Hanoi named one of the cheapest cities worldwide to start anew

By VnExpress January 19, 2017 | 01:09 am PT

New residential buildings in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. Photo by Nguyen Thi Thu Hien/VnExpress Photo Contest

Once you hit the city, living is cheap, but getting there might set you back more than a few dollars.

A new survey by German moving service company Movinga lists Hanoi among the lowest cost cities to start a new life in.

Expenses for the first month in Hanoi, including renting a one-bedroom apartment, a mobile phone and data plan, food, drink and transport, are estimated at $700.36, the 12th cheapest among the 75 cities surveyed.

Transportation services in Hanoi cost only $8.65 a month, which is only more than Cairo’s ($6.50).

For the overall first-month cost, Tunis in Tunisia is the cheapest at less than $400, while Luanda in Angola tops the list at $3,260.

“With a greater understanding of the costs associated with relocation, we hope that people will feel empowered to confidently plan their next adventures,” the company said in an online statement.

Hanoi has repeatedly entered lists of low-cost destinations. The city has been named the cheapest travel destination in the TripIndex report for the past three years.

Budget tourism site Price of Travel also recommended it as the third cheapest tourist spot in Asia for 2017, with daily expenses for a backpacker estimated at $18.16. Ho Chi Minh City was not far behind at $18.27 a day.

Vietnam has become an increasingly attractive destination for expats.

An HSBC survey which questioned 26,871 expats from more than 100 countries and territories between March and May 2016 placed Vietnam the 19th best place for outsiders, just above Japan. The country ranks fourth in Asia.

The bank hailed the country a good destination for a successful expat career thanks to a good work-life balance and employment benefits.

> Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City rank low in 'livable' index