It’s been 2 years since I lived in Saigon and much has changed especially in the cost of living and accommodation which I’m told has gone up a fair bit. Still, the cost is still substantially lower when compared to the cost of living in Australia.

I knew several Australians (both men and women) who worked and lived in Saigon. When I first arrived I was quite suprised at how many there actually were. It won’t take you long at all to bump into other Australian expats.

Dong Khoi is a street in the centre of district one. The area caters very much for expats so you’d feel quite comfortable there. As it is very central, the cost of living in the area would be high though.

How much you’d need to live there is a very hard question to answer. I guess it all depends on what you’re use to and how often you socialise. You’d be able to live very comfortably on an average Australian salary though.

Living in district 1 isn’t cheap. Prices for a western style 2 bedroom apartment would range from USD$1,000-$5,000 per month. Prices drop considerably outside of district 1. Apartments managed by western companies will usually be much more expensive than locally managed apartments.

When you get there I suggest picking up a copy of AsiaLIFE magazine. There’s lots of information for expats in there.

Here are a few websites that you may find useful.

Expat resources
http://vietnam.asiaxpat.com/

Expats’ blogs
http://www.saigonnezumi.com/
http://saigon-today.blogspot.com/

I hope that helps.

Hoping you can answer some questions for me. Im looking at possibly moving over there – my work address would be Dien Bien Phu, Binh Tranh District.

What would this be like as a single girl living there from Sydney? Where is the expat community and where should I start looking for accommodation etc? I would like to get a 2 bedroom apartment close by the the office, or someone very cool where I can meet people and drink after work.

How far is District One and the Dong Khoi Area?

Any info you have would be great. How much money do you need to live on etc etc. I know Im bombarding you – but any websites or anything would be really helpful.

Cheers
Anne

I googled “Binh Thanh” today and your blog came up. This was my childhood town until ’93 when I migrated to the US. If you have spare time please post more pics. When I feel that nostagia again, I’ll come back to visit.

I went to a school called “Trung Hoc Tam Vu” and recalled going to cram school across a bridge in Thanh Da area.

If you are still sick, get well soon! My dad thinks Pho Bo cures everything.