Moving to Vietnam from Virginia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Virginia to Vietnam — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Virginia to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 70.5% cheaper than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly ₫571,000,000 in Vietnam to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Vietnamese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ho Chi Minh City averages 91°F vs 70°F in Richmond, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Vietnam cheaper than Virginia?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 83.8% less
Groceries
pay 59.1% less
Transportation
pay 52.7% less
Housing
pay 78.6% less
Childcare
pay 71.3% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 77.2% 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.
What salary do you need in Vietnam?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → ₫571,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam
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 Vietnam cost about 56% less than cities in Virginia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Virginia to Vietnam, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Virginia to Vietnam.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Vietnam performs significantly better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Virginia performs 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 Virginia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Virginia performs better than Vietnam across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Vietnam vs Virginia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Richmond | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) | 94°/79°F (34°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) | 91°/77°F (33°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) |
View all months
| Month | Richmond | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) | 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.4°C) |
| Feb | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.1°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) | 92°/77°F (33.6°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) | 94°/80°F (34.5°/26.4°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) | 95°/80°F (34.9°/26.4°C) |
| Jun | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) | 92°/78°F (33.5°/25.5°C) |
| Jul | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) | 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) | 91°/77°F (32.9°/25.1°C) |
| Sep | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) | 91°/77°F (32.6°/25.0°C) |
| Oct | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.0°C) |
| Nov | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.4°/24.9°C) |
| Dec | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) | 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration
Can you move from Virginia to Vietnam?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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 States passport holder visiting Vietnam
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Vietnam passport holder visiting United States
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 Virginia?
Yes — Vietnam is on average about 71% cheaper than Virginia. 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 ₫142,750,000 in Vietnam on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Vietnam?
Usually fine from major cities in Vietnam. 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 Vietnam compared to Virginia?
Vietnam performs significantly better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Vietnam compared to Virginia?
The average high temperature in Ho Chi Minh City is 91°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Ho Chi Minh City receives around 65.1 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 in.
What language do they speak in Vietnam?
The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In Virginia, the official language is English.
