Moving to Vietnam from Iowa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iowa to Vietnam — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iowa to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 61.5% cheaper than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly ₫746,000,000 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 60°F in Des Moines, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Vietnam cheaper than Iowa?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 81.4% less
Groceries
pay 48.0% less
Transportation
pay 40.9% less
Housing
pay 68.7% less
Childcare
pay 52.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 75.4% less
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?
$75,000 → ₫746,000,000
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 44% less than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Iowa to Vietnam, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iowa and Vietnam stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Vietnam performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iowa performs better than Vietnam across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Vietnam generally does better on employment & economy, though Iowa leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Iowa performs better than Vietnam across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Vietnam vs Iowa
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Des Moines | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 94°/79°F (34°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 91°/77°F (33°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.4°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.1°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 92°/77°F (33.6°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 94°/80°F (34.5°/26.4°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 95°/80°F (34.9°/26.4°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 92°/78°F (33.5°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 91°/77°F (32.9°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 91°/77°F (32.6°/25.0°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.0°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 90°/77°F (32.4°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration
Can you move from Iowa to Vietnam?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Vietnam passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: 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 Iowa?
Generally yes: Vietnam runs about 62% cheaper than Iowa 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around ₫186,500,000 in Vietnam for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Vietnam?
Working remotely from Vietnam's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Iowa and Vietnam.
How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to Iowa?
Vietnam performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Vietnam compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Ho Chi Minh City is 91°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Ho Chi Minh City receives around 65.1 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In Iowa, the official language is English.
