth. It makes me wonder what the next decade will bring. The pace of change is astounding.