[leecs]

Some comments on a site i read: The cost of expatriates in Vietnam

I have found it rather difficult to try and persuade companies into sending a young, rather inexperienced, recent graduate to work as an expatriate in Vietnam. However, I just recently told two companies in which I am interviewing with that I would be willing to buy my own ticket, find my own place to live, hire my own personal Xe Om, and take care of basically everything else. I said that all I would expect the company to do is to pay for my salary and any medical expenses I might incur.

I try and stress that I have no wife and kids to worry about. My Vietnamese is pretty moderate and would continue to get better as I lived there (I also have Rosetta Stone), so no language classes would be needed, etc.

What my real question is would be what else an expatriate would need to pay for him or herself if the company only paid for their base salary and medical expenses? Because that's what I'm telling companies I would do right now.

This will depend on your lifestyle. If you want to live well (similar comfort to a 1st world country) then it would be around $2000/month. If can live like a local then it would be about $500 (rent and rates will set you back 150-300/month). I suggest you holiday in Vietnam first to get a feel on how much things cost and how things are done in Vietnam before jumping in the deep end.

Just short to add, that Health Insurance is a MUST in Vietnam. I have lived here 13 years and surely I could not have stayed without that!

On the issue of salary; seen in relation to your young and yet inexperienced profile and that you are used to Western standard, I would say to you (and all others with same profile!) that coming here as you would like, you need a proper place to stay (Vietnam is in many ways a both hard and great place to live, so in the long run having a proper place to stay is, in my view, a MUST!) and at least a motorbike to drive (you will soon learn!). I would therefore recommend you ask for a minimum of net USD 3,000-4,000. A proper house, to westen standard, will cost you min. USD 600-800; to rent a motorbike another USD 200-300; maid/cleaner at home USD 100-120 and on top comes electricity etc., easily another USD 200 if the aircon is a need. You need to add a home leave ticket every 6, 9 or 12 months; surely it advantageous to leave Vietnam once in a while and get your "batteries recharged".

As you can see, Lam James (the other person giving you advice) and I, do not in full agree; the difference in suggested salary derived from what you want, what your mindset "require". I can only say that I have been and is happy living in Vietnam, but getting the basics (insurance, proper house, transport etc.) right has been and is a MUST.

I wish you find your way here; it is trully a dearly loveable country! -- but do not pay a price too high; life in Western surrounding is also not too bad!

Thanks for the two different perspectives. I actually stayed in Vietnam for six months and worked for Target Sourcing Services while there. I lived off 5 million VND a month without having to pay rent and it was honestly hard for me to spend that all. Even thought that was a pretty low amount, I was willing to work for free for the experience of working overseas. Although that was before I graduated as well, so I would be expecting a lot more now.

Vietnam is pretty great Soeren Juelsbak, which is why I'm making a hard effort to come back. My interest with the country only heightens with each visit and I just can't seem to shake it off. Either way, all these comments are great and make my desire to return even stronger.

I agree that what you need to ask for is what you desire and feel what you are worth. If you coming here and being hired by a company, then by all means you need some monthly allotment for housing as well as salary and health insurance. If you are coming on your own and wanting to start your own company, then that's a different story but quite exciting as this is a great time to be an entrepreneur during the current global situation. If you've been here for 6 months already then you know the relative costs already.
I think there is a happy medium between living fully Western style and living fully local style. A motorbike is a must but it does take some time to learn how to navigate the "organized chaos" of the millions of other motorbikes without getting fully frustrated. If you have a strong desire to be here then just do it. If you plan to be here for a long time then you should love the place and respect the fact that as expats we will always be a guest here and we need to remember that fact. It sounds like you already have "the bug" to be here. do it my friend. Thank you.