In this article, I will honestly explain How much does it costs to teach English in Vietnam? When you are getting started, it’s not cheap but also not terribly expensive to Teach English in Vietnam.
It really depends on your lifestyle preferences, if you’re used to the high life and enjoy a bit of luxury, it’s obviously going to cost more!
It will cost you about US $4,203.00 for the first three months, and about US $650.00 per month after. This includes flights and the 150hr Australian Government accredited in-class TESOL course!
What are the costs to teach English in Vietnam?
To calculate how much it costs to teach English in Vietnam, I have created a short and simple list (below).
- TESOL/TEFL course (120+ hrs in-class)
- Flights (one way)
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Accommodation
- Transport costs
- Renting a motorbike
- Spending money
- Phone & Internet
I am going to stick with a three-month budget as this is usually the time you need to prepare for, to be safe and make sure you don’t get stuck. Running out of money is rough in your home country, in a foreign country it is just plain awful.
How much is the TESOL/TEFL course in Vietnam?
This is the most important and unfortunately the money expensive but if you go with a course that includes accommodation, job placement and is delivered in-country; chances are you’re gonna save a great deal of money and gain valuable experience along the way.
Most TESOL/TEFL courses (120+ hrs in-class) run for 3-4 weeks and are delivered full time. This means that for the duration of the course, you need to be focused! Keep the parting to a minimum.
For an in-class 150hr TESOL course in Vietnam, you are looking at US $1,749.00 which included your accommodation (private room) for the 4 weeks, guaranteed job placement (once you finish), a welcome dinner & drinks, city tour (Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City) and of course a Certificate IV in TESOL from an Accredited & internationally recognised college in Australia.
What’s the cost of the flights to Vietnam?
This is tricky, everyone lives in different countries and the prices are going to change every day. Flights to Vietnam can range from a low of US $250.00 (from Australia) to US $500.00 (from Europe) and up. I strongly suggest that you search around and make sure that you book well in advance.
Cost of your Visa for Vietnam
Getting a visa for Vietnam is pretty cheap! If you’re lucky enough to be from the USA you get even cheaper prices! Sticking with our 3-month budget you will need to get a (you’ll never guess…) a 3-month visa!
A 3-month single entry visa will cost you US $34.00 (approval letter) + US $25.00 (stamping fee) which is a total of US $59.00.
If you want to get a longer visa you can, we suggest checking out www.vietnam-visa.com to get your visa approval letter. You can also check out How to get a visa for Vietnam.
Price of Travel Insurance for Vietnam
Travel insurance is a must, anyone signing up for the TESOL course through us is strongly recommended to get Travel insurance, before travelling to Vietnam or any country in South East Asia. It is quite inexpensive and can save you BIG time.
The chances of you being involved in an accident or needing to claim insurance is much higher when you travel abroad. Through companies like World Nomads (which is trusted by Live Local Asia) offer great prices and value, protecting you and covering your butt when shit hits the fan!
For three months cover on the standard plan with World Nomads you are only going to spend around US $215.00. This covers Overseas medical expenses including hospitals, ambulance, doctors and evacuations for more than US $3,000,000.00.
You also get emergency dental coverage, cancellation costs, theft or damage cover and more. We suggest you check out World Nomads before you travel.
Cost of Accommodation in Vietnam
Not much! Compared to countries like the USA, UK and Australia accommodation in Vietnam is super cheap. I was renting private hotel rooms for US $220.00 a month! You can rent your own apartment for US $300.00 per month near the middle of the city.
Of course, these prices can vary depending on which city you live in and the district you choose, but often you won’t pay more than US $400.00 per month for a 1-2 bedroom flat near the city including bills.
Most of the apartments for this price are quite nice and you can opt-in to extras like cleaning and laundry.
Transport costs in Vietnam
There are options for those who don’t wish to rent or buy a motorbike when in Vietnam, the traffic can be quite confronting and takes a little to get used to for most. Luckily there are services like Grab and Go Viet which help locals and expats get around cities all over Vietnam.
From US $0.50 you can get a motorbike taxi with Grab. Go Viet and Grab drivers/riders are experienced in Vietnamese traffic and will get you where you need to be often without checking a map.
Often for a 30-minute ride into town, I’d pay 50-60,000 VND (US $2.60). 9 times out of 10 I’d give the driver/rider a tip. You do get some drivers/riders that are a bit too fast, so simply ask them to slow down.
If a motorbike taxi is too much for you, you can also book a car. It cost 3 to 4 times as much as a motorbike taxi but you get to enjoy the benefits of cars. Air-conditioning, protection from the rain (it’s not fun on a bike when it’s raining), escape from the heat (traffic + humid heat is not ideal) and thieves can’t get at your smartphone. Surprisingly it doesn’t take much longer in a Grab car compared to a Grab bike as there are main roads into and out of the city which are only available to cars and trucks.
It will cost about 160,000VND (US $6.90) for a 30 minutes grab car ride. Like Uber, grab cars are well kept, clean and the drivers are friendly. I did notice that Grab car drivers often spoke English better than the Grab bike riders. Money talks I suppose… (dad joke anyone?)
I suggest you budget about US $60-$100.00 per month for transport.
Renting a motorbike in Vietnam, what are the costs?
In Vietnam, a motorbike will set you back about US $50-60.00 per month for a well maintained and decent motorbike. We suggest that you rent a bike from a trusted source and never surrender your passport, you will need your passport for accommodation registration (a legal requirement in Vietnam; all foreigners but be registered with their place of residence by 11:00 PM).
Check with your hotel, TESOL school or place of employment to see what they suggest. It can often be cost-effective to buy a motorbike for US $300.00, just make sure you get the blue card with the bike and a receipt of the transaction. It’s also a good idea to get it checked by a mechanic.
How much spending money do you need in Vietnam?
The bulk of your expenses in Vietnam are going to be taken up by your motorbike and accommodation, after this, it really depends on your lifestyle and how often you go out (and where you go).
You will find that the majority of the time you are going to be eating out rather than buying groceries. With meals at local restaurants only setting you back US $1-$2.00 it is easy to see why most people living in Vietnam only spend US $100-$200.00 per month of food and drink.
Include about US $60.00 per month for groceries and hygiene products you only need to budget for about US $160-$260.00 per month for spending money.
Phone & Internet costs in Vietnam
When you first arrive in Vietnam I doubt that you will be paying for Wi-Fi, but you will need to get a sim card. Sim cards can be bought easily at the Airport when you arrive, we suggest Mobifone.
Make sure you get the tourist plan, don’t be afraid to ask the staff at the desk to set it up for you. It is only going to cost US $5-6.00 per month for the plan. When you first get your sim they will need your passport and they will take a photo of you for their records (legal requirement).
The total cost to teach English in Vietnam (three-month budget)
The first three months are going to cost more as you are paying for your flights, TESOL/TEFL course and getting used to the way things happen in Vietnam. Once you settle in a little and learn more about the area you have moved to, things will get much cheaper I promise.
The TESOL course – US $1,749.00
Flights (One way average) – US $500.00
Visa (three months single entry) – US $59.00
Travel insurance (3 month standard plan) – US $215.00
Accommodation (3 months) – US $900.00
Transport costs (3 months) – US $300.00 or US $180.00 if you rent a motorbike!
Spending money (3 months) – US $450.00
Phone & Internet – US $30.00
If we add it all up, your first three months in Vietnam will cost US $4,203.00 which works out to be US $1,401.00 per month. Now keep in mind that your TESOL course and flights are a one-off cost; so after your first three months, you should only expect to spend US $650.00 per month.
I think that it is safe to say that Teaching English in Vietnam is pretty affordable. Most new English teachers can expect to earn from US $1,200.00 to US $1,700.00 per month! And that’s if they work 30 hours a week…
So how much does it cost to teach English in Vietnam? It will cost you US $4,203.00 for the first three months, and about US $650.00 per month after. This includes flights and the 150hr Australian Government accredited in-class TESOL course!