Moving to Vietnam from United Arab Emirates
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from United Arab Emirates to Vietnam — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 56.9% cheaper than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED280,000 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly ₫850,000,000 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 93°F in Abu Dhabi, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from United Arab Emirates to Vietnam.
What does your salary buy?
AED280,000 → ₫850,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 64.7% less
Groceries
pay 17.2% less
Transportation
pay 42.0% less
Housing
pay 74.2% less
Childcare
pay 9.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 78.5% 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.
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 34% less than cities in United Arab Emirates.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from United Arab Emirates to Vietnam.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Vietnam 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
Vietnam performs significantly better than United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates 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
United Arab Emirates performs better than Vietnam across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Ministry of Finance (2016), General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2003). 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 | Abu Dhabi | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) | 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abu Dhabi | Hanoi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) | 68°/58°F (20.0°/14.6°C) |
| Feb | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) | 70°/61°F (21.3°/16.2°C) |
| Mar | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) | 74°/66°F (23.5°/18.7°C) |
| Apr | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) | 82°/71°F (27.7°/21.9°C) |
| May | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) | 89°/76°F (31.7°/24.5°C) |
| Jun | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) | 93°/79°F (33.8°/26.3°C) |
| Jul | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) | 92°/80°F (33.3°/26.5°C) |
| Aug | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) | 90°/78°F (32.5°/25.8°C) |
| Sep | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) | 89°/76°F (31.6°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) | 85°/72°F (29.6°/22.4°C) |
| Nov | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) | 79°/67°F (26.3°/19.2°C) |
| Dec | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) | 72°/60°F (22.1°/15.4°C) |
Data:
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates 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.
United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Vietnam passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
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 United Arab Emirates?
Yes — Vietnam is on average about 57% cheaper than United Arab Emirates. 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 ₫212,500,000 in Vietnam on a AED280,000 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?
United Arab Emirates performs better than Vietnam across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Vietnam is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in United Arab Emirates.
How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to United Arab Emirates?
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Vietnam leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Vietnam, compared to 29.9 in United Arab Emirates. Vietnam scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).
What's the weather like in Vietnam compared to United Arab Emirates?
The average high temperature in Hanoi is 82°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Hanoi receives around 64.1 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.
