Budget

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam · Southeast Asia · Asia

Monthly budget

$1,190/mo

Internet (fixed)

106 Mbps · Fast

Safety

50/100

Time zone

UTC+7

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is Vietnam's frenetic commercial heart, where motorbike-clogged boulevards give way to rooftop bars, world-class street food, and an endless supply of cafes built for laptops. Costs stay low while fixed broadband cracks 100 Mbps, making it one of Asia's best value-for-money bases. The catch is bureaucratic: Vietnam still has no dedicated nomad visa, so most remote workers cycle through e-visas or visa runs.

BudgetFoodieCoworkingNightlifeFast internetCulture

Wealth migration

Outflowing−300

HCMC is a fast-rising wealth hub, yet Vietnam still bleeds ~300 millionaires a year chasing stronger passports and lifestyle.

−300

net millionaires leaving / yr

35%

top income tax

Emerging hub

status

Tax regime

Progressive 5-35% PIT; residents taxed on worldwide income

Top 35% rate; residents pay tax on global income, so no carve-out for wealthy foreign movers.

Golden / investor visa

Vietnam DT Investor Visa (DT1-DT4) + Temporary Residence Card

from $120,000

Existing route: capital >3bn VND (~$120k) gets a 3-yr DT3 visa; >100bn VND (~$4M) gets 5-yr DT1, convertible to a 10-yr TRC. A true 10-yr Golden Visa was announced May 2025 but is still under government review (not enacted as of mid-2026); a 5-yr Talent Visa launched late 2025.

Official source →

Why the wealthy are leaving, 2025-26

Despite a wealth boom (HCMC millionaire population doubled in a decade to ~7,200 plus 24 centi-millionaires and 3 billionaires), Vietnam is forecast a NET LOSS of ~300 HNWIs in both 2024 and 2025 per Henley & Partners.
Weak passport: Vietnam scores just ~6% on Henley's Passport Power Index (visa-free access to only ~6% of global GDP), pushing the wealthy toward investment-migration programs for stronger mobility.
No competitive tax incentive for the rich: residents face 5-35% progressive PIT on worldwide income (35% top rate), with the July 2026 reform only cutting brackets 7->5 while keeping the 35% top rate.
Outbound flight to lifestyle/education/healthcare and stronger passports: top destinations for departing Vietnamese HNWIs are Malta, Portugal, Greece, Antigua & Barbuda, the US, Canada and Australia.
Vietnam's promised 10-year Golden Visa (announced May 2025) remains stalled in review as of mid-2026, leaving only the older DT investor-visa track and limiting inbound HNWI capture.