Vietnam becomes world’s most affordable country for immigrants in 2024, India in top 10

Hanoi: Vietnam is the most affordable country in the world for immigrants marking the fourth consecutive year when the country has got the top spot out of 53 destinations, as per a 2024 InterNations study. The ranking was based on quality of life, digital life, housing and language, career prospects, salary and job security. In the survey, more than 12,000 expats across 174 territories worldwide participated. The survey asked respondents to rank their personal satisfaction levels in three areas: cost of living, satisfaction with financial situation, and whether disposable household income was enough to lead a comfortable life.

This information remained largely unchanged from last year expect the entry of Brazil in the list at 9th place, replacing Malaysia, which dropped from 5th in 2023 to 11th this year.

These are top 10 destinations for expats as per personal finances:

Vietnam
Colombia
Indonesia
Panama
Philippines
India
Mexico
Thailand
Brazil
China

Asian countries dominated this year’s list getting six out of the top 10 positions while Southeast Asia stood out with Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand all ranking in the top 10.

Kathrin Chudoba, chief marketing officer for InterNations, said, “Housing is a big plus in all four countries: Thailand ranks 1st, Vietnam 2nd, Philippines 5th, and Indonesia 8th. Most expats agree that it’s easy to find housing, and they are happy with how affordable it is.”

As per the report, generally, “work-life balance trumps career advancement” in Vietnam and less than half (46%) of the country’s expat population works full time, compared to the global average of 57%. A British expat said as per the report, “Life here is stress-free for me, it’s a wonderful change from my work life, which was very consuming and hectic.”