You do the Math

Paul and I have been living in Saigon for 2 months now.  It was time for our upkeep rituals so we checked out the services in our area.

Exchange Rate 1 USD to 21,000 Dongs


I have naturally curly hair and so I usually get my hair straight permed in the US for $300, once to twice a year, cost is dependent on the length of your hair.

In PMH at a place called DaDa, it cost 1.8M, and my hair has never looked healthier.

I usually get a manicure and pedicure in the US for about $20 bucks but then there is tax, tip and also that darn credit card fee on top of that.  So I'd walk out with perfectly filed nails for about $30.

Here in the Beverly Hills of Vietnam, it costs me 100k.

Paul was due for a haircut and went to a place called LyLy.  In the US he usually went to Floyds where it could cost anywhere between $20-$40.

At LyLy's it was 70k.

Also for our laundry, it cost about 80k for 5kilos of dirty clothes to be washed and folded.  I don't know what the breakdown of it in the US, but after buying the machine, soap, labor and electricity, it will take a long time to pay off your machines.

As for our cell phones, in the US it's about $40 for 1000 minutes and then about $80 for internet.  In Vietnam, we spend 50k a month to recharge our minutes and WiFi is free everywhere.

The cost of living is so low here even in the most expensive district!!!!