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Hiếu Mạnh wrote this article in Vietnamese, published in Luat Khoa Magazine on April 8, 2025

With the rising cost of living in Việt Nam's major cities, a contentious public debate has emerged around a single figure: 10 million đồng per month (approximately $390). Many believe a salary below this amount is simply not enough to live on.

The debate is most intense in places like Hà Nội, which the National Statistics Bureau ranked the country's most expensive city in 2023, followed by Hồ Chí Minh City, Quảng Ninh, and Hải Phòng.

But is 10 million đồng truly a livable wage? The answer lies in the financial reality of two of the country's most common profiles: factory workers and white-collar office employees.

Profile 1: Factory Workers For a factory worker in Việt Nam, a salary of 10 million đồng per month is largely aspirational. In reality, the average monthly income in industrial zones ranges from only 4–7.5 million đồng, according to a 2025 report from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor. At best, a single worker earning 10 million đồng could scrape by in Hồ Chí Minh City by renting a cheap room and living with extreme frugality.

With such low wages, workers cannot save or invest in healthcare or education. Many are forced into harsh living conditions, residing in cramped, overheated quarters, sending their children to be raised by grandparents in rural areas, or using unlicensed daycare centers where abuse and even fatalities have occurred.

To survive, many take on multiple jobs—a phenomenon experts call "working more to buy basic welfare." A report in Thanh Niên documented a family of four in Hà Nội surviving on just 50,000 đồng (about $2) for dinner, with many families admitting to skipping meals or relying on instant noodles.

Trapped by financial strain, workers often fall into predatory lending cycles or view their social insurance books as a last-resort lifeline, cashing them out early to return to rural life or to change careers. One worker from Hồ Chí Minh City shared that their household income dropped from a stable 12–13 million đồng to barely enough for rent after one spouse lost their job in 2024, prompting the family to leave the city.

Profile 2: Office Workers For white-collar office staff, a 10 million đồng monthly salary is no guarantee of financial security in Hà Nội or Hồ Chí Minh City. Basic social activities, like occasional meals with friends or coworkers, can stretch a budget thin.

One Hà Nội-based accountant reported that her family of four spends around 5 million đồng per month on food alone. At the same time, a young office worker in Hồ Chí Minh City noted that eating out daily can cost 150,000–200,000 đồng, wiping out a 13 million đồng salary by the end of the month. See the table below (unit: million VND đồng).

Expense Category

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)

Hanoi

Surplus/Deficit after Expenses

+0 to -4

-1 to -5

Transportation (Fuel)

0.5

Miscellaneous (gifts, medicine, clothing, etc.)

0.5 – 1

Utilities (electricity, water, phone)

1

Childcare / Sending money to children back home

1.5 – 3

Income

10

Total Expenses

10 – 14

11 – 15

Food

3 – 4.5

3.5 – 5

Rent (room near the workplace)

3.5 – 4

4 – 4.5

The financial burden becomes heaviest for those with children. For infants, costs for formula, diapers, and meals can range from 3–6 million đồng per month. If both parents work and need private daycare, that adds another 2–4 million đồng. These costs often force mothers to stay home or switch to part-time work, placing the entire financial load on a single income.

Budgets are often tipped into the red when factoring in utilities, which can easily surpass 1.5 million đồng for a family, and other costs like transportation, healthcare, and gifts.

Most urban couples estimate that a combined income of 15–20 million đồng is the bare minimum to sustain a small family. As one mother in Hồ Chí Minh City stated, a household would need at least 20 million đồng per person to live comfortably and save. At 10 million đồng per person, planning for the future is virtually impossible.

The Verdict on a Livable Wage The verdict is clear: in cities like Hồ Chí Minh City and Hà Nội, a 10 million đồng monthly salary is not a livable wage for a family. While it may suffice for a single person living with extreme frugality, it is entirely inadequate for supporting children or planning for the future.

In reality, even this 10 million đồng figure is an optimistic benchmark, as many Vietnamese workers still earn well below this level. Survival may be possible for those who own a family home in the city—a "magic shield" against rising costs. However, for migrants without property, living on such a salary is a daily struggle. For them, dreams of buying a home, a car, or simply saving for a better tomorrow remain far out of reach.