Country research
Vietnam
Prices overall are about 0.28 of United States prices at market exchange rates, and English proficiency is moderate (EF 2025: 500, 64th of 123). Visitors can use an e-visa for up to 90 days, and we found no residence route for remote workers or for people living on a pension. [C1] [F1] [V1] [K3]
The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
97 of 100Strong
Price level 0.280 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
0 of 100Weak
Ho Chi Minh City, the main city: no month has an average daily high of 30 °C or less (the coolest, December, is 31.6 °C), so 0 comfortable months.
Source: Climate normals 1991–2020, Ho Chi Minh City. Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
60 of 100Mixed
Global Peace Index 2026: 41st of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
39 of 100Mixed
WHO UHC service coverage index 71 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Schools
Unknown
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
Unknown
Not covered by Expat Insider 2026
Lifestyle
Unknown
Not covered by Expat Insider 2026
Work and career
15 of 100Weak
Weak: we found no residence route for remote workers, and fixed broadband is 23.7 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line. A reported 'Golden Visa' for remote workers is a proposal, not law.
Source: Global immigration and mobility: Vietnam, business travel; Da Nang expat guide; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026.
Retirement
15 of 100Weak
Weak: we found no residence route for people living on a pension or passive income; reports say Vietnam has no dedicated retirement visa.
Source: Vietnam's retiree visa should attract financially stable individuals (opinion); Da Nang expat guide. Checked 15 October 2026.
Internet
53 of 100Mixed
23.71 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024).
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026.
English
34 of 100Mixed
EF EPI 2025 score 500, one point above the 499 weak line, so the score is 34 (the bottom of the mixed band).
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
Unknown
Research for United States passports is being checked
Visa, Canada passport
Unknown
Research for Canada passports is being checked
Visa, Australia passport
Unknown
Research for Australia passports is being checked
Visa, New Zealand passport
Unknown
Research for New Zealand passports is being checked
Cities
Cities in Vietnam.
Each city page shows which figures are its own and which are the country's.
Topics
The detail on Vietnam.
Guides
Vietnam, by passport.
Each guide is written for citizens of one country.
Questions about Vietnam.
Do I need a visa to visit Vietnam on a US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport?
Yes. Vietnam's visa-exemption lists name none of these four passports, and US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand government travel advice says a visa is needed. The e-visa is open to every nationality and lasts up to 90 days. Rules change by resolution, so check with the embassy before you book.
Is there a retirement or digital nomad visa in Vietnam?
We found none. A law firm's list of Vietnamese visa types has no remote-worker or pension visa, and a September 2026 guide says there is no digital nomad or simple retirement visa. New UD1 and UD2 visas are for digital technology professionals and their families. A 'Golden Visa' was not enacted as of June 2025.
How do prices in Vietnam compare with the United States?
Prices overall in Vietnam are about 0.28 of United States prices at market exchange rates (World Bank price level index, 2025). That is an economy-wide average, not a budget for one household, and it does not show what rent, food or any single item costs.
How hot and rainy is Vietnam?
It depends on the city. World Meteorological Organization 1991-2020 normals: Hanoi's average daily highs run from 20.0 to 33.8 °C, while Ho Chi Minh City's are 31.6 to 34.9 °C in every month. In Da Nang, rain averages over 270 mm a month from September to December.
How much English will I find in Vietnam?
The EF English Proficiency Index 2025 scores Vietnam 500, 64th of 123 countries and regions, in its 'moderate' band. The index comes from people who chose to take EF's online test, so it does not show how much English is used in a given city, workplace or neighbourhood.
How safe is Vietnam, and what is healthcare like?
The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Vietnam 41st of 163, a national score. WHO's service coverage index is 71 of 100 (2023). Canada says good health care is limited, more so outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, road safety is poor, and petty theft is frequent in larger cities.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Vietnam, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 28.01 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Vietnam, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 500, rank 64 of 123 countries and regions, 'moderate' proficiency band (read on the page on 15 October 2026); the 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.
- [V1] Vietnam e-visa: general information, Vietnam Immigration Department (e-visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. States that an e-visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days, single or multiple entry, and may be applied for by foreigners outside Vietnam holding a valid passport. The footer gives the Department's address as 44-46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh, Ha Noi. The portal's notice says it now also runs at evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn.
- [K3] Da Nang expat guide, Bamboo Routes (private relocation guide, not official). Checked 15 October 2026. Last updated 21 September 2026. Says 'Vietnam currently has no dedicated digital-nomad visa and no simple retirement visa'. Written about Da Nang; the visa statement is national.
- [G3] Area, population and population density by province (table E02.01), National Statistics Office of Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026. Average population, 2025: Ho Chi Minh City 9,690.83 thousand and Ha Noi 8,857.53 thousand, the two largest of the 63 provinces and cities (boundaries before the 1 July 2025 mergers). Supports the 'city' setting (500,000 people or more).
- [G5] Rural population (% of total population), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 61.2% of the population is rural (national definitions).
- [G6] Agricultural land (% of land area), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 39.2% of land area.
- [G7] The World Factbook: Vietnam (Geography; People and Society), Central Intelligence Agency (text read from the factbook.json mirror on GitHub; cia.gov refused automated access). Checked 15 October 2026. Coastline 3,444 km (excludes islands); highest point Fan Si Pan 3,144 m; low, flat delta in south and north, central highlands, hilly and mountainous in the far north and northwest. The mirror's text was not checked against cia.gov.
- [G8] Completed results of the 2019 Viet Nam population and housing census (Table 1: population by sex and residence, by district), National Statistics Office of Vietnam. Checked 15 October 2026. Hoi An city (Quang Nam) had 98,599 people on 1 April 2019, a town of under 100,000; supports the 'small_town' setting.
- [W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Ho Chi Minh City, World Meteorological Organization (World Weather Information Service). Checked 15 October 2026. Ho Chi Minh City, the main city for Vietnam's climate grade: mean daily highs 31.6 to 34.9 °C in every month, so 0 comfortable months. Climate period 1991–2020. The page does not name the station.
- [W2] Climate normals 1991–2020, Hanoi, World Meteorological Organization (World Weather Information Service). Checked 15 October 2026. Mean daily highs 20.0 to 33.8 °C; 7 comfortable months (January to April and October to December). Climate period 1991–2020.
- [W3] Climate normals 1991–2020, Da Nang, World Meteorological Organization (World Weather Information Service). Checked 15 October 2026. Mean daily highs 25.2 to 34.9 °C; 3 comfortable months (January to March); rain over 270 mm a month from September to December. Climate period 1991–2020.
- [W4] Climate normals 1991–2020, Nha Trang, World Meteorological Organization (World Weather Information Service). Checked 15 October 2026. Mean daily highs 27.2 to 32.8 °C; 3 comfortable months (January to March); rain over 220 mm a month from October to December. Climate period 1991–2020.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Vietnam ranks 41st of 163 countries.
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Vietnam: 71 out of 100 (2023).
- [K1] Global immigration and mobility: Vietnam, business travel, Baker McKenzie (law firm, private; undated page). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists visa types by purpose: investor visas (DT1 to DT4), employee visas (DN1, LD1, LD2), service-provider visas (DN2) and the new UD1 and UD2 visas (up to five years). 'The majority of visas are valid for no more than 12 months'; electronic visas allow a maximum stay of 90 days and are open to citizens of all countries and territories. No visa type for remote workers or for people living on a pension is listed.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Vietnam, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 23.71 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [R1] Vietnam's retiree visa should attract financially stable individuals (opinion), Tuoi Tre News. Checked 15 October 2026. Published 20 June 2025. Says Vietnam has no dedicated retirement visa, and that a proposed five- and ten-year 'Golden Visa' had not been enacted and was still under discussion. An opinion piece from 2025; no 2026 official text was found.