Expatriates extol benefits of life and work in Vietnam

Through the InterNations Expat Insider 2024 survey, Vietnam ranked eighth out of over 170 nations to live and work in. The main reason for the country’s attractiveness as an expat destination seemed to be the cost of living, with expats ranking Vietnam first out of 53 on personal finance, 13th in ease of settling in, and 14th in working abroad. All things considered, expat happiness with their life in Vietnam is ranked 13th worldwide. As the world awaits the 2025 edition of the wide-ranging survey to be published this summer, VIR spoke to several expatriates about their experiences working and living in Vietnam.

Photo: Quinn Ryan Mattingly

Wolfgang Obermann Austrian engineer

I came to Ho Chi Minh City for the first time in 2009, and from the beginning, I was impressed by the lifestyle. At that time, there was still very little Western influence. The Vietnamese people lived their culture in a very natural and authentic way, which I found very inspiring. What touched me most was the warm hospitality in restaurants, taxis, even from strangers on the street. People were open-minded, kind, and very welcoming.

What makes Ho Chi Minh City a great place to live is this spirit – the friendliness, the strong community feeling, and how proud people are of their culture and history. Over the years, I have seen a lot of development. Services have improved, and the infrastructure has grown.

The country has changed fast. I live in District 2 and have watched the progress since 2012. A good metro network is necessary for a big city, especially for connecting the new airport to the city centre. I hope the government can speed up the next phases. At the same time, as the economy continues to grow rapidly, it’s important for everyone to pay more attention to the environment, keeping our living spaces and public areas clean, and supporting more recycling initiatives.

I have also travelled around Vietnam and I love the beaches here. The sea, the fresh air, and the relaxed feeling are very special.

But with the development, some Western habits have come as well, like more fast food. I can already see more children with weight problems. It reminds me a little bit of how things were in Europe 30-40 years ago. Still, many of the most important things haven’t changed.

Mogens Hansen, Danish COO and co-owner Phiro Photorealism & 3D

I first visited Vietnam in April 2022. My colleague and I came from Denmark to explore the possibility of setting up a company here. The Danish Embassy had organised our trip for three days in Hanoi and three in Ho Chi Minh City.

After our time in Hanoi, we were convinced that it was the ideal location for our office – we didn’t think anything could top it. But then Ho Chi Minh City surprised us with even more to offer. We returned home with an amazing impression of both the country and the Vietnamese people – incredibly friendly and very professional. That warm reception made me feel at home right away.

What makes Ho Chi Minh City the best place to live for me is the vibrant energy, the friendly people, and the much better weather compared to where I come from. You also have an amazing food culture that I truly enjoy. It was more the overall experience during my first visit.

When thinking of happiness, I firstly think of living in the now. I really admire the Vietnamese approach to life. It’s a very forgiving culture, especially when you consider the conflicts the country has endured. There’s also a strong sense of family. The family acts as a safety net, which I believe is one of the reasons people here are so hardworking and independent.

The openness you encounter here is truly amazing, and it feels genuine. The greatest challenge is probably the language barrier, as not many people speak English.

Overall, I always speak warmly about Vietnam to anyone willing to listen. If I had to highlight something, it would be the fantastic weather and the incredible food culture. Professionally, it’s easy to recruit skilled and well-educated staff. Yes, there’s a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork, but the many positive aspects definitely outweigh that.

Quinn Ryan Mattingly, American photographer

I first came to Ho Chi Minh City during Lunar New Year of 2006 to visit some friends. I was working in South Korea at the time, and an email from a friend I met the year before invited to come visit.

I remember the city being so busy, so full of life, sights and smells and everything was so new and exciting for me. I had just started to get more into photography not long before I came, so I remember shooting about 100 photos just from the taxi from the airport to the city because everything was so visually interesting.

We stayed for a few days at that time, and I remember falling more in love with the place every day. I went back to Korea to finish my job, and came back the next summer, and sort of never really left since then.

After nearly 15 years living in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An has been a great change of pace for me. While I loved the south for a long time, after so many years, the traffic jams, pollution, and other things, I was sort of ready to try somewhere else. I have visited Hoi An many times, and have some friends here, so it was a logical place to look at, as it has all the things that make life a little better, like Western restaurants and shops when you want them, but with a small town feel.

Having the beach, rivers, and rice fields all just a few minutes away is great of course too. I also like the changing seasons, even if they can be a bit extreme, but it’s still nice to experience to different climates during the months of the year. The local people here are as friendly as I’ve met anywhere in the country, and I also like the expat community is quite strong here as well.

As a photographer, I love to explore interesting places like small towns or villages, to meet the residents and get to know a bit about their lives by observing and make a few photos whenever possible. It’s generally easy enough to grab a flight, train, bus, or car to another place that’s quite different from where you may live, and with that, you can totally change your experiences and ideas about living here.