Retiring in Hoi An
Lantern-lit old town, rice paddies, a slower rhythm — popular with older expats who found Da Nang too busy. Houses with gardens rent for what a city one-bed costs.
A lantern-lit old town, rice paddies and a slower rhythm popular with older expats who found Da Nang too busy — houses with gardens rent for what a city one-bed costs. The old town is a daytime tourist crush, and the ancient quarter floods almost every Oct–Nov.
Retirees who want charm, gardens and calm over city convenience.
The old town is a tourist crush by day, and the Thu Bon river floods the ancient quarter almost every October–November — ground-floor renters learn this the hard way.
Ground-floor renters wary of flooding, and anyone who dislikes tourist crowds.
What Hoi An costs, measured against everywhere else
Of the 62 retiree bases we track across 17 countries, Hoi An is the 4th cheapest — 3 are cheaper, 58 are dearer. In Vietnam it is 2nd cheapest of 4.
Rent runs about 37% of the budget — $425 of $1,150, leaving $725 a month for everything else.
Our Vietnam page quotes $1,400 a month. Hoi An runs 18% below that, at $1,150 — which is why the country number is a starting point and not an answer. We measured that gap across all 62 cities: the median is 16.5%.
The same money in another country
Within 15% of Hoi An's budget, one city per country. The cost barely moves; the tax, the visa and the standard of care do.
Vietnam taxes you at Under review (foreign-pension exemption repealed with its circular; new law silent) and asks for No dedicated retiree visa. That line, not the rent, decides the swap — and flight time from your own city decides the rest, which depends on the passport you hold.
Other retiree bases in Vietnam
Ready to actually move to Vietnam?
The city tells you where to live. The country guide tells you how to get there — the visa routes step by step, which hospitals to register with, insurance, and the first 90 days on the ground.
See the full Vietnam relocation guide →Overall you'll live well on a third to a half of a US or UK budget — Vietnam is one of the cheapest credible retirement bases anywhere, and the coastal cities are cheaper still than Hanoi or central Saigon.