Vietnam has been named the world’s fifth-best country for expatriates in 2025, buoyed by high marks for affordability and personal finance, according to the annual survey Expat Insider published by global expat network InterNations.
InterNations ranked 46 destinations worldwide based on more than 12,000 responses covering quality of life, ease of settling in, working abroad, personal finance and so-called 'expat essentials' such as housing, language and bureaucracy.
Vietnam topped the survey’s Personal Finance Index for the fifth year consecutively, with nearly nine in 10 respondents satisfied with the cost of living. This index measures expats' satisfaction with factors like the general cost of living, their financial situation and whether a respondent’s disposable household income is enough to lead a comfortable life.
About 87 per cent said their disposable income was enough or more than enough to live comfortably, the report said.
Satisfaction with their financial situation in Việt Nam (4th out of 46 destinations) may play a role in keeping expats in the country: 54 per cent have lived there for five or more years already, and 30 per cent want to stay forever.
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| Expat Insider 2025's Country Rankings. — Photo from InterNations |
Housing affordability was another key draw, with expats reporting that finding accommodation was relatively easy compared with other countries.
In the General Happiness Index, Việt Nam also landed a top 10 ranking, placing 8th among all 46 countries. It also ranked 11th in the Working Abroad index (career prospects, salary, work culture, etc.) and the Ease of Settling In index (local friendliness, finding friends, and culture & welcome).
However, the country scored quite low in two remaining indexes – Expat Essentials (digital life, admin topics, language, housing), and Quality of Life (including travel, transit, environment, healthcare, safety and security) – at 31st and 34th place, respectively.
Việt Nam's overall fifth-place finish put it behind Panama, Colombia, Mexico and Portugal, but ahead of Spain, Indonesia and the Philippines.
In the survey, 42 per cent of the respondents for Việt Nam are in the education sector and 74 per cent are male.
