Retire in Vietnam
Featured city: Da Nang
US State Dept · Level 1 — Exercise Normal PrecautionsMid-range benchmark for a couple. Use the Matcher for FX- and inflation-adjusted comparisons.
Vietnam offers some of Asia's lowest costs of living alongside excellent street food, friendly people, and rapidly improving infrastructure. Da Nang and Hoi An are favorites for retirees seeking beach life.
Very low cost, great food, beach cities
- Low Cost
- Warm Climate
- Beach/Coastal
- English is not widely spoken outside major cities — plan for a language learning curve.
- Healthcare quality can be uneven outside major urban centers — private international insurance is strongly recommended.
- Long-term residency requires meeting specific income, investment, or paperwork thresholds — engage a licensed immigration attorney.
- Infrastructure (roads, internet, utilities) may vary by region — visit before committing to a long lease.
Retirement visa
Vietnam currently lacks a long-term retirement visa; most retirees use 1-3 month E-visas or business visas through agencies.
Cost of living
In Da Nang, a modern one-bedroom apartment costs about $450, and a couple can live luxuriously on $1,500 per month.
Numbeo cost indexHealthcare
Private international hospitals in major cities offer good quality care at very low prices compared to Western standards.
Healthcare indexSafety
Vietnam is a safe and stable country with low violent crime and a Level 1 travel advisory.
travel.state.govMonthly cost of living in Vietnam
These figures reflect a comfortable expat life in Da Nang, the mid-sized coastal city most popular with Western retirees. Hoi An, 30 minutes south, is similar in price but smaller and more tourist-oriented; Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi run 30-50% higher on rent; smaller towns in the Mekong Delta are cheaper again but have almost no expat infrastructure.
| Expense | USD / mo | VND / mo |
|---|---|---|
| Rent — 1-bedroom, city centreModern apartment near the beach or river | $320 | ₫7,900,000 |
| Rent — 1-bedroom, outside centre | $220 | ₫5,400,000 |
| Electricity, water, internetA/C use in summer months drives the electricity bill up | $75 | ₫1,850,000 |
| Groceries (one person)Local markets are very cheap; imported cheese and wine cost much more | $150 | ₫3,700,000 |
| Eating out (10-15 meals)A local bowl of phở or bún costs ₫30,000-50,000 | $70 | ₫1,730,000 |
| TransportGrab rides and a rented scooter are the norm | $40 | ₫990,000 |
| Mobile phone plan | $8 | ₫200,000 |
| Private health insurance (age 65)Should include evacuation to Bangkok or Singapore for serious conditions | $240 | ₫5,950,000 |
| Visa run / renewal (amortised) | $25 | ₫620,000 |
| Leisure and travel fund | $110 | ₫2,730,000 |
About $1,200/month for one person in Da Nang, or nearer $1,600-1,900 in Ho Chi Minh City's expat districts.
About $1,800/month for a couple in Da Nang, sharing housing and utilities.
Figures last reviewed September 2026. Cross-checked against Numbeo cost of living in Vietnam . Currency conversions move — re-check before budgeting.
How much do you need to retire in Vietnam?
Vietnam's costs are genuinely among the lowest in Asia, but it does not have a dedicated retirement visa — that's the single biggest planning factor before you commit here.
A simple local life in an outer Da Nang neighbourhood or a Mekong Delta town.
- Small apartment or room away from the beach and centre
- Local street food and market shopping
- Rented scooter, no car
- Minimal insurance and reliance on lower-cost local hospitals
The typical retiree setup: a modern beachside apartment, eating out often, real insurance.
- 1-bedroom apartment near My Khe beach or the Han River
- Mix of local and Western dining
- International insurance including evacuation to Bangkok
- Regional travel and a household help budget
Ho Chi Minh City's District 2 (Thao Dien) or Hanoi's West Lake with a car and comprehensive cover.
- Larger apartment or villa in an expat-favoured district
- Car with driver, or car ownership
- Comprehensive international health insurance
- Frequent flights home and international dining
Why there is no dedicated Vietnamese retirement visa
- No retiree category
- Vietnam has no equivalent of Thailand's O-A or the Philippines' SRRV — there is no visa class built specifically for foreign retirees.
- Common workaround: business visa
- Many long-term foreign residents enter and renew on a DN (business) visa sponsored by a Vietnamese company, often a visa-service agency, even without actually working.
- Temporary residence card (TRC)
- Investors who put roughly US$125,000-165,000 (VND 3-4 billion, thresholds vary by locality) into a Vietnamese business can qualify for a TRC valid up to several years.
- Marriage route
- Foreign spouses of Vietnamese citizens can obtain a TRC through the marriage-based visa category, a common route for long-term retirees with a Vietnamese partner.
- E-visa / visa runs
- Some retirees simply live on repeated 90-day e-visas or tourist visas with periodic renewal trips, which is legal but administratively tiresome and not guaranteed long-term.
- Issuing authority
- All visa categories are administered by Vietnam's Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security.
- Practical takeaway
- Anyone serious about retiring in Vietnam should work with a reputable Vietnamese immigration agent to structure a sustainable, renewable visa pathway before signing a long lease.
Vietnam's visa categories and enforcement have shifted several times in recent years, including new e-visa rules. Confirm the current options with the Vietnam Immigration Department or a licensed agent before relocating.
Compare retirement visas across countries →Taxes for retirees in Vietnam
- Tax system
- Worldwide
- When you become tax resident
- Tax resident after 183 days in a calendar year, or if your main home / centre of life is there.
- Income tax rates
- Progressive 5–35%.
- Capital gains, wealth & inheritance
- Capital gains 0.1% on securities sale proceeds, 2% on property transfers; no wealth tax; no inheritance tax between close relatives.
- How your foreign pension is treated
- Tax residents are taxable on worldwide income including foreign pensions, though enforcement on foreign pension income has historically been light and treaty relief is common.
- US tax treaty
- No US income tax treaty — relief usually comes from the US foreign tax credit instead.
Tax incentives for retirees
- No inheritance tax between close family members.
- Low transactional capital gains regime.
- Non-residents are taxed at a flat 20% on Vietnam-source income only.
General information only, not tax advice. Rates, thresholds and special regimes change frequently and your outcome depends on your citizenship, residency history and treaty position — confirm with a cross-border tax adviser before you move money or change residence.
Retiring in Vietnam: common questions
How much money do you need to retire in Vietnam?
A lean life in an outer Da Nang neighbourhood runs about $900/month, a comfortable beachside apartment with real insurance runs about $1,500/month, and upscale living in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi's best expat districts runs $2,600+/month. There's no separate visa-linked income threshold because Vietnam has no dedicated retirement visa category.
What visa do retirees use to live in Vietnam long-term?
There is no purpose-built retirement visa, which surprises many people researching Vietnam. Common workarounds include a company-sponsored business (DN) visa, a temporary residence card via a qualifying business investment, marriage to a Vietnamese citizen, or simply renewing tourist/e-visas repeatedly. Anyone planning to stay long-term should set this up with a licensed Vietnamese immigration agent before committing to housing.
Can foreigners own property in Vietnam?
Foreigners can buy apartments (not land or landed houses) with a leasehold-style certificate typically valid for 50 years and renewable, and only up to 30% of the units in any single condominium building can be foreign-owned. Landed houses and land itself remain off-limits to direct foreign ownership, so most retirees rent rather than buy, or lease long-term.
Is healthcare good in Vietnam for retirees?
International-standard private hospitals such as FV Hospital and Vinmec in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi provide good care for most conditions at costs well below the US or Western Europe. Da Nang and Hoi An have decent private clinics for routine issues but refer complex cases to the bigger cities or to Bangkok. Insurance with evacuation coverage is worth having given the thinner specialist bench outside the two largest cities.
Do retirees pay Vietnamese tax on a foreign pension?
Tax residents (generally those present 183+ days a year) are in principle taxed on worldwide income, including foreign pensions, at progressive rates up to 35%. In practice, enforcement on foreign-sourced pension income received and spent abroad has historically been light, and treaty relief applies for some nationalities, but there is no US tax treaty, so this is an area to review carefully with a cross-border tax adviser rather than assume away.
Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City — which is better for retirees?
Da Nang and neighbouring Hoi An offer beaches, a slower pace, cleaner air and lower costs, and have become the default choice for Western retirees in the last decade. Ho Chi Minh City offers the best healthcare, international schools and nightlife at real city-living costs and traffic. Hanoi has strong culture and history but colder winters and worse air quality than either.
Is Vietnam safe for retirees?
Violent crime against foreigners is rare, and most retirees report feeling very safe walking around Da Nang or Hoi An at night. The real risk is road traffic — Vietnam's scooter-dominated streets have a high accident rate, and many retirees choose not to drive themselves and rely on Grab instead. Petty bag-snatching from scooters occurs in the biggest cities.
How good is the internet and English in Vietnam?
Fibre broadband is fast and cheap, typically ₫200,000-300,000/month (roughly $8-12) for 100+ Mbps, and mobile data is excellent and inexpensive nationwide. English is reasonably common among younger people in Da Nang, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City's expat areas but far less so with older generations and in government offices, so a translation app and some basic Vietnamese phrases go a long way.
Still deciding? Ask retirees in the forum or read the retirement visa guide.
Ready to compare with your budget?
Run the calculator or open the Destination Matcher to see how Vietnam fits.
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Educational content only — not immigration, tax, legal, or financial advice. Visa, golden-visa, and citizenship-by-investment rules change frequently. Verify with the official government source above and a licensed professional before making any relocation, investment, or citizenship decision.