Moving to Vietnam from Belgium

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Belgium to Vietnam — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Belgium to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 63.5% cheaper than Belgium overall. A €67,000 salary in Belgium would need to be roughly ₫711,000,000 in Vietnam to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Vietnamese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ho Chi Minh City averages 91°F vs 57°F in Brussels, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Vietnam cheaper than Belgium?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 84.9% less

Groceries

pay 43.6% less

Transportation

pay 61.6% less

Housing

pay 66.4% less

Childcare

pay 52.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 71.6% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 29092.44 VND (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Vietnam?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → ₫711,000,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Vietnam cost about 42% less than cities in Belgium.

Belgium

Brugge 56%
Hasselt 55%
Mons 53%
Charleroi 52%

Vietnam

Hanoi ★ 32%
Hai Phong 29%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Belgium and Vietnam stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BE
1.1
VN
1.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

BE
4.6
VN
17.7

Belgium performs better than Vietnam across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

BE
$7,489
VN
$690
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

BE
35.7
VN
11.1

Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

BE
15.0
VN
52.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

BE
7.3t
VN
4.3t

Belgium generally does better on environment, though Vietnam leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

BE
44.2
VN
23.7
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

BE
52.8%
VN
18.1%

Belgium generally does better on infrastructure, though Vietnam leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

BE
5.9%
VN
1.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

BE
$60,750
VN
$5,066

Vietnam generally does better on employment & economy, though Belgium leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

BE
82.3 yrs
VN
74.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

BE
3.1
VN
12.0

Belgium performs better than Vietnam across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Service Public Fédéral Finances (2016), General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Vietnam vs Belgium

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Brussels Rain: 32.3 in/yr (820 mm)
57° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Ho Chi Minh City Rain: 65.1 in/yr (1653 mm)
91° / 77°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Brussels Ho Chi Minh City
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 91°/75°F (33°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 63°/47°F (17°/8°C) 94°/79°F (34°/26°C)
Jul–Sep 70°/54°F (21°/13°C) 91°/77°F (33°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 90°/76°F (32°/25°C)
View all months
Month Brussels Ho Chi Minh City
Jan 42°/33°F (5.6°/0.7°C) 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.4°C)
Feb 44°/33°F (6.4°/0.6°C) 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.1°C)
Mar 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.9°C) 92°/77°F (33.6°/24.9°C)
Apr 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) 94°/80°F (34.5°/26.4°C)
May 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.9°C) 95°/80°F (34.9°/26.4°C)
Jun 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.5°C) 92°/78°F (33.5°/25.5°C)
Jul 72°/56°F (22.4°/13.6°C) 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.2°C)
Aug 72°/56°F (22.5°/13.4°C) 91°/77°F (32.9°/25.1°C)
Sep 66°/51°F (18.7°/10.8°C) 91°/77°F (32.6°/25.0°C)
Oct 58°/46°F (14.4°/7.6°C) 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.0°C)
Nov 48°/39°F (9.1°/3.7°C) 90°/77°F (32.4°/24.9°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.9°C)

Data: Institut Royal Météorologique Institut Royal Météorologique, Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration

Can you move from Belgium to Vietnam?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Belgium and Vietnam. To live, work, or study long-term in Vietnam, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Vietnam's immigration authority.

Belgium passport

Belgium passport holder visiting Vietnam

Visa Free
Belgium passport holders can enter Vietnam without a visa.
Vietnam passport

Vietnam passport holder visiting Belgium

Visa Required
Vietnam passport holders need a visa to enter Belgium.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Vietnam than Belgium?

Generally yes: Vietnam runs about 64% cheaper than Belgium on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Vietnam?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around ₫177,750,000 in Vietnam for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Vietnam?

With 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Belgium and Vietnam.

Is Vietnam safe for expats?

Belgium performs better than Vietnam across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Vietnam is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Belgium.

How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to Belgium?

Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Belgium leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Vietnam, compared to 35.7 in Belgium. Vietnam scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Belgium: 86).

What's the weather like in Vietnam compared to Belgium?

The average high temperature in Ho Chi Minh City is 91°F, compared to 57°F in Brussels. Ho Chi Minh City receives around 65.1 in of rainfall per year, while Brussels gets 32.3 in.

What language do they speak in Vietnam?

The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In Belgium, the official languages are Dutch, French and German.

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At a Glance

BE VN
Population 11,941,781 101,598,527
Currency Euro (€) Vietnamese Dong (₫)
Languages Dutch, French, German Vietnamese
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +32 +84
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 113