Moving to Vietnam from Moldova
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Moldova to Vietnam — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Moldova to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 22.7% cheaper than Moldova overall. A MDL1,300,000 salary in Moldova would need to be roughly ₫1,450,000,000 in Vietnam to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Vietnamese.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Moldova to Vietnam.
What does your salary buy?
MDL1,300,000 → ₫1,450,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 67.7% less
Groceries
pay 12.3% more
Transportation
pay 34.0% less
Housing
pay 22.0% less
Childcare
pay 98.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 39.0% 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 14% less than cities in Moldova.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Moldova 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
Moldova generally does better on safety, though Vietnam leads in homicide rate.
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 Moldova 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
Moldova generally does better on environment, though Vietnam leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Moldova generally does better on infrastructure, though Vietnam leads in electricity per capita.
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
Moldova generally does better on employment & economy, though Vietnam leads in poverty 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
Moldova generally does better on family life, though Vietnam leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), State tax Service (2016), General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Moldova 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.
Moldova passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Vietnam passport holder visiting Moldova
Visa Online (e-Visa)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 Moldova?
Generally yes: Vietnam runs about 23% cheaper than Moldova 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 MDL1,300,000 comparable salary, that's around ₫362,500,000 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 Moldova and Vietnam.
Is Vietnam safe for expats?
Moldova generally does better on safety, though Vietnam leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Vietnam is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.5 in Moldova.
How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to Moldova?
Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Moldova leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Vietnam, compared to 40.2 in Moldova. Vietnam scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Moldova: 71).
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In Moldova, the official language is Romanian.
