Vietnam for Retirement - Living in Vietnam

There's something about living in a place called Ho Chi Minh City, or a country with a capital called Hanoi that rubs some people the wrong way, but thousands of expats seem to disagree.

Although a communist government, capitalism is a welcomed way of life and there is plenty of business being conducted in Vietnam.

Map of Vietnam

Rents range between $350 US per month for a room to $2000 US and up for a private home or serviced apartment. There are a lot of real estate scams being run so make sure that your landlord has the papers to prove he has the right to rent to you. Read proposed law about buying a house in Vietnam

High tech is finding it's way in-country and the Internet is everywhere. Most European and Australian cell phones will work if they're unlocked, but U.S. expats are out of luck unless they buy a cell locally.

The Dong (VND) is the coin of the realm where one U.S. dollar will buy you about 15,862 Dong. A cup of coffee and a baguette will run you about 1000 Dong or 8 U.S. cents.

You won't be living tax-free in Vietnam where expatriate earnings are taxed at between 10% and a whopping 40% depending upon the size of the check. While Vietnam is generally an okay place to settle down, since you're going to be so close to Thailand anyway,consider hopping across a couple of borders and get the best that many believe Southeast Asia has to offer?

That being said, tastes vary.