Moving to Vietnam from Zimbabwe

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Zimbabwe to Vietnam? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Zimbabwe to Vietnam, you would find that Vietnam is 17.5% cheaper than Zimbabwe overall. A ZWL24,000,000 salary in Zimbabwe would need to be roughly ₫1,590,000,000 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Ho Chi Minh City averages 91°F vs 78°F in Harare, making it significantly warmer.

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Is Vietnam cheaper than Zimbabwe?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 53.5% less

Groceries

pay 15.9% less

Transportation

pay 52.2% less

Housing

pay 7.5% more

Childcare

pay 53.3% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 47.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 ZWL = 80.41 VND (October 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 Vietnam?

What does your salary buy?

ZWL24,000,000 → ₫1,590,000,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Vietnam

Calculate with your salary →

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Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Vietnam compared to Zimbabwe.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
6.8
VN
1.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ZW
29.9
VN
17.7

Vietnam performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ZW
$103
VN
$690
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

ZW
1.4
VN
11.1

Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ZW
56.0
VN
52.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ZW
0.8t
VN
4.3t

Zimbabwe generally does better on environment, though Vietnam leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ZW
1.9
VN
23.7
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ZW
46.1%
VN
18.1%

Vietnam performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ZW
9.3%
VN
1.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

ZW
$3,021
VN
$5,066

Vietnam performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

ZW
63.1 yrs
VN
74.7 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ZW
62.4
VN
12.0

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

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (2016), General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this

Weather in Vietnam vs Zimbabwe

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Harare Rain: 33.1 in/yr (841 mm)
78° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Harare Ho Chi Minh City
Jan–Mar 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) 91°/75°F (33°/24°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) 94°/79°F (34°/26°C)
Jul–Sep 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) 91°/77°F (33°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) 90°/76°F (32°/25°C)
View all months
Month Harare Ho Chi Minh City
Jan 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) 90°/74°F (32.0°/23.4°C)
Feb 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.1°C)
Mar 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) 92°/77°F (33.6°/24.9°C)
Apr 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) 94°/80°F (34.5°/26.4°C)
May 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) 95°/80°F (34.9°/26.4°C)
Jun 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) 92°/78°F (33.5°/25.5°C)
Jul 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) 91°/77°F (33.0°/25.2°C)
Aug 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) 91°/77°F (32.9°/25.1°C)
Sep 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) 91°/77°F (32.6°/25.0°C)
Oct 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) 90°/77°F (32.3°/25.0°C)
Nov 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) 90°/77°F (32.4°/24.9°C)
Dec 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) 89°/75°F (31.6°/23.9°C)

Data: Meteorological Services Department Meteorological Services Department, Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration

Can you move from Zimbabwe to Vietnam?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Zimbabwe 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.

Zimbabwe passport

Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Vietnam

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

Vietnam passport holder visiting Zimbabwe

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

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 Zimbabwe?

On average Vietnam is about 17% less expensive than Zimbabwe, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Vietnam?

Budget about ₫397,500,000 for 3 months in Vietnam (based on a ZWL24,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Vietnam?

Connectivity is usually fine (Vietnam: 23.7 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Vietnam offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Vietnam safe for expats?

Vietnam performs significantly better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Vietnam is 1.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.8 in Zimbabwe.

How is healthcare in Vietnam compared to Zimbabwe?

Vietnam generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Vietnam, compared to 1.4 in Zimbabwe. Vietnam scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Zimbabwe: 55).

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

The average high temperature in Ho Chi Minh City is 91°F, compared to 78°F in Harare. Ho Chi Minh City receives around 65.1 in of rainfall per year, while Harare gets 33.1 in.

What language do they speak in Vietnam?

The official language in Vietnam is Vietnamese. In Zimbabwe, the official languages are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language.

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At a Glance

ZW VN
Population 16,950,795 101,598,527
Currency Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) Vietnamese Dong (₫)
Languages Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language Vietnamese
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +263 +84
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 113