Super affordable here but is it safe to retire

I live here yeah I sold everything except  one company and came here with my dog I   have another good friend from Australia I met  him through YouTube and he was nine years in   Thailand and then he came here A A little  over a year ago and I remember him saying   oh my gosh I should have come here years  ago but here on the daily life basis have   never felt so free hardly ever see police  right hardly ever hear an [Music] ambulance [Music] so this is Dan of vagabon awake and  today we have Mark with us and he's a hoot   and so I'm excited to have him here telling you  his story so where are you from Mark um I'm from   the United States uh born in Detroit raised  in Buffalo New York but I've lived all over   the US from San Diego to Hollywood to Vegas to  Palm Springs to New Orleans to Memphis wow and   back to the east coast again and where are we  sitting right now what part of the world we are   in Southeast Asia in the anung district of Danang  Vietnam or as I like to call it the San Diego of   Vietnam nice nice is this your first time living  here in Donan yes um I've never lived abroad as   much as I traveled around the United States I've  never lived abroad before and okay um I retired   in the US and uh moved here a year and a half ago  how did you end up in Den um I had exposure to uh   Vietnam over the last eight years or so I have  a very good friend in California who built a   large packaging business and a lot of packaging  production well a lot of every production is in   Southeast Asia so he has had warehousing and  offices in Vietnam and China for over over a   decade right so I got some exposure and I remember  the first time talking about Vietnam he mentioned   he was going to Vietnam on business for 2 weeks  and taking his wife and I said you're taking your   wife on a business trip and he said no one week  of business and one week of vacation and this   was probably 13 years ago and I said Vietnam for  vacation I I was oblivious I I had no clue and   he said oh they have the most amazing Resorts  and beaches that was my first the door opening   just a crack me realizing what Vietnam had to  offer that's great that's great great and you   know most Americans have a preconceived notion  of what Vietnam is and it blows your mind when   you're here I'm glad you mentioned that it really  does it really does finish these this sentence for   me um don't come here if you think it's going to  be easy okay okay as an American I mean I can't   speak for all Western cultures but yeah it's it's  a different culture it's a different climate um   I've lived in Vegas in the summer I've lived in  New Orleans which is a subtropical climate where   it rains every day during the summer right  but this is still hotter and Rainier okay at   different times of the year so you know and then  and culturally yeah it's not easy there's things   to to get used to things to realize they're not  going to be like they ever were before right um so   you have to come with a little bit of flexibility  open-mindedness right do come here if you think   this if you want to change if you want Adventure  if you want to widen your horizons um crawl out of   the box that you may or may not have been living  in you know for the last whatever again especially   coming from the US right right and then um so to  give an idea of the difference of cost of living   here what do you think the average um Vietnamese  person lives on per month cost um well I have a   little bit of insight into that through having  hired some younger Vietnamese through talking   with friends Vietnamese friends who have jobs  and asking them you know what do you get paid   for example uh a young friend of mine she just  started working at a local nail salon and I said   what do they pay you they pay her 3 million  Dong a month that's $100 everything else she   has to make in tips um a bartender at a popular  local expat owned bar um will make 9 million 10   million a month right for a full-time job right um  I know some of the younger uh in in the workforce   like University students they'll make four or five  million a month but they'll live four four kids in   in one room with no air conditioning um so it's a  very different world but I would say you know the   average I think the average and there's so many  variables uh do you live at home with your parents   and they've already owned that house for three  generations so there's no mortgage you have no   rent right um you know if that's the case I mean  they can live on $300 or $400 a month us yeah um   you know if you've got your own apartment or a  room or a studio again much different pricing in   what we call the city center on the the original  city of of dang on the on the western side of the   river as opposed to the peninsula out here  which is tourist supported um you know they   can can have a studio apartment for $200 a month  right um but I would say you know average maybe a   more mature working person $7 $800 a month us  yeah that's their cost of living roughly yeah   right and then what would you say expats out  again not the top of the bottom but just so   many variables um and I learned a lot of this  by watching and studying YouTube channels like   yours and others before I even got here um you  know again I have friends that live in a studio   apartment here in the expat area where we are now  which is a little pricier it's on the peninsula um they still live for $3 $350 a month for rent  right food you know even if you eat Western food   here you could still eat for $10 a day and and  stick with Western food yeah um again Vietnamese   food much less expensive and healthier and better  and better yeah so you know is it thinking back   to all the YouTube videos that I studied and if  that's now three and three and a half years ago   you know can a can an expat come and live here  comfortably um $12 $1,500 a month yeah you can   do it are there others that may need to spend  substantially more than that to be happy I'm   I'm sure there are what what would you say a  single how much more would a single guy here   that's dating would he need another few hundred  per month or what are your thoughts about that   um you know again do you do you do the favorite  Vietnamese Pastime socially that I see is to go   buy some street food and sit on a bench on what we  would call the boardwalk along the along the the   uh Beach arm in arm hand in hand because I walk  my dog there a lot and that's everybody there you   know whether that's that's a date so yeah again  is it a is it a Vietnamese style dating or is   it western style oh we're going to go to this  expensive restaurant and let's take you know um   but like everything else in Southeast Asia it's  very inexpensive in comparison of course where   where we come from right um but yeah uh you know  a couple 00 bucks a month you know for some you   know extra food extra meals with when you have a  companion along or a couple of little fun things   to do not not expensive right right are age  difference relationships here accepted would   you say socially I would because I see plenty  of them and nobody bats an eyelash um I can   remember when I first got here I was at a an an  Australian friend of mine's got a bar and there   was a guy playing pool with a very young gal and  he was clearly well north of 50 and I wasn't sure   she was legal to drink and I said what what about  him he said oh that's that's that's Pete and uh I   said how is Pete I don't know 55 how old is his  girlfriend 21 but nobody bats an eyelash so I I   I have no experience with with the Philippines or  or Thailand other than YouTube you know Channel   information but no nobody seems to bat an eyelash  here right and and so do the locals in general   feel um comfortable dating exp Pastor um you know  because of the the cultural differences and and   the socioeconomic differences um it's widely  known that when expats retire here there's a   certain segment of the population that sees them  as a way out right as as a as a you know as a as   a means to you know move up socioeconomically have  a more comfortable life right um so you know what   I've learned a lot of the young people whether  they're male or female they've been raised in   a much smaller Village sometimes two hours from  here sometimes 6 hours from year but they just   like in the states they go to the big city for  job opportunity for for to to make money and a   lot of times are sending it home so when they come  from that type of a background and then suddenly   there's someone who you know isn't living quote  unquote paycheck to paycheck or or you know has   that burden on them it it it really can look like  a new a new lease on life right right but in the   same breath Vietnamese people are so friendly so  approachable um when I first got here the first   week I was ever in dang I went out of my hotel  and I'm walking on the beach at 4 in the morning   because that's when everybody else was out walking  on the beach shocker just just so approachable and   so warm the people here yeah they are they're  authentic are people meeting more online here   or are they meeting in person do you know about  do you know that I wouldn't know statistics I'm   I talk to plenty of guys that use online apps  websites but again going to any coffee shop   walking along the beach I meet a lot of people  foreigners locals male female when I walk my dog   um and nobody hesitates to approach um it's not  it's just again it's so easy to meet people here   um I couldn't tell you the online online in person  yeah all you single guys out there get a dog yeah   any especially his dog it's like a German shepherd  with he's a very large Belgian Malinois so either   they scream and run or they're very curious  and they come over it's there's no in between   but what do you feel about safety here how does  it relate to where you're the safest place I've   ever lived I mean I have a background in police  work and security work um again I learned this   through YouTube channels before I got here the  main crime in Vietnam is petty theft right don't   leave anything that you don't want to lose on a  table anywhere and and take your eyes off of it   right right um but as far as violent crime very  rare I mean I would maybe the only violent you   hear about is domestic yeah domestic you know  little arguments usually alcohol involved but   I mean bank robberies and M is just this is just  I've never felt as safe in my life as living here   yeah it's very safe I agree with that 100% so  what would you say the overall feeling is here   that's different is there is there a tone to it or  something that comes to mind uh I mean it's very   relaxed again this part of dang out by the beach I  mean it's I've never really been to what is it in   Miami South Street or the I mean oh South Beach  South Beach Miami I mean I lived in San Diego I   mean this is out here amongst the locals it's a  very relaxed Beach Community feel you're you know   you're intermingled with all the tourists that are  filling the big hotels right along the beach but   on a daily basis you know we could be when I stop  and have a smoothie or see some guys and sit and   drink a beer we could be on South Beach we could  be in you know down on Mission Beach in San Diego   it's it's it's it's just that Vibe you know out  here right um it's really nice how much time do   you spend each year here in Vietnam like um all  of it I live here yeah I sold everything except   one company and came here with my dog yeah I'm not  a travel around um you know 6 months here 6 months   there I may when I if when I don't have a dog any  longer but but with with him uh the goal was just   come here and relax for a while and no schedule no  meetings no uh well I can tell you you for a first   place to go to you've come to one of my favorite  places in the world so you've really locked out in   that well it's interesting and I've heard that  a lot I have another good friend um he's from   Australia I met him through YouTube and he was 9  years in Thailand and then he came here a a little   a year ago and I remember him saying oh my gosh  I should have come to dang years ago yeah so a   lot of people that you know Malaysia for years  Indonesia for years uh Lots from Thailand are   like oh yeah just the whole especially Thailand  I mean Thailand the just seems to be like all the   time it's just 150,000 volts running through the  air and then people come here and they go oh my   gosh you can breathe you can relax it's very  peaceful so in so do you do you carry health   insurance here or you just pay go what do you do  I don't yet um again coming from the states just   getting off the plane here you automatically got  health insurance based on the costs um and I can   give you a couple of perfect examples for me  um I wanted for a couple years I was thinking   of getting an MRI on not a bad knee and a bad  shoulder but I just didn't get around to it but   it was like $1,200 for an MRI right and you know  you have to schedule it and you know okay this in   the states right this in the States you know come  you know we can put you in you know next month you   know it's not an emergency anything yeah so then  I came here and I asked about a hospital and they   said Vin vinmec hospital so I go over there and  uh like to speak to an orthopedic and have like   to evaluate my shoulder and then I'd like to get  an MRI so we know for sure and see what's going on   and they said okay I mean okay what said you can  go now now oh I wasn't ready to go now I thought   we would get an appointment you know at least in  a no I called on a Tuesday afternoon I show up   Wednesday morning at 9:00 see the orthopedic  surgeon after a 10-minute wait not two hours   right get an MRI and an x-ray and then come back  the next day once it's all developed and have the   the the consultation right all for the whopping  price of $190 us including the MRI everything MRI   X-ray pre-mri consult and post results consult  190 us and did the doctor recommend uh surgery   or well he said we could again I wasn't interested  in surgery so again the the the Medical Care was   fine same thing with a dentist go in you know  tighten this give me a filling let's do x-rays   uh a cleaning an examination in the US $450 $500  here 36 bucks out the door and a lollipop yeah   yeah people wonder why I didn't have health  insurance for 17 years but they don't have a   concept of what it's liking in this parts of the  world like this why health insurance would just   be stupid yeah I think at some point you know  catastrophic type of event health insurance is   is good um again learned it through YouTube you  know if you get in a really bad situation and   you're in the hospital for three months why why  you know deplete your retirement fund and have   some type of but yeah uh yeah just just being here  is an amazing health insurance policy yeah I I   finally picked it up after just a few months ago  I finally got insurance and it's so much cheaper   outside the US because it's it's non Us in other  words I have to get treatment outside the US so   the insurance company doesn't have to charge me  as much yeah and it might go back to one of our   earlier questions but that that also alludes to  one of the greatest things about being in Vietnam   is not just the cost of the services that you need  but how quickly you can get get them I mean silly   little example is why didn't you get a pair of  shorts taken in made smaller yeah now at home in   the states I'd probably have to call my sister you  know do you know a tailor or seamstress or someone   that will do this here if it's not a coffee shop  or a or a spa it's a tailor or a hardware store I   mean you you drive for a kilometer and there'll be  three ladies in a storefront on a sewing machine   yeah you pull in here they are do this she does  it right then and charges you a $150 instead of   $25 so just everything you can get what you need  much more immediately as well as you know a lot   less expensively yeah like clothing for example  you can take an old pair of pants that you really   love take it to a tailor and say make these  again I love them same material same whatever   and it'll cost less than you bought that pair new  10 15 years ago absolutely crazy I'm I'm going to   I'm going to a brand new opening of a restaurant  tonight that some friends opened up that already   have a very successful business um bikini bottom  right um and they've opened up two new restaurants   then another friend who's from who's from  the states who has a successful restaurant   um adobo Mexican Grill he's opened up a new a  new restaurant so two friends have opened up two   restaurants so now there's and it's just happening  literally weekly here because dang is still coming   back to life after Co so sometimes when people  first move overseas there's something they miss   about home is there anything you've missed about  home yes um I miss um getting a coffee and it's   16 o right as opposed to as opposed to this  because this coffee I'm a coffee addict this   coffee lasts about 4 minutes a venty Starbucks you  can drive for an hour to your next client meeting   and it and and your your friend is with you for  the whole ride cuz it's so big so yeah I miss   very large uh servings of coffee coming from the  West coming from the states but here on the daily   life basis have never felt so free hardly ever  see police right hardly ever hear an ambulance   um I mean when I first came here and I saw a lady  in a restaurant with her dog sitting on the table   I knew this was the place for me I'm like well  where I come from you can't even bring the dog   in the restaurant here you bring the in everywhere  every bar any restaurant any coffee shop any hair   salon um sort of the daytoday walking around life  is very free here yeah you've been in Southeast   Asia no long enough driving rules what driving  rules um especially you yeah the way I describe   it to my friends I mean even business I got into  business there was no permit there was no building   permit there was no inspection just you want to I  tell my friends back home I said on a day-to-day   walking around basis this is like the Wild Wild  West you want to do it just do it as long as   you're not hurting anybody bothering anybody yeah  do what you want to do and nobody's you know over   top you with this regulation and this certificate  and this permit just the level of walking around   and feeling unencumbered um and and and free  to do as you like is is amazing here yeah on   the flip side the one thing I did hear about and  believe a lot of it was from some of your videos   was well two things that saved me uh from your  videos particularly are number one don't bring   a huge amount of money to any foreign country and  plant it there just bring it over as you need it   monthly if you're even going to put it in in a  local Bank in any any any country and the other   one that I I planned my first trip to to Vietnam  before I found your Channel at the end of 2019 I   was planning to come to dang for 2 weeks yeah  to look at it as potentially starting to spend   my Winters in Vietnam and still go back and and  and run companies and and my businesses in in the   States but that trip got cancelled because covid  I had to cancel that trip four days before I was   supposed to land in dang March 8th of 2020 right  but I had made the mistake of booking the entire   two weeks in an Airbnb and everybody gave me my  money back except the people at the Airbnb they   wouldn't answer emails um they would nothing so  I lost that money then I saw your videos so that   when I did eventually get here uh for for five  weeks I booked four days in a beachfront hotel   walked around found the next one walked around  found the next one so thank both of you um folks   the information is invaluable it will save you a  lot of time and a lot of money and a lot of pain   in the butt well Mark it's it was a joy meeting  you uh Chung and I really enjoyed chatting with   you that we bumped into you three or four times  now and really appreciate you're coming on that   channel and sharing your experience uh amazing  well thanks so much Mark I appreciate it thank you   both very much take care byebye byebye Mark was  kind enough to mention two of our better reports   banking mistakes and how to find a great apartment  overseas I'll put those above you can click them   now also grab a free copy of my book and please  like comment and subscribe thanks so much

Channel: Vagabond Awake

Views: 565,355

Keywords: Vagabond Buddha, Vagabond Awake, How to retire early overseas, How to retire cheap overseas, financial independence retire early, FIRE, how to fire your boss and travel the world, retire in vietnam, can you retire safe here, safest country in SE asia, safer than thailand, safer than philippines, age-gap relationships here, most beautiful girls in SE Asia, super cheap place to retire, entrepreneurs like it here more than thailand, best place for single female retirees

Id: 6NihPh4OZMU

Length: 23min 35sec (1415 seconds)

Published: Wed Jan 10 2024