Moving to California from Vietnam
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Vietnam to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Vietnam to California, you would find that California is 3.9 times more expensive than Vietnam overall. A ₫1,900,000,000 salary in Vietnam would need to be roughly $290,000 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Los Angeles averages 75°F vs 91°F in Ho Chi Minh City, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is California cheaper than Vietnam?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 6.6 times more
Groceries
pay 2.5 times more
Transportation
pay 2.5 times more
Housing
pay 6.4 times more
Childcare
pay 3.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.7 times more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in California?
What does your salary buy?
₫1,900,000,000 → $290,000
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →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 California cost about 175% more than cities in Vietnam.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Vietnam to California, based on official data.
people moved from Vietnam to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
7.1,403,193
Vietnam
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Vietnam to California.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Vietnam performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs significantly 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
share of people below the poverty line
Vietnam generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
California performs significantly better than Vietnam across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in California vs Vietnam
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Ho Chi Minh City | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 69°/49°F (21°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/79°F (34°/26°C) | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 91°/77°F (33°/25°C) | 83°/64°F (29°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) | 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ho Chi Minh City | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.4°C) | 68°/48°F (20.1°/8.8°C) |
| Feb | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.1°C) | 69°/49°F (20.3°/9.6°C) |
| Mar | 92°/77°F (33.6°/24.9°C) | 70°/51°F (21.2°/10.6°C) |
| Apr | 94°/80°F (34.5°/26.4°C) | 73°/53°F (22.6°/11.9°C) |
| May | 95°/80°F (34.9°/26.4°C) | 74°/57°F (23.6°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 92°/78°F (33.5°/25.5°C) | 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.7°C) |
| Jul | 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.2°C) | 83°/64°F (28.4°/17.6°C) |
| Aug | 91°/77°F (32.9°/25.1°C) | 84°/64°F (29.1°/17.8°C) |
| Sep | 91°/77°F (32.6°/25.0°C) | 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.0°C) | 78°/59°F (25.8°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 90°/77°F (32.4°/24.9°C) | 73°/52°F (22.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.9°C) | 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) |
Data:
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration,
National Weather Service
Can you move from Vietnam to California?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Vietnam and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Vietnam passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Vietnam
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 California than Vietnam?
No — California is on average about 294% more expensive than Vietnam. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $72,500 in California on a ₫1,900,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from California?
Usually fine from major cities in California. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in California compared to Vietnam?
Vietnam performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Vietnam?
The average high temperature in Los Angeles is 75°F, compared to 91°F in Ho Chi Minh City. Los Angeles receives around 14.9 in of rainfall per year, while Ho Chi Minh City gets 65.1 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Vietnam, the official language is Vietnamese.
