Ho Chi Minh City - Post Report Question and Answers
What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Year-round summer, delicious foods, beautiful vacation spots, friendly locals... the list goes on and on. There's really not much to complain about. - Sep 2021
Ho Chi Minh City is user-friendly. It’s easy to get around, sort of walkable, pretty safe, and not expensive (by American standards). - Jul 2019
If you love SE Asia - it's a pretty good base. You have to like hot weather to be here. Regional airfares aren't the cheapest - but it's easy to travel and explore the region. - Mar 2016
Traveling all around SE Asia at very reasonable prices, a large expat community, a variety of International schools to choose from, cheap and very good local food, thousands of restaurants with any type of cuisine you could think of. You can find pretty much anything you need here: tailors, markets, cheap pampering, affordable household help. Although it is very hot and humid, you can spend most the day outside. The city offers a variety of running races throughout the year, including the Color Run. You can save money if you don’t send your kids to the pre-schools (which are very expensive). - Aug 2015
Great regional travel opportunities. You can save money and eat cheaply if you want. Childcare costs are very reasonable if you hire a local nanny. - May 2014
The biggest advantage is the cost of living is really low and regional travel to the beach, or Singapore is a 100USD flight away. - Jul 2011
You can save money here if you buy local food, and don't eat out much. A lot of the cheapest fruit and veg is imported from China and the use of pesticides can be heavy, balance buying cheap and avoiding possibly toxic produce with more expensive and organic products from farms in Dalat in the North. There are many nice cafes and restaurants here, some great some not,which can suck up your money. There are a lot of spas and massage places around, it's a hit and miss experience. A lot lack finesse and quality of training that doesn't seem to be available here. If you find a place you like here or a therapist, hairdresser, restaurant, clothes shop etc, grab it, and make sure you get phone numbers, as the next time you go they have just gone, up and moved out. When the landlord's see a business becoming successful they raise the rent, the small businesses have no choice but pay up or to move. I have lost many places I liked due to this practice. The cool season in Dec to Feb is lovely for traveling, walking, exploring. We don't travel much in Vietnam as we have all we need in the city, but friends tell me Halong Bay, Dalat, Mui ne are lovely to visit. There are lots of opportunities for cycling, joining gyms. Personal trainers are affordable here. - Sep 2010
