Vietnam 16th top country for expat earnings: HSBC survey

Expats in Vietnam earn $90,408 annually on average, around 40 times higher than the country's per capita income

An annual HSBC survey says expats in Vietnam earn an average of $90,408 a year, ranking 16th in the world.
The London-based bank’s Expat Explorer Survey report was cited by U.S. news site Business Insider.

The survey, released last Thursday, interviewed around 25,000 expatriates from more than 100 countries and territories between March and April this year about their financial situation, and whether their disposable income was sufficient to cover their expenses.

According to the survey, expatriates in Vietnam earned $90,408 annually on average, which is around 40 times higher than the per capita income of Vietnam at $2,385 last year.

Meanwhile, with the cost of living in Vietnam for expatriates ranging from $700 to $1,400 per month, the country is among the affordable places for foreigners to settle down, according to a report by global cost of living database compiler Numbeo.

Asian countries made up seven of the top 10 countries with highest expat incomes. These include China, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

The top spot went to Switzerland, with average expat earnings of $202,865 a year.

Singapore remained the top choice in Southeast Asia for expats to live and work, with the average income standing around $162,172.

There are around 82,000 foreigners living and working in Vietnam. Recent surveys have shown that the country is a good place for foreigners to settle.

A survey done by Go Overseas, a U.S.-based listing and reviews site for programs abroad, revealed that Vietnam was among the world's nine countries paying the highest salaries for ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers.

With data updated until May this year, the survey found that a foreign English teacher can earn from VND22.7 million to VND45.5 million ($1,000 to $2,000) a month in Vietnam

The InterNations’ 2018 Expat Insider survey, published in March this year, ranked Vietnam among the 10 friendliest places on earth for expats.