Moving to Vietnam from Kenya
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Kenya to Vietnam — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Kenya to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 14.6% more expensive than Kenya overall. A KES9,693,750 salary in Kenya would need to be roughly ₫2,568,708,914 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.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Kenya to Vietnam.
What does your salary buy?
KES9,693,750 → ₫2,568,708,914
To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 30.0% less
Groceries
pay 26.0% more
Transportation
pay 25.2% less
Housing
pay 32.6% more
Childcare
pay 40.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 43.3% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Kenya 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
Vietnam performs significantly better than Kenya 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 Kenya leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Kenya performs better than Vietnam across all environment metrics.
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
Vietnam performs significantly better than Kenya across all infrastructure metrics.
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 Kenya leads in top income tax rate.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Vietnam generally does better on family life, though Kenya leads in education spending.
Data: Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Nairobi | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nairobi | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) | 68°/58°F (20.0°/14.6°C) |
| Feb | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) | 70°/61°F (21.3°/16.2°C) |
| Mar | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) | 74°/66°F (23.5°/18.7°C) |
| Apr | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) | 82°/71°F (27.7°/21.9°C) |
| May | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) | 89°/76°F (31.7°/24.5°C) |
| Jun | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) | 93°/79°F (33.8°/26.3°C) |
| Jul | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) | 92°/80°F (33.3°/26.5°C) |
| Aug | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.8°C) |
| Sep | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) | 85°/72°F (29.6°/22.4°C) |
| Nov | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) | 79°/67°F (26.3°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) | 72°/60°F (22.1°/15.4°C) |
Data:
Kenya Meteorological Department,
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kenya 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.
Kenya passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Vietnam passport holder visiting Kenya
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Kenya?
Day-to-day costs in Vietnam run about 30% higher than Kenya on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 KES9,693,750 comparable salary, that's around ₫642,177,228 in Vietnam for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Vietnam?
With 21.7 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 Kenya and Vietnam.
Is Vietnam safe for expats?
Vietnam performs significantly better than Kenya across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Vietnam is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Kenya.
How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to Kenya?
Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kenya leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 8.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Vietnam, compared to 1.0 in Kenya. Vietnam scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kenya: 53).
What's the weather like in Vietnam compared to Kenya?
The average high temperature in Hanoi is 82°F, compared to 74°F in Nairobi. Hanoi receives around 64.1 in of rainfall per year, while Nairobi gets 40.3 in.
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In Kenya, the official languages are English and Swahili.
