Moving to Vietnam from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to Vietnam — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 47.7% cheaper than South Korea overall. A ₩112,436,250 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly ₫1,300,289,031 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 63°F in Seoul, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Korea to Vietnam.
What does your salary buy?
₩112,436,250 → ₫1,300,289,031
To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 56.5% less
Groceries
pay 57.6% less
Transportation
pay 29.2% less
Housing
pay 49.8% less
Childcare
pay 33.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 62.5% 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Korea 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
- · · ·
-
11.1,902
South Korea
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea 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
South Korea 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 South Korea 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
South Korea 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
South Korea 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 South Korea 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
South Korea performs better than Vietnam across all family life metrics.
Data: National Tax Service, South Korea, 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 | Seoul | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 68°/58°F (20.0°/14.6°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 70°/61°F (21.3°/16.2°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 74°/66°F (23.5°/18.7°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 82°/71°F (27.7°/21.9°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 89°/76°F (31.7°/24.5°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 93°/79°F (33.8°/26.3°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 92°/80°F (33.3°/26.5°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.8°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 85°/72°F (29.6°/22.4°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 79°/67°F (26.3°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 72°/60°F (22.1°/15.4°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea 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.
South Korea passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Free
Vietnam passport holder visiting South Korea
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 South Korea?
Generally yes: Vietnam runs about 34% cheaper than South Korea 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 ₩112,436,250 comparable salary, that's around ₫325,072,258 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 South Korea and Vietnam.
Is Vietnam safe for expats?
South Korea performs better than Vietnam across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Vietnam is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea.
How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to South Korea?
Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 8.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Vietnam, compared to 25.2 in South Korea. Vietnam scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Vietnam compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Hanoi is 82°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Hanoi receives around 64.1 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
