Moving to Vietnam from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sri Lanka to Vietnam — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 3.2 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,169,825 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly ₫2,141,108,632 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.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sri Lanka to Vietnam.
What does your salary buy?
LKR25,169,825 → ₫2,141,108,632
To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 35.2% less
Groceries
pay 11.4% less
Transportation
pay 17.7% more
Housing
pay 9.2% more
Childcare
pay 16.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 27.4% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Sri Lanka 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
- · · ·
-
21.82
Sri Lanka
Key Indicator Comparison
How Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though Vietnam leads in education spending.
Data: Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Colombo | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 68°/58°F (20.0°/14.6°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 70°/61°F (21.3°/16.2°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 74°/66°F (23.5°/18.7°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 82°/71°F (27.7°/21.9°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 89°/76°F (31.7°/24.5°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 93°/79°F (33.8°/26.3°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 92°/80°F (33.3°/26.5°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.8°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 85°/72°F (29.6°/22.4°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 79°/67°F (26.3°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 72°/60°F (22.1°/15.4°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka 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.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Vietnam passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
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 Sri Lanka?
Day-to-day costs in Vietnam run about 9% higher than Sri Lanka 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 LKR25,169,825 comparable salary, that's around ₫535,277,158 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 Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
Is Vietnam safe for expats?
Sri Lanka 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 3.4 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to Sri Lanka?
Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 8.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Vietnam, compared to 11.9 in Sri Lanka. Vietnam scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Vietnam compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Hanoi is 82°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Hanoi receives around 64.1 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
