Vietnam: Life, Culture, and Where to Get Your Money

Vietnam is a lively and vibrant country with a beautiful climate and plenty of amazing scenery. If you are thinking of moving to Vietnam as an expat, then you have an amazing journey in store that will be full of surprises and adventures.

That said however, as with living in any foreign country, being a foreigner in Vietnam is not without its challenges. You will likely find that the pace of life is somewhat different from what you’re used to if you’re from the US and that cultural differences and language barriers sometimes make simple things hard. Let’s take a look then at what life in Vietnam is like, and at how you can get by despite the challenges.

What is it Like to Live in Vietnam?

When you arrive in Vietnam, you will likely be blown away by some of the environmental differences. It’s not unusual to find yourself missing creature comforts or struggling with the heat but the key to survival is to focus on the positives rather than to spend all your time missing the negatives.

One advantage of living in Vietnam is the fact that you don’t need to buy seasonal clothing. The weather is hot here year round which is wonderful. Everything is also very cheap which means your money will go much further, and being a Westerner will often get you a lot of positive attention from the opposite gender. Many men will come to Vietnam from the West and live like kings here.

There are tons of beautiful scenery around Vietnam and if you’re the sort who loves taking pictures to make your Facebook friends jealous, you’ll find plenty of photo opportunities here. The cities on the other hand are not so tranquil. These have an incredibly frantic atmosphere though the general attitude of the people is somewhat more laid back than many other Asian countries. Motorbikes are common and if you can get your hands on one, then it’s a great way to zip around and feel an exhilarating sense of freedom.

Finding expat communities is easy and there are plenty of ‘bubbles’ for Western communities. You’ll get more out of your visit if you immerse yourself more in the culture and lifestyle. The locals are very friendly and the lifestyle is easy to adapt to – so give it a go!

Getting Funds

If you’re going to live over an extended period in Vietnam then one challenge you will likely face is funding. However, with technology advancements made these days, this is no longer an issue.

For example, you can use Sharemoney where money can easily be sent from the US to Vietnam. Bank account deposits can be as quick as two minutes, and our tool offers competitively low fees as well as great conversion rates. Sharemoney also allows you to pick up cash at designated cash pickup locations or use our door-to-door home delivery service. The process of making a money transfer transaction via Sharemoney can take as little as 2 minutes, and this means you can have cash in hand fast when you need it!