minimum wage

Yes, seemingly. They can in their Family boundaries. However, it looks often more like existing/surviving.
As a matter of fact, I can't and the majority of people in Vietnam seem to earn even much less .

something's wrong if a coffee and bowl of soup for breakfast and a baguette for lunch takes up 50% of your daily wage...

Ppl on them kinda wages don't eat out like others. I have visited families living in what would be considered a decent sized bedroom. They cook, eat and sleep in the same area. At night, when they take the scooters (2) in, there is no room to roll around when u sleep.
I think they just make do and live with what they have or can afford.

Yes, prices are very high for many Vietnamese people. However margins on those street stalls are very slim - it's the material. Just before Tet - 10 eggs 65000 vnd. I am a German and can remember having got a whole chicken for this money just a few years and friends confirming,  they are still at the same price available, not only 10 eggs.
Land (asking) prices and or rental costs are similar out of any (western) order. That are things, the market will hopefully regulate soon. With the economic down turn ongoing, exports will reduce, caused by protective import measures from the west and hopefully normalize the prices.
Petrol costs are equal - about 26 times higher than in Europe and still rising.

There are still many more things, which will have to normalize.

cth wrote:

Ppl on them kinda wages don't eat out like others. I have visited families living in what would be considered a decent sized bedroom. They cook, eat and sleep in the same area. At night, when they take the scooters (2) in, there is no room to roll around when u sleep.
I think they just make do and live with what they have or can afford.

Yep, that is unfortunately the truth, how to many people try to survive.

Just a bit more insight :
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/busine … comes.html

Actually, there are professionals in government employ who earn about $100 pm OFFICIALLY. I know from my work in an Institute here.

They can't really live on this, especially if there are family obligations like supporting a younger sibling who is at uni.

The solution is extra payments - consulting work, which is highly desired; having 2 jobs; end of year bonuses (both calendar and Tet New Years) from the employer from funds which accumulate somehow during the year.

There is recognition that unless extra payment is found, then staff will leave for a private company.

However, if one hangs in long enough and plays the game and becomes a Director, then one "gets rich" as people say. I am not going to make assumptions or accusations on just how...