BAHN MI CHICKEN SANDWICH, ONE DOLLAR THIRTY CENTS. A HAIRCUT, THREE DOLLARS. LUNCH ON THE STREET,
ONE DOLLAR THIRTY CENTS. WITH FIVE OR TEN BUCKS YOU CAN EASILY ENJOY A DAY HERE IN VIETNAM.
SO WHY IS THIS COUNTRY SO CHEAP? VIETNAM IS OPEN AGAIN AND WHILE PRICES HAVE GONE UP SLOWLY OVER
THE PAST DECADE IT'S STILL ONE OF THE CHEAPEST COUNTRIES YOU CAN TRAVEL TO. WITH THE US DOLLAR,
EURO, BRITISH POUND, YOU REALLY HAVE A HIGH PURCHASING POWER AGAINST THE VIETNAMESE DONG.
IT'S THE MONEY THEY USE HERE IN VIETNAM AND LET'S JUST BREAK THIS DOWN FOR A SECOND SO ONE THOUSAND
DONG IS ABOUT FOUR CENTS, FOUR CENTS IN THE US FOR A THOUSAND DONG. 2 000 WOULD BE EQUAL TO
OF COURSE EIGHT CENTS AND THEN YOU HAVE THE 20 000 HERE THIS IS 20 000 THAT'S EQUAL TO ABOUT 22
CENTS THE NEXT BIGGEST ONE IS FIFTY THOUSAND FIFTY THOUSAND DONG WOULD BE ABOUT TWO DOLLARS TWENTY
CENTS AND THEN THIS IS WHAT THE HUNDRED THOUSAND LOOKS LIKE, THIS IS THE HUNDRED THOUSAND BANKNOTE
WHICH IS EQUAL TO ABOUT FOUR DOLLARS FORTY CENTS. THEN YOU'VE GOT TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED
THOUSAND IS EQUAL TO EIGHT DOLLARS EIGHTY CENTS AND THEN THE BIGGEST BANKNOTE IS HALF A MILLION,
SO FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND VIETNAMESE DONG WHICH IS EQUAL TO ABOUT TWENTY TWO DOLLARS. FROM FOOD
TO HOTELS TRANSPORTATION AND SIGHTSEEING, EVEN A BACKPACKER'S EXPENSE OF ABOUT HALF A MILLION
VIETNAMESE DONG OR AROUND 22 BUCKS WILL GO FAR. BUT IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE A HIGHER QUALITY
STAY WITH FOUR OR FIVE STAR HOTELS, YOU'LL NEED ABOUT $80-100 TO BE COMFORTABLE WHICH IS STILL
A PRETTY GOOD BANG FOR THE BUCK. BUT HEAR ME OUT: VIETNAM IS NOT LIKE ANY OTHER CHEAP COUNTRY
BECAUSE YES, IT IS STILL UNDERDEVELOPED BUT YOU RARELY SEE SOMEONE IN BAD LIVING CONDITIONS OR
BEGGARS. SEE THE POVERTY RATE HERE IS JUST ABOUT FIVE PERCENT. EVEN THE U.S HAS AN 11% POVERTY
RATE. THIS COUNTRY HAS A ONE-PARTY COMMUNIST STATE BUT IT'S ALSO ONE OF ASIA'S FASTEST
GROWING ECONOMIES SEE HISTORICALLY IT WAS NOT A PLACE TO DO BUSINESS WITH, WHICH COULD BE ONE
REASON WHY IT'S CURRENCY IS CONSIDERED WEAK TO THE WEALTH. ALL THESE T-SHIRTS YOU CAN GET WHICH ARE
NIKE OBVIOUSLY NOT REAL BUT THEY SELL FOR ABOUT TWO DOLLARS, TWO DOLLARS TWENTY CENTS
SAME THING WITH THESE ADIDAS SHORTS THAT'S 50,000 VIETNAMESE DONGS, AGAIN TWO DOLLARS 20 CENTS- BY
THE WAY IF YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS VIDEO MY NAME IS UPTIN, HIT THE SUBSCRIBE OR FOLLOW BUTTON SO YOU
DON'T MISS THE NEXT ONE. HERE THEY LOVE NORTH FACE AND ALSO LOUIS VUITTON SO UH FAKE LOUIS VUITTON IS
ABOUT FIVE DOLLARS FIVE DOLLARS FOR THIS, BUT FAST FORWARD TO TODAY: THE COUNTRY'S BOOMING ECONOMY
IS MAKING THE STANDARD OF LIVING AFFORDABLE AND LIFTING MUCH OF ITS CITIZENS INTO MIDDLE CLASS.
SO ON AVERAGE MOST ITEMS HERE WILL COST YOU LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT YOU MIGHT PAY IN THE WEST AND
MAYBE AROUND 25% LESS THAN THE REST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA LIKE THAILAND OR BALI. THE FOOD IN VIETNAM
IS SUPER CHEAP, YOU CAN GET A GREAT PHO OR BAHN MI FOR A DOLLAR, A DOLLAR FIFTY. AND MINIMUM WAGE
HERE IS AROUND TWO DOLLARS PER MONTH MIDDLE CLASS WILL EARN AROUND 600 OR 700 PER MONTH. BECAUSE
THESE ARE STILL LOW ON AN INTERNATIONAL SCALE, THIS CAN EXPLAIN WHY PRICES FOR FOOD FOR SO MANY
VISITING IS LOW AND VENDORS HAVE A LOT OF DEMAND FOR CHEAP FOOD BECAUSE THINK ABOUT IT IF YOU DON'T
MAKE MORE THAN 200 BUCKS A MONTH YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE SPENDING MORE THAN FOUR OR FIVE DOLLARS ON
YOUR DAILY FOOD AND PRICES FOR RAW INGREDIENTS ARE ALSO VERY CHEAP FOR MOST VIETNAMESE PEOPLE FOOD IS
AFFORDABLE. THE BASIC MEAL OF A VIETNAMESE IS MADE UP OF RICE VEGETABLES MAYBE SOME FISH AND PORK AND
ALL OF THEM ARE PRODUCED LOCALLY. RICE FIELDS HERE HAVE A HIGH YIELD THANKS TO FERTILIZERS.
ALMOST EVERY FARMER HOUSEHOLD KEEPS THEIR OWN CHICKENS AND PIGS. TAP WATER IN VIETNAM IS CHEAP
BECAUSE OF LIMITED TREATMENT AND PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR RECOVERY AND TREATMENT OF USED WATER.
OH, AND WHEN IT COMES TO TAXES IT'S BELIEVED THAT INCOME TAXES ARE LARGELY LOW BECAUSE SMALL
BUSINESSES CAN BRIBE A TAX OFFICER TO ENDORSE IT. THE PRICE OF THIS HOTEL IS ABOUT $100. TODAY
I'M IN THE MOST EXPENSIVE CITY IN VIETNAM HO CHI MINH CITY. HERE YOU CAN STAY IN A LUXURY
FIVE-STAR HOTEL FOR ABOUT A HUNDRED DOLLARS A NIGHT OVERALL I THINK VIETNAM SHOULD BE ADDED
TO YOUR VISIT LIST BECAUSE OF THREE REASONS: THE COST, THE CULTURE AND THE CUISINE. CHECK OUT
MORE OF MY VIDEOS HERE IN VIETNAM AND AROUND THE WORLD AND FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK @UPTIN