Moving to Vietnam from Russia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Russia to Vietnam — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Russia to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 29.5% cheaper than Russia overall. A RUB6,400,000 salary in Russia would need to be roughly ₫1,370,000,000 in Vietnam to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Vietnamese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Hanoi averages 82°F vs 48°F in Moscow, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Russia to Vietnam.
What does your salary buy?
RUB6,400,000 → ₫1,370,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 66.3% less
Groceries
pay 1.5% less
Transportation
pay 24.6% less
Housing
pay 25.5% less
Childcare
pay 8.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 48.4% 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 21% less than cities in Russia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Russia to Vietnam.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Russia 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 Russia 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
Russia 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
Russia 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
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Russia generally does better on employment & economy, though Vietnam leads in unemployment 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
Russia 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), Federal Tax Service of Russia (2016), General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance (2016). 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 | Moscow | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/15°F (-3°/-10°C) | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 68°/52°F (20°/11°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 36°/26°F (2°/-3°C) | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Moscow | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/10°F (-6.3°/-12.3°C) | 68°/58°F (20.0°/14.6°C) |
| Feb | 24°/12°F (-4.2°/-11.1°C) | 70°/61°F (21.3°/16.2°C) |
| Mar | 35°/22°F (1.5°/-5.6°C) | 74°/66°F (23.5°/18.7°C) |
| Apr | 51°/35°F (10.4°/1.7°C) | 82°/71°F (27.7°/21.9°C) |
| May | 65°/46°F (18.4°/7.6°C) | 89°/76°F (31.7°/24.5°C) |
| Jun | 71°/53°F (21.7°/11.5°C) | 93°/79°F (33.8°/26.3°C) |
| Jul | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.5°C) | 92°/80°F (33.3°/26.5°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.0°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.8°C) |
| Sep | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.1°C) | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 47°/36°F (8.2°/2.1°C) | 85°/72°F (29.6°/22.4°C) |
| Nov | 34°/26°F (1.1°/-3.3°C) | 79°/67°F (26.3°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 26°/17°F (-3.5°/-8.6°C) | 72°/60°F (22.1°/15.4°C) |
Data:
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring,
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Russia 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.
Russia passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Free
Vietnam passport holder visiting Russia
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 Russia?
Yes — Vietnam is on average about 29% cheaper than Russia. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Vietnam?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ₫342,500,000 in Vietnam on a RUB6,400,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Vietnam?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Vietnam safe for expats?
Russia 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 6.8 in Russia.
How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to Russia?
Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Russia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Vietnam, compared to 51.1 in Russia. Vietnam scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Russia: 79).
What's the weather like in Vietnam compared to Russia?
The average high temperature in Hanoi is 82°F, compared to 48°F in Moscow. Hanoi receives around 64.1 in of rainfall per year, while Moscow gets 27.2 in.
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In Russia, the official language is Russian.
