Vietnam has it all as a holiday destination. From unique culture, friendly locals, great signature food and sunny weather. After months spent there, we also found out it was a great destination, if not the best country for digital nomads for various reasons.
There are many hubs in Vietnam, where working remotely is a breeze, unlike other destinations in Southeast Asia. Here are our 5 reasons why Vietnam is the best country for digital nomads. It’s an amazing experience to be working remotely in Vietnam and embracing a new culture. If you’ve been thinking about it, we highly recommend that you go for it!
Working Remotely in Vietnam
Reliable mobile data, free wifi and café culture
First of all, free WiFi is something very common in Vietnamese cities. Particularly in cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang or Da Lat. You’ll find it in rentals but especially in cafés. This is one of the top reasons why Vietnam is the best country for digital nomads – because you have fast internet everywhere! If you are working remotely in Vietnam, you know that having good internet is a defining factor in any destination you will stay at.
Internet is part of the Vietnamese culture. Chains like The Coffee House, Highlands, Cong, Starbucks but also smaller cafés are perfect to get some work done. They have wifi and even air conditioning included.
Speaking of mobile data, we got a 30-day plan with Mobifone for 9$. This will get you 30 days and 60 GB of high speed data (2 GB every day). Bigger plans exist but we didn’t need them since we had wifi at our Airbnb.
The Affordable Cost of Living in Vietnam
Eating out, working at cafés and taking cabs is really cheap
One thing we love about Vietnam is that the relatively low cost of living allows us to use services and do activities we couldn’t really afford back home, such as eating out every day, going out for drinks or getting around using taxis whenever we need it.
The fact that social activities cost less make the nomadic experience a whole lot better and less stressful, and you really get to discover the local culture (especially the food, as Vietnamese is one of the best in Asia). This for us really defines one of the many reasons why Vietnam is the best country for digital nomads and why we have loved working remotely in Vietnam.
Easy to Find Apartment Rentals in Vietnam
Great long-term rates in any accommodation type you choose
The aforementioned hubs also come with different options for short term rental.
The first option is to snatch good deals on Airbnb with a monthly discount. Some listing are sometimes 50% cheaper than the daily rate.
For good value apartments and longer stay, we would also suggest searching on Facebook groups (Housing for Expats and Locals / Housing in Saigon). We tried that route and got to choose among a few listings after some research. Apartments are easy to find and you can often move in within a day.
Hotels or guest houses also offer monthly rates when you ask directly. If you don’t want to pre-book, we’d definitely get a room for a the first few nights before finding your new temporary home in Vietnam.
For example, we’ve found studio apartments in Ho Chi Minh City for about 250$ to 300$ per month. Crazy right? It’s why we think Vietnam is the best country for digital nomads! It’s also worth mentioning that a kitchen isn’t always mandatory, as Vietnam has a lot of affordable options for eating out at any time of the day. You can be working remotely in Vietnam but also enjoying everything that it has to offer.
Networking Opportunities and the Young Population in Vietnam
English-speaking population and large expat network
There are many remote workers and digital entrepreneurs who chose Vietnam as their base, adding to the top reasons why Vietnam is the best country for digital nomads. You can also expect locals to be fluent in English.
Many businesses targeting locals as well as visitors started to sprout, such as coworking spaces, cafés or gyms, which makes working remotely in Vietnam an enjoyable and welcomed experience. There is also a vibrant nightlife in Hanoi and Saigon for instance. We’ve found it a very mixed community, unlike in other countries where expats, visitors and locals were not really interacting with each other.
Long-Term Tourist Visas in Vietnam and Border Runs
Visa is easy to apply for, long-term and affordable
Sure, there are countries where it’s possible to stay longer without having to do visa runs. But here in Vietnam, we can get 1 to 3 months visas (for Western European citizens) for about 35 $. Having entered the country multiple times, I have never been questioned the immigration officials.
Getting a tourist visa for Vietnam can be done at the Vietnamese embassy of the country you are in, but it’s way easier to get a Visa on arrival. You only need an invitation letter from an approved travel agency, which can cost as low as 10$. Make sure to print it, along with a photo ID picture and 25 USD for the 1 month visa (or the Vietnamese Dong equivalent).
On the other hand, for Filipino nationals, there is no visa and entry is completely free for 14 days. You just need to go on border runs, which isn’t so hard considering Vietnam is bordered by many other great Southeast Asian countries. It truly makes this one of the top 5 reasons why Vietnam is the best country for digital nomads.
Conclusion: Why Vietnam is the Best Country for Digital Nomads?
We honestly think that Vietnam is the best country for digital nomads – it has great weather, awesome scenery, affordable food, lively nightlife and cheap accommodation. Most importantly, there are a lot of places to work from, great network connectivity, and it’s easy to get around.
There are many places in this country we haven’t explored yet and hope to make it a temporary base for the future. We think working remotely in Vietnam is one of the best experiences you can have.
How about you? Have you had to chance to put down your suitcase and be engaged in working remotely in Vietnam yet? What aspect of it did you enjoy the most? Let us know your top reasons why Vietnam is the best country for digital nomads in the comments below!
Lots of good, inspirational info! Makes me want to go!
Needful content! Keep creating content like this.Tons of love for you.
Thanks for the information! I´ve been wanting to travel to Vietnam for so long!
Do you know if there is any Digital nomad Visa? Because so few countries have that specific type of visa.
You are welcome, Trisha! Vietnam doesn’t seem to have a specific visa for remote workers that we are aware of. It seems to be a complex subject and we are not familiar with the local immigration laws.
Many of my friends have been to Vietnam. And I have often thought of planning a trip for seeing the historical and Buddhist sites. This guide just makes it more easy, as it seems like an affordable trip. Good food and wi-fi–that’s what we need to survive a long-term. Besides, the community sounds quite friendly to me.
It sounds like your friends told you great things about Vietnam, Ambica! There are many sites, especially in Central Vietam (The Marble Mountains or the Ancient City of Hue for instance).
I’d love to be a digital nomad, but my husband is still working. However, that shouldn’t keep me from visiting Vietnam at least. Your post provides very useful information that makes it easy to plan a trip to Vietnam. The fact that you can find long term affordable lodging is a big plus.
As you said, these tips are valid for any length of stay, Anda. 🙂 We hope you’ll make it there, it’s one of the most surprising places we got to see.
It is great to know that Vietnam has great internet availability. We often search out cafes to work when we travel. We try to learn the basics in foreign languages but good to know that there is a good amount of English to be found. Great that we could stay for 3 months and not worry about a visa run. All good points for when we finally get to Vietnam!
Awesome, Linda! We’d say it’s a great destination for nomads who are just starting their journey as it’s quite easy to get around the main difficulties (housing, internet, etc) Please let us know if you need tips when the time comes. 🙂
Being from Asia I have traveled to different parts of the world but not much of Asia. My next few years would see a lot more of the beautiful destinations here. Vietnam certainly is in by bucket list and hence nice to learn a bit about the place. Free Wi fi, the Cafe culture, great food, friendly locals are all great reasons to be there. Also the affordability factor makes it certainly a great place to visit
I have been planning a trip to Asia and Vietnam is one of the countries that I had heard such mixed reviews about visiting. I have a friend who lives there and absolutely loves it, but I’ve read blogs from other travelers that say they have a distaste towards the country. However, these tips that you mentioned make it seem like a great option for long-term travel, and I have to admit I’ve always wanted to go! Will definitely keep Vietnam in mind as a place to be able to work from as the virtual world continues to evolve. Thank you so much for sharing!
It depends on people’s preferences, Chloe! We personally think Vietnam has places for all kind of nomads or travelers (bustling cities, laidback beach towns, etc). We hope it’s high on your list for when travel resumes!
I absolutely loved traveling in Vietnam. I visited it a very long time ago when it was not that popular among tourists, I wish to go back there again. I am working on becoming a digital nomad this year and I will definitely consider Vietnam as one of the locations to stay and work as a digtital nomad. Yes, I agree that the cost of living is really less when compared to other countries.
That’s amazing to hear, Rakshan! First time for me was early 2017 and I can see it evolved already in a matter of a few years. We wish you the best of luck and hope you’ll get to spend part of your journey here 🙂
Vietnam was actually the last trip I made before Covid-19 hit. I can totally see why it makes sense for a digital nomad – all the points you mentioned are true, relevant and valid. For example, the cost of living, Vietnam is so cheap! I love the cafe culture, there were so many cafes I would just sit and spend time at, reading a book or listening to music while relaxing. Long-term prices on many bnbs are bound to be cheap, even the daily rates were so low; I mostly stayed in bnb rather than hotels.
You were so lucky to have visited right before the pandemic, Medha! Even for short trips, we’d also use Airbnb since they are located in charming local streets, unlike hotels. Glad you loved the café culture, feel free to share your best spots with us for next time!
You’re on point. Vietnam is undoubtedly the best country for digital nomads. It is really cheap, also the accommodations there are affordable. Moreover, visa is also easy to apply. I would love to spend a year or two in Vietnam having considered the given points.
We are glad you think so, Shreya! We’d love to hear more about your experience in Vietnam since it sounds like you already visited. 🙂
Pingback: Taipei Digital Nomad: What You Need to Know + Free Maps (2021) - Offbeat Escapades | Offbeat Travels & Van Life
Pingback: Best Street Food Around the World
Great post, and I’m keen to head to Vietnam. Did you have any favourite places to stay there as a digital nomad?
Danang for sure! Then you can visit Hoi An too 🙂
Ninh Binh is also a favorite but for the digital nomad vibe, without a doubt the winner is Da Nang.