Photo: Jim 陳 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

🛵 Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh City is the most urban, dynamic base in Southeast Asia for work: cheap, fast internet, outstanding street food and a real startup scene. In exchange, it is noisy, chaotic on two wheels and has uneven air quality.

7.9Zabel scoreHow we score →

$800–1,400/monthVery cheap 100–500 Mbps fiber; excellent 4GTropical: 24–35 °C year-round

Score breakdown

Cost of living

9.0

One of the cheapest big cities in Asia.

Weight 25%

Internet & work

8.5

Fast, very cheap fiber citywide.

Weight 20%

Nomad community

8.0

Large remote-worker and startup community.

Weight 15%

Safety

7.0

Safe apart from scooter snatching and traffic.

Weight 15%

Weather

6.5

Constant heat and humidity all year.

Weight 15%

Paperwork & visa

7.0

Easy 90-day e-visa, but no nomad visa.

Weight 10%

What it really costs

Prices checked on the ground by Zabelers. Each line shows when it was last verified.

1-bedroom apartment (District 1)

600 $/mes

Furnished, with weekly cleaning.

2026-09 · Chợ Tốt

Monthly coworking

120 $/mes

Hot desk at Dreamplex.

2026-09 · Dreamplex

Phở

55.000 VND

Bowl at a neighbourhood spot.

2026-09 · Numbeo

Scooter rental

1.500.000 VND/mes

Automatic scooter with helmet.

2026-09 · Alquiladores locales

150 Mbps fiber

250.000 VND/mes

Residential contract with router.

2026-09 · Viettel

Where to live

Distrito 1

550–900 $/mes

Good for: Those wanting everything on foot: cafés, coworkings and nightlife.

The catch: Constant noise and the priciest area.

Thảo Điền (Distrito 2)

600–1.000 $/mes

Good for: Quiet, green atmosphere with pools.

The catch: Expat bubble and far from the centre.

Distrito 3

450–750 $/mes

Good for: Authentic local life ten minutes from the centre.

The catch: Fewer coworkings and narrow streets.

Phú Nhuận

350–600 $/mes

Good for: Tight budgets and neighbourhood markets.

The catch: Little English and more scooter dependence.

Where to work

Coworkings

Dreamplex~120 $/mes
The most connected to the startup scene.
The Hive Thao Dien~130 $/mes
Quiet, with a terrace and international community.

Cafés with wifi

The WorkshopCafé ~70.000 VND
A specialty coffee classic in District 1.
Every Half Coffee RoastersCafé ~65.000 VND
In-house roastery and good wifi for working.

Time zone: ICT (UTC+7). Overlaps with Asia all day and with Europe in the afternoon.

What living here is really like

Editorial synthesis of public experiences

What people working from Ho Chi Minh City repeat most is the cost-to-services ratio: apartment with a gym, fast fiber and eating out daily for under $1,100 a month. The recurring downside is District 1 noise and traffic.

Síntesis editorial · Based on public experiences

Best part:: Very low cost with big-city comforts.
Worst part:: Constant noise and traffic downtown.

Sources: Nomads.com — Ho Chi Minh City · Numbeo — Ho Chi Minh City

Editorial synthesis of public experiences

Accounts recommend Thảo Điền for anyone needing quiet and District 1 for those prioritising walkability. They also warn about air quality in the dry months and the lack of a nomad visa: e-visa renewals must be planned every 90 days.

Síntesis editorial · Based on public experiences

Best part:: Two very different bases depending on what you want.
Worst part:: No nomad visa: renewals every 90 days.

Sources: Portal de inmigración de Vietnam · Nomads.com — Ho Chi Minh City

Day to day

Internet: 100–500 Mbps fiber for 200,000–350,000 VND/month, among the cheapest anywhere. Occasional outages from undersea cable damage.
Safety: High personal safety; the issue is phone and bag snatching from scooters in District 1. Traffic is the biggest real risk.
Healthcare: Good international hospitals (FV, Vinmec): consultation 800,000–1,500,000 VND. International insurance recommended for serious care.
SIM / eSIM: Viettel or Mobifone prepaid: 60–120 GB for 150,000–250,000 VND/month. eSIM available at the airport.
Best season: December–March: dry season and less heat. May–October is the rainy season, with short afternoon downpours.
Community: Large expat and nomad community, split between District 1 (young remote workers) and Thảo Điền (families). Active startup scene with weekly events at Dreamplex.

Living here legally

Visa

A 90-day multiple-entry e-visa, applied for online and open to most nationalities. Vietnam has no specific digital nomad visa; long stays are chained by renewing the e-visa.

Check your visa →

Tax

Passing 183 days in a calendar year creates Vietnamese tax residency, with worldwide taxation at progressive rates from 5 % to 35 %. Below that, foreign income is not declared in Vietnam.

Flights & connections

Tan Son Nhat (SGN), the best-connected airport in the country. Cheap flights to Bangkok, Singapore or Da Nang from $40–90; Europe requires a stopover.

Lisbon vs. similar cities

City	Zabel score	Monthly budget	In short
Ho Chi Minh	7.9	800–1.400 $	Cheap big city with excellent internet.
Da Nang	8.0	700–1.200 $	Beach and calm, with less urban life.
Bangkok	8.5	1.100–1.800 $	Pricier, but better transport and community.

Transparency

Last checked: 2026-09-14

Official sources

Prices are checked against the dated sources shown. Editorial experience summaries cite their public sources; verified Zabeler accounts are identified separately. Official procedures always take precedence.