“Why did you move from Canada to Vietnam?”
This is the single question that I get asked the most since moving to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) back in 2017. This question is often followed by subsequent questions, “Isn’t Canada a better country to live in?” (usually asked by Vietnamese locals) or “How were you so brave to leave everything behind and make such a big move to Vietnam?” (Canadian friends back home)
The fact is, Canada isn’t much of a better country to live in for me (we’ll talk more about this in the end) and I didn’t actually give up on everything to come here. I still have my family, operating business, and some personal possessions left in Toronto. For me, it’s just that Vietnam is just a better place to be, perhaps it’s the best place to be on the planet Earth as of 2020. Thus moving to Vietnam was just a very logical move for me. Here are a few reasons why:
1. Living Cost
1 USD = 23,200 VND as of March 2020
I won’t beat around the bush but go straight to the most realistic factor that will likely gratify you when you too move yourself down to Vietnam. It’s the affordable living cost. It’s freakin’ cheap. Compared to the cost of living in Canada, I can keep my expenses lower yet have a much more gratifying lifestyle, indulging in many “luxury things” on a daily basis. Imagine meeting your friends over a cup of coffee at 5-star hotel lobbies instead of going to Starbucks. How about going to luxury rooftop lounges on the 25th floor for a casual drink coupled with a good smoke of cigar while enjoying the amazing night view of the city’s skylines. Now do this all on the same day. In the end, you still have spent less than what you would have spent at your favorite local bar in Toronto with a buddy on a Thursday night. Even if you are not into indulging in these “luxury” lifestyle, imagine the best bowl of Phở(Vietnamese noodle soup) you ever had for breakfast, costing you only $1, instead of $12. Better yet, for your lazy morning, they delivered it to your door for free! You may start to wonder, “Can life get any better than this?”
2. People
Whenever I travel around the world and do the evaluation of each city, what’s most important to me is how much I like the locals there. People in Vietnam impressed me in many different ways. They are friendly, open-minded, smart, and skillful. Their friendliness along with their curiosity towards foreigners generally makes Vietnam a great place to socialize and make local friends. Luckily, being a minority in Canada as a Korean Canadian was not too bad, but I have to admit that being the same minority as a Korean Canadian in Vietnam feels super privileged as somehow my social status is automatically elevated, a few levels higher. I’m often surprised to see how open-minded and “accepting” the locals are. They are curious to learn new things, open to new changes and able to move on easily without dwelling on negative things in the past.
3. Food
Food being one of human’s top 3 necessities, I feel it’s worth mentioning how amazing Vietnamese food is and how it makes your life in Vietnam so much more enjoyable. After spending over 2 years here, there still are so many dishes that I still haven’t had a chance to try yet. When it comes to trying out new food here, I feel more confident than hesitant as most of my past trials were full of pleasant surprises. Not only the local foods but coming into 2020, I find more and more quality international cuisines of various kinds in Saigon. Most of these often come at a much more affordable price compared to the ones back home, generally with outstanding services.
4. Opportunities
Vietnam, as we all know, is one of the fastest-developing countries around the globe. The presence of opportunities is undoubtable and generally speaking, the cost to start a business in Vietnam is relatively low. This means that the downside and risks are often quite manageable. With the typical cost of starting a common retail business in Canada, you can probably start 3 different businesses(or 3 locations) here. Saigon is a city with so much energy and it’s full of young talented people (about 50% of the population in Vietnam is under 30 years old). This means that Vietnam has so many human resources that are just starting out or are about to start their economic activities, contributing to the country’s GDP. The growth is guaranteed. Furthermore, I sometimes feel like I have the benefit of coming from the future, having first-hand experience of more developed economies of both South Korea and Canada.
Many people still ask me, “Isn’t Canada a better place to live?” I love my country and there are many things that I miss about it. However, we need to think about what defines a “better” country to live in. For me, a curious and ambitious young man in his 30’s, my definition of a good place of residence is not defined by security, comfort, or stability. Rather, more important keywords to consider for me are; excitement, energy, dynamics, and opportunities. Although my life in Canada was rather comfortable with great work-life balance, it was actually lacking the excitement and challenges. Once I realized that I was yearning for more challenges instead of settling for complacency, my choice became very clear to move to Vietnam as quickly as I could.
There are many things I learned after moving here, which makes Vietnam a fantastic place to live for foreigners. If you are interested in finding out more about the life of an expat here, I suggest you take the next holidays and make a plan to visit Vietnam. Be sure to allocate enough time to stay (I suggest at least 5-7 days) in this beautiful city Saigon. If you are serious about moving to Vietnam, please reach out to me – I would love to chat with you over some fresh cà phê sữa đá, the famous Vietnamese milk coffee.