Moving to Vietnam from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to Vietnam — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 41.6% cheaper than Japan overall. A ¥12,000,000 salary in Japan would need to be roughly ₫1,150,000,000 in Vietnam to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Vietnamese. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Hanoi averages 82°F vs 69°F in Tokyo, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Japan to Vietnam.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,000,000 → ₫1,150,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 55.8% less
Groceries
pay 43.2% less
Transportation
pay 47.7% less
Housing
pay 37.0% less
Childcare
pay 0.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 63.4% 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.
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 16% less than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Japan to Vietnam, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Vietnam?
Top countries of origin for Vietnam's foreign-born residents.
- 12,192
- 11,796
- 8,325
- 8,288
- 7,334
- 3,335
- · · ·
-
10.1,942
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
How Japan and Vietnam stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan performs better than Vietnam across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Japan generally does better on environment, though Vietnam leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Japan generally does better on infrastructure, though Vietnam leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Vietnam generally does better on employment & economy, though Japan leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Japan performs better than Vietnam across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2013). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 68°/58°F (20.0°/14.6°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 70°/61°F (21.3°/16.2°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 74°/66°F (23.5°/18.7°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 82°/71°F (27.7°/21.9°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 89°/76°F (31.7°/24.5°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 93°/79°F (33.8°/26.3°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 92°/80°F (33.3°/26.5°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.8°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 85°/72°F (29.6°/22.4°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 79°/67°F (26.3°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 72°/60°F (22.1°/15.4°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Free
Vietnam passport holder visiting Japan
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 Japan?
Generally yes: Vietnam runs about 42% cheaper than Japan 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 ¥12,000,000 comparable salary, that's around ₫287,500,000 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 Japan and Vietnam.
Is Vietnam safe for expats?
Japan performs better than Vietnam across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Vietnam is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan.
How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to Japan?
Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Vietnam, compared to 26.5 in Japan. Vietnam scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Vietnam compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Hanoi is 82°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Hanoi receives around 64.1 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
