Cost of living in Hanoi vs HCMC

Gday United 1980,  that must have been a good year.

Yeah, there's a thread here under "cost of living " category that has a few examples.

Basically your looking at your accommodation as the biggest expense and that can run from a cheap guesthouse @ $300+  a month to cheaper apartments @ $400/500 and upmarket places for $1000 plus ++

The foods cheap and utilities are cheap. 

If your out of the city centre prices drop quickly.   
For example, in a place like Nha Trang  you can get a new 2 bedroom apartment ,good location right on the beach for $400.   

There's also apartments going for $200 unfurnished & $250 furnished.

It just depends on the location.   If your in D1 , centre of Saigon you won't find a new 2 bedroom place for those prices, probably more than double.   

But Nha Trang is a beautiful place to live.....and at half the cost of living.

Good luck with it and enjoy your stay.

Hey mate, thanks for that info. I'm considering Hanoi or HCMC becz those are the business hubs. ( am I right? )
If an IT service provider is to start up an office where would you recommend?

Cheers,

In term of service provider, Saigon would be the better choice. But I'm no expert in IT stuff so you should do more research to see where the service you gonna provide is required or have higher opportunity.

Thanks Ngan, appreciate your reply. The company provides IT services to banks and other enterprises. ...

United1980 wrote:

Thanks Ngan, appreciate your reply. The company provides IT services to banks and other enterprises. ...

Ngan's advice is generally correct, but if you really think you are at the top of the bank servicing game, I am pretty sure that most of the national bank head offices are in Hanoi.

Yes that's what I'm hearing. Thanks! How is the market there in general?

Never been to Hanoi but I would make a slightly off-topic layman's observation about IT work.  Anyone please refute me if I am wrong.

There seems to still be a niche for expat talent in IT but I don't think it will last much longer.  There is whole new generation of talent in Vietnam.  Some of this talent is misused; Vietnam is still considered a significant origin point for computer viruses and phishing attempts.  Other talent is applied to even more lucrative pursuits; think Flappy Bird.  Some 52% of the population has internet access; not a particularly high number but growing and higher than most all of South America, and Africa and even India which is seen as a source of IT expertise.  This growth in usage adds to the IT labor market now but also generates more well informed users to supply that market in the future.

My SWAG (Scientific Wild A** Guess for those unfamiliar with the term) is that in five or so years, Vietnam will be a net exporter of IT talent.

IT is a very wide field. It can be anything from software development to graphics to Artificial intelligence to cloud solutions to offering managed services to banks and telcos and everything in between.
The world has recognised VN's growing talent as well as the huge potential that is there in a developing country. Which is why almost all the big brands are starting up their offices in VN.

Expats coming there to do actual technical work is one thing but them coming in as managers to run the business by hiring the VN talent is another ( for example IBM have 2 offices in Hanoi and HCMC headed by an expat but 90% of the staff is Vietnamese)... if at all I would fall into the latter.

In my opinion global companies have to work with VN partners who know the customers and the native language if they are to get through the customers over there.

Personally I'm very excited abouto how VN is developing... there is much potential

With your outlook, you should do fine whether your company decides on Hanoi or HCMC, or both.

United1980 wrote:

In my opinion global companies have to work with VN partners who know the customers and the native language if they are to get through the customers over there.

Global companies have to work with VN partners because it is who you know and pay in the one-party communist govt to even open your business. From what I have heard. Or maybe I am feeling cranky today.

You heard right Gobot.   
You may also get what you "pay" for too.
It's a user pay system.

happens in most SEA countries

@gobot, I think you were feeling a bit cranky also ;-)

In general from what I gathered and have spoken myself with a few local CEOs here, their biggest challenges here are.

1. High turnover rate.  No loyalty.  A few dollars more and they are gone to next door.
2. Big pictures.  Most talents here are very focused on small and narrowed tasks.  Their technical skills may have improved a lot but managing projects at architecture level is still weak.
3. Soft skills.  Managing client relationship is still a big problem.  Understanding clients' needs, managing changes and/or issues, and delivering end products are still sub-par.

Surprisingly, large part of client based are internationals.  There is no money made servicing local clients.  From my personal observation people in SG are more ambitious and harder working.