Moving to Minnesota from Vietnam

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Vietnam to Minnesota — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Vietnam to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 2.9 times more expensive than Vietnam overall. A ₫1,900,000,000 salary in Vietnam would need to be roughly $211,000 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Minneapolis averages 55°F vs 91°F in Ho Chi Minh City, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Minnesota cheaper than Vietnam?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 5.7 times more

Groceries

pay 2.1 times more

Transportation

pay 2.1 times more

Housing

pay 3.5 times more

Childcare

pay 2.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.1 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 VND = 0.0 USD (November 2026)

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 Minnesota?

What does your salary buy?

₫1,900,000,000 → $211,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota

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 Minnesota cost about 88% more than cities in Vietnam.

Vietnam

Hanoi ★ 32%
Hai Phong 29%

Minnesota

Mankato 62%
Rochester 60%
Duluth 50%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Minnesota

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Vietnam to Minnesota, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
37,040 ↑ 56% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Vietnam and Minnesota stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

VN
2.4%
MN
33.9%

Vietnam performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2024

share of households with internet

VN
84.2%
MN
91.0%

Minnesota performs significantly better than Vietnam across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

VN
1.5%
MN
4.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

VN
$5,066
MN
$68,478

Vietnam generally does better on employment & economy, though Minnesota leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

VN
74.7 yrs
MN
79.1 yrs

Minnesota performs significantly better than Vietnam across all family life metrics.

Weather in Minnesota vs Vietnam

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Ho Chi Minh City Rain: 65.1 in/yr (1653 mm)
91° / 77°F

Avg. annual high / low

Minneapolis Rain: 30.6 in/yr (778 mm)
55° / 37°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Ho Chi Minh City Minneapolis
Jan–Mar 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) 31°/15°F (0°/-10°C)
Apr–Jun 94°/79°F (34°/26°C) 69°/48°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 91°/77°F (33°/25°C) 78°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)
View all months
Month Ho Chi Minh City Minneapolis
Jan 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.4°C) 24°/8°F (-4.6°/-13.6°C)
Feb 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.1°C) 29°/13°F (-1.7°/-10.7°C)
Mar 92°/77°F (33.6°/24.9°C) 41°/24°F (5.2°/-4.3°C)
Apr 94°/80°F (34.5°/26.4°C) 58°/37°F (14.3°/2.9°C)
May 95°/80°F (34.9°/26.4°C) 69°/49°F (20.8°/9.4°C)
Jun 92°/78°F (33.5°/25.5°C) 79°/59°F (26.0°/14.9°C)
Jul 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.2°C) 83°/64°F (28.6°/17.8°C)
Aug 91°/77°F (32.9°/25.1°C) 80°/62°F (26.9°/16.6°C)
Sep 91°/77°F (32.6°/25.0°C) 72°/52°F (22.1°/11.3°C)
Oct 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.0°C) 58°/40°F (14.4°/4.3°C)
Nov 90°/77°F (32.4°/24.9°C) 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C)
Dec 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.9°C) 27°/12°F (-2.7°/-10.9°C)

Data: Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Can you move from Vietnam to Minnesota?

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

Vietnam passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Vietnam passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Vietnam

Visa Online (e-Visa)
United States passport holders need to apply for an e-Visa before travelling to Vietnam.

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 Minnesota than Vietnam?

Day-to-day costs in Minnesota run about 186% higher than Vietnam on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₫1,900,000,000 comparable salary, that's around $52,750 in Minnesota for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Minnesota?

Working remotely from Minnesota's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Vietnam and Minnesota.

How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Vietnam?

Vietnam performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to Vietnam?

The average high temperature in Minneapolis is 55°F, compared to 91°F in Ho Chi Minh City. Minneapolis receives around 30.6 in of rainfall per year, while Ho Chi Minh City gets 65.1 in.

What language do they speak in Minnesota?

The official language in Minnesota is English. In Vietnam, the official language is Vietnamese.

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At a Glance

VN
Population 101,598,527 5,830,405
Currency Vietnamese Dong (₫) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Vietnamese English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +84 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 113 911