Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jessiegirl]

Could you really save al lot living in Vietnam on 30,000 American a year? I heard it's cheap, but how cheap is cheap and do they have a lot of Western products and food there? Would you go if you had the chance or would you stay in Korea if you made about the same amount ? I would love to hear from people who have lived and worked there.

[shostahoosier]

[air76]

I have lived and worked in both places, so I should be able to give you some insight.

But.....This whole idea of "where will I save more" is always relative and depends on a case by case basis....there is always the Japan -vs- Korea argument and it's really nonsensical to talk about it as a whole. Your lifestyle choices, how much overtime you're willing to work, how industrious you are, where you're willing to live, how much "Western" stuff you want in your overseas lifestyle, and so on...all this stuff can make 1 country cheaper for one person and insanely more expensive for another.

You can probably save the most money in Japan if you are industrious and arrange a slew of group business classes on your own....but this would require pounding the pavement, networking, and pushing group classes onto your students.....you can probably save the most money in Korea if all you want to do is rock up and work the regular hours at your regular job.

So...as a general rule, you will save a lot more money in Korea than in Vietnam. You can save in Vietnam, but the average salaries are significantly lower than in Korea so most people there are saving less.

If you have a job offer for US$30,000 in Vietnam, then yes, you will be able to save a fortune on that salary....but this is not a normal salary there. If you have this offer, I'd suggest that you take it.

When we lived there we spent about $700/month each and lived pretty well.....the hard part is that while very cheap Vietnamese options are available, more and more Western options are available that are still cheap but cost up to 10 times the Vietnamese option....for example, you can pay 25 cents for a Vietnamese coffee in a very basic restaurant, or you can pay $2.50 for a latte in Highlands. Same goes for food....pay $1.50 for OK Vietnamese food, or $7 at a nice French restaurant with wine and dessert.

At any rate...I'd say you could get by with spending $500/month in Vietnam if you REALLY wanted to and saving was your main priority, but this would be living a pretty basic lifestyle...and if you spend over $1,000/month you'd be pissing your money away.

With $30,000 you should easily be able to save half and not really watch your money all that well.

Either way....your personal choices and your ability to budget are far more important than the actual country itself. You could be spending 1/2 the money you are at home if you really wanted to, you really could.

Overall Vietnam is a far more interesting country than Korea, but the noise and pollution there does get to you (there is noise and pollution in Korea too, but nothing like Vietnam)....a big difference as well is that all of the jobs in Vietnam are in the city, but you have the option of living in the tiniest towns if you wish in Korea.

It is also important to note that much of the reason we save money teaching overseas is not because it is so much cheaper, but because there are just so many things that we don't buy here. If you want to recreate the lifestyle you are used to at home, it will cost nearly the same.

[Jessiegirl]

Thank you for all the information. It sounds like you did your fair share of living abroad, and you have a lot of exerience at different places.

I was thinking about teaching at an international school. Have you had experience teaching at them or know people who had good experiences in Vietnam?

I will definitely check out the international forum and see what people have to say about working and living in Vietnam.

[air76]