Pre-retirement scouting report: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
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Nothing beats local knowledge. I was lucky to have family friends Hai and Oanh to help me adjust on my first stop in Vietnam. If there was an internationally recognised culture shock meter, Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon would have to be an 8 or a 9 for travellers coming from Australia. The swarms of scooters, constant honking and general buzz of a high velocity life can lead to sensory overload.
On arrival at HCM airport I did my usual two essentials: I drew out some local cash from an ATM and bought a new SIM card. Both of these steps worked without a hitch. For AUD $20 I got a data only plan for the month that has let me download all I need, (note: after travelling throughout the country, I’ve always had great coverage and 4G download speeds).
Before anything else, before even dropping off bags - my hosts took me out for a pho, and yeah, it was amazing. More than just soup - it had stacks of green vegetables and fried dough sticks for dipping in the soup called “quẩy”. I eat a lot of pho in Brisbane, but nothing prepared me for the rich complex mix of flavours— almost overwhelming, and maybe a good metaphor for HCM itself.
After doing a bit of research, I discovered that this wasn’t just any old pho, this was Pho Pasteur, possibly the most famous pho place in all of Vietnam— it’s so good that you’ll see lot’s of places named “pho pasteur” in overseas markets— hoping to capture a bit of the taste that homesick Vietnamese long for— but there’s nothing quite like the original.
Straight from the airport, my first Pho in Vietnam, Phở Hòa Pasteur
Still called interchangeably “Saigon” by locals, HCM City has experienced waves of foreign influence, from the Chinese, the French, Americans and today a vast grab bag of visitors. The influences show in the sometimes crumbling french architecture - and yes, in the food. As I’m sipping the rich pho broth I’m reminded a little of consommé, but french soup has never had this kind of punch.
Hai and Oanh live in a comfortable 3-bedroom flat in District 6 of the city. As we’re taking the lift up, Hai remarks that I may well be the first foreigner to step foot into the building. Although they bought this flat— a similar 3-bedroom in District 6 would rent for about $400 AUD a month. In a swankier area, (say, district 2 near the giant Landmark 81 building) rents for a 3-bedroom could go as high as $1,000 AUD per month.
It was still the work week for Hai, and the following day I got to visit his office in the CBD to talk with the local business analysts and designers there. I work in digital/IT and it was nice to discover that they were using the same tools and methods for completing projects that I do back in Australia. They were energetic, bright and had a great command of English. It almost made me want to find an empty desk in the office and go back to work … almost.
As I’m not quite ready to fully retire, it’s nice to know that there could be options to work in my field over here.
The awesome BAs and designers of CodeStringers. (I’m in the middle)
Visas for working or retiring in Vietnam for Australians
Whether you’re coming to Vietnam to work, retire or to just get a feel for the place, I recommend to start with a tourist visa. Australians do need to apply beforehand - it’s electronic but be sure to print it out to show on arrival. It costs $25 USD ($40 AUD) and you get it in about 3 days. Make sure to use the official government site and don’t go through a shonky intermediary.
Beyond the one month tourist visa, options for longer term stays are honestly, not great when compared to Vietnam neighbours like Thailand and Cambodia. There is no explicit retirement visa, but some retirees have used an investment or business visa for longer term stays. Investment visas require a local investment minimum of 3 billion VND (200K AUD) to facilitate. Check out this article for more detailed information.
It’s honestly disappointing that Vietnam doesn’t have more in place to support retirees and digital nomads. I’ve spoken to a couple of people who leave the country on a monthly basis just to renew their tourist visa. Here’s hoping something better will come down the pipe.
From Hai’s office, we departed for an amazing lunch in chinatown. Look, I could try and break down everything we ate and what it cost, but it was all a blur; when you’re eating with locals in HCM, the food is flying left and right and you just have to keep up, and keep your mouth open. It’s a full-on, energetic experience and extremely delicious. I did manage to put the chopsticks down a couple of times to snap some pictures.
Must … keep … up … so much glorious local food flying at my mouth in chinatown.
Hai and Oanh showing me how to smear pork Sủi cảo on to crunchy baguette - possibly my favourite dish.
I only had Hai and Oanh for a short time, but we made the most of it. I feel like I glimpsed a lot of Saigon and got a bit of a feel on what it would be like to live here. I also feel like there are a million undiscovered nooks of the city that I didn’t hit, but that would make me come back.
The cost of living, is of course, much lower than Australia. I’ve run into foreigners who are living comfortably in Vietnam on around AUD $1,000 a month. The trick though, would be to eschew a lot of western comforts. The price of Starbucks and croissants doesn’t change much from Australia, so if you’re OK switching to a bowl of noodles for breakfast and some delicious Vietnamese coffee then you’re likely to stay within a low budget.
A word about getting around in Vietnam
The unit of public transport is the scooter. They’re small, nimble and efficient. Although there are public buses, they don’t seem to be widely used; the couple that I glimpsed into were half empty and only had senior citizens as passengers. Construction of an ambitious metro system was started in 2012, but as of today it’s still not open and has been pushed out to as late as 2024.
The scooter reigns supreme, and as such, HCM is not a great city for walkers; footpaths are often blocked by parked scooters and you have to be on your toes to avoid them in every outdoor walking setting.
In Vietnam, scooters are the primary transport for individuals, families and even small cargo. My host Hai has a flashy Vespa, and I can’t help thinking of Vespa’s namesake— it’s Italian for wasp — and it does feel like HCM hosts a swarm of busy bees pulsing through the city. Even though I miss walking, I do understand how well suited the scooter is to getting from point A to B in Vietnam.
Grab, (Southeast Asia’s Uber) has capitalised on the convenience and has thousands of green-jacketed scooter taxis ready to whisk you to any destination for just a dollar or two.
The scooter is public transport in Vietnam, and when (if?) Ho Chi Minh’s metro is finished, I wonder if people will be willing to step off their scooter and ride a train?
A grab taxi bike ride across HCM City
Living Expenses
My usual mantra applies: if you’re eating local, you’re eating cheaply and well. We went to a local supermarket to look at prices. This was another AEON, a Japanese chain of department stores and supermarkets, and it was packed. (AEON was busy in Malaysia too, might be a good stock to buy). Here’s some common items with prices:
Would I retire in Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes! I love the energy and buzz. Saigon feels like a busy hive bursting with ambition, commerce and energy. With the low cost of living and so much to offer, it would be an exciting place to retire for those looking for adventure over relaxation. One major hitch though is the lack of any government support for a retirement visa. Expect to be exiting the country on a monthly basis, or investing heavily for a business visa.
Let’s break down some pros and cons of HCM as an Aussie retirement destination:
Pros:
An excellent food culture- as Hai says, you could eat at a different restaurant every day for 20 years and not have a bad meal
Cheap cost of living- flats are cheap to rent and from chatting with a few other expats, relatively easy to acquire in the city
Good Internet infrastructure - both mobile and fixed broadband have been cheap, fast and rock solid
Saigon is a gateway to adventure - lots of destinations in Vietnam or Asia are just a $40 hop away
Lastly and probably most importantly, friendly and welcoming people. Everyone I’ve met has been warm, outgoing and genuinely nice
Cons:
The language barrier is high. Although the writing uses roman text, words are tonal, so even if you think you are saying something right, you probably aren’t. Young people speak English functionally , anyone over 40 — probably not.
Not a great city for walking. Scooters rule and don’t give walkers much of a break
Vietnam is a communist country and does not have a great track record for civil rights. It would not be a good place to be in any kind of trouble that involves the government. How much this impacts your personal retirement plans is a matter or personal outlook
No good long term visa options :-(
Time to say goodbye to my wonderful hosts and hop on an overnight train to Da Nang, and a bit of a traditional beachside holiday. See you soon.
I hope you enjoyed my scouting preview for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Drop me a line in the comments if you have any questions or would like to chat about HCM, next stop Da Nang. Hey, while you’re here Have a go at our Retire Abroad quiz, to figure out what locations might be best for you.
