Vietnam (VN)
Vietnam is a dynamic, rapidly developing Socialist Republic stretching 1,650km down the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula — a country of extraordinary geographical diversity, from the karst mountains of the north and the Red River Delta, through the stunning coastline of the Central region, to the vast Mekong Delta in the south.
Daily Life
Practical day-to-day information for living in Vietnam.
🛒 Supermarkets
Formerly VinMart (Vingroup subsidiary), rebranded to WinMart after acquisition by Masan Group. Largest supermarket chain in Vietnam with 2,000+ locations nationwide. Wide range of domestic and imported products. Reliable quality control. English-friendly with some imported goods. Accepts MoMo, VNPay, Zalo Pay and major cards.
Saigon Co.op cooperative chain — one of Vietnam's oldest and most trusted supermarket networks. Strong fresh produce section. Pricing slightly below WinMart. Multiple locations in HCMC, Hanoi and provincial cities. Loyalty card available.
Korean-owned hypermarket chain with large stores in major cities. Good range of Korean, Japanese and international imports. Excellent for electronics, household goods and fresh food. Hanoi: 4 locations; HCMC: multiple. Popular with Korean expat community.
Japanese retail group with large mall-format stores in HCMC (Tân Phú, Bình Dương, Hà Đông), Hanoi and expanding. Japanese quality standards, extensive food hall, fresh sushi, Japanese snacks and household products. Popular with Japanese and international expat communities.
Upmarket imported food retailer targeting expat and affluent local market. French cheese, European deli meats, artisan bread, wines, organic produce. Expensive by Vietnamese standards but one of the best for Western ingredients. Hanoi: Tây Hồ; HCMC: multiple locations in District 2 (Thảo Điền).
Neighbourhood supermarket chains common in HCMC and Hanoi residential areas. Good for daily essentials. Citimart popular in HCMC residential districts.
Cash-and-carry wholesale format (formerly Metro Vietnam). Membership required. Best for bulk buying — restaurant supplies, cleaning products, frozen goods. Several locations per major city. Requires basic Vietnamese or a helper app for labels.
Opening Hours
Supermarkets: 7:00–22:00 daily (many open 8:00–21:00). Hypermarkets: 8:00–22:00 daily. Government offices: Mon–Fri 8:00–11:30, 13:00–17:00 (closed Sat–Sun and public holidays). Banks: Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00 (some open Saturday morning). Restaurants: typically 6:00–22:00 with many open later. Street food stalls: often 5:00–10:00 (morning shift) and 16:00–midnight (evening). Pharmacies: 7:00–22:00. Hospitals: 24/7 emergency; outpatient Mon–Fri 7:00–16:00. Post offices: 7:30–17:00 Mon–Sat.
Sunday Rules
Vietnam has no Sunday trading restrictions. Shops, supermarkets, restaurants, markets, cafés and entertainment venues operate normally 7 days a week. Sundays are often busier at food markets and parks. Government offices and banks are closed Sunday. This makes Vietnam very convenient for weekly routines — no need to stock up or plan around closures.
Recycling
Vietnam does not have a formal separated household waste collection system at the national level. Most areas operate a single-bin system where all waste is collected together by municipal services. However, informal waste pickers (đồng nát / ve chai collectors) pass through neighbourhoods collecting cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminium cans and scrap metal — leave recyclables separate by the roadside and they will be collected. Urban pilot programmes: HCMC and Hanoi are running district-level waste separation pilots (biodegradable / recyclable / other) in 2024–2026. Some modern condominiums and serviced apartments provide separate bins. For electronics (điện tử phế thải): manufacturer take-back schemes (Samsung, LG, Panasonic) available at retail stores. Large items: coordinate with building management or use licensed collectors. Plastics awareness: Vietnam is among the world's top ocean plastic polluters — ongoing NGO and government campaigns. Practical tip: bring your own bags (túi tái sử dụng) and refuse plastic straws (ống hút nhựa) — increasingly common in urban cafés.
Dining Out
Vietnam is one of the world's great food cultures and dining out is a daily pleasure even on modest budgets. Street food stalls (quán vỉa hè): ₫20,000–₫60,000 per dish — the best food in Vietnam. Local casual restaurants (quán cơm, bún shops): ₫40,000–₫120,000 per meal. Mid-range restaurants: ₫150,000–₫400,000 per person. Upscale international dining: ₫500,000–₫2,000,000+ per person. Alcohol: bia hơi ₫5,000–₫15,000/glass, Tiger/Bia Hanoi ₫30,000–₫60,000/bottle, imported beer ₫80,000–₫150,000, wine at restaurants ₫400,000–₫2,000,000/bottle. Ordering: point to what you want if menus are Vietnamese-only. Most city restaurants now have English menus or photo menus. Food apps: Grab Food, ShopeeFood, and Baemin (recently rebranded) for delivery — minimum order typically ₫50,000–₫100,000.
Utilities & Internet
Electricity: provided by Electricity of Vietnam (EVN — Tập đoàn Điện lực Việt Nam). Expats in rented apartments typically pay through landlords who may pass on EVN rates or apply a markup (common in non-condo rentals — negotiate this in the lease). Official EVN residential rate: ~₫1,806–₫3,460/kWh depending on consumption tier (2025 rates). Air conditioning dominates costs — a 1-bedroom apartment in HCMC runs ₫800,000–₫2,500,000/month for electricity. Water: provided by municipal water companies at ₫5,000–₫12,000/m³ depending on city. Internet: VNPT (formerly state telecom), Viettel (military-owned, largest by coverage), FPT Telecom — fibre packages from ₫170,000/month (50 Mbps) to ₫400,000/month (500 Mbps). Installation free or ₫200,000 one-time. Gas: LPG cylinders (~₫500,000/cylinder, lasts 2–3 months for cooking). Piped gas available in some newer developments. Hanoi has colder winters — heating costs via air conditioning (reverse cycle) add to utility bills November–February.
Cultural Tips for Expats
- → Zalo is Vietnam's dominant messaging app (like LINE in Thailand). Essential for communicating with landlords, local businesses, schools and Vietnamese colleagues. Download it before you need it.
- → Negotiating prices is expected at wet markets (chợ), street vendor stalls, xe ôm motorbike taxis and tourist shops. Fix price at supermarkets and branded restaurants. Always agree before starting any service.
- → Face (thể diện) is a critical social concept — avoid criticising or embarrassing anyone publicly. Address problems privately and diplomatically. Vietnamese people rarely say 'no' directly — learn to read polite deflection.
- → Coffee culture is a fundamental part of Vietnamese life. Cà phê is drunk from early morning (5am at some stalls). Working in a café for hours with one coffee is perfectly normal — it's a social office as much as a café.
- → Karaoke (karaoke) is an extremely popular social activity across all age groups. Being invited to sing is a gesture of friendship — polite participation is appreciated even if your singing is terrible.
- → Motorbike culture is central to daily life — most goods, from food deliveries to furniture, are transported by motorbike. The organised chaos of traffic has its own rules: flow with it rather than against it.
- → Vietnamese time can be flexible in social contexts but exact in professional ones. 'Đến rồi' (I'm on the way / I've arrived) may mean anything from 5 minutes to 30 minutes away.
- → Alcohol consumption is high — drinking with business partners or colleagues is a significant bonding ritual. Saying you do not drink alcohol for health or religious reasons is acceptable and respected.
- → Wet markets (chợ) open from 5am–10am for fresh produce — the freshest and cheapest meat, fish, vegetables and herbs. Essential knowledge for self-catering expats. Bring your own bags.
Quiet Hours
Vietnam has noise pollution regulations under Decree 155/2016/ND-CP (Environmental Violation Penalties) which set permissible noise levels. In practice, enforcement in residential areas is complaint-driven and inconsistent. Modern condominiums (chung cư) and serviced apartment buildings post their own nội quy (house rules) which typically specify quiet hours. Traditional residential streets are significantly louder than European norms — expect motorbike engines, street food vendors with loudspeakers, karaoke, and temple loudspeakers as community-sanctioned noise.
Modern condominiums and serviced apartments in HCMC and Hanoi enforce quiet after 22:00 through building security and ban committees (Ban quản lý tòa nhà). Complaints go to building management first.
Construction projects require permits and are supposed to observe working hours. In practice, enforcement is inconsistent and nighttime construction occurs around major infrastructure projects.
Temple bells, pagoda loudspeakers, wedding tents with karaoke, and Tết fireworks are community-sanctioned events. During Tết (Lunar New Year), noise levels increase dramatically for several days — this is culturally normal and expected.
- •Expecting European noise standards in street-level housing — Vietnamese residential areas are significantly louder.
- •Complaining about karaoke from neighbours — in many buildings this is culturally tolerated until 22:00 or midnight.
- •Choosing a ground-floor unit in HCMC without checking street noise — motorbike traffic starts before 06:00.
Building management (Ban quản lý) warning for condo rule violations; fines under Decree 155/2016 for commercial noise violations (VND 1–40M depending on dB level). Residential enforcement is primarily social — talking to neighbours first is always more effective than formal complaints in Vietnam.
Postal Services
Vietnam Post (Bưu Điện Việt Nam; vnpost.vn) is the national postal operator. For e-commerce deliveries — which dominate parcel activity in Vietnam — the major private couriers are GHN (Giao Hàng Nhanh), GHTK (Giao Hàng Tiết Kiệm), J&T Express, Ninja Van and Best Express. Cash on delivery (COD — thanh toán khi nhận hàng) is extremely common for domestic e-commerce. For international express: DHL and FedEx operate from HCMC and Hanoi.
Automated parcel lockers are not yet mainstream in Vietnam. Most deliveries are door-to-door with phone coordination: the courier calls or messages via Zalo when nearby. For missed deliveries, collection from the nearest courier branch (bưu cục) is standard. Many modern condominiums have a building post room or concierge who accepts parcels.
Vietnam Post requires a CMND (national ID) or passport to collect registered and international parcels from post offices. For banking services at post offices (Vietnam Post provides some financial services), additional documentation may be required. SIM card registration requires passport plus biometric verification in-store.
Vietnam Post offers bưu phẩm bảo đảm (registered mail) for tracked domestic delivery with signature confirmation. For immigration (Cục Quản lý Xuất nhập cảnh), tax (Tổng cục Thuế) and legal correspondence, use registered post or private couriers with tracking. Keep tracking numbers and screenshots for any official correspondence.
Vietnam Post does not operate a reliable automatic forwarding service. When moving, notify your employer, bank, school and relevant government authorities directly. For expats leaving Vietnam, arrange private courier forwarding or use a trusted contact to hold mail before departure.
- →Install Zalo immediately — couriers communicate delivery status via Zalo or phone call rather than leaving notification cards.
- →For Shopee, Lazada and Tiki online shopping: GHN, GHTK and J&T are the main courier partners; use COD for first orders from new sellers.
- →DHL Express Vietnam operates from HCMC (District 1) and Hanoi (Hoàn Kiếm); reliable for international documents — allow 3–5 business days for EU/US.
- →Customs on imports: goods valued above USD 1,000,000 VND equivalent may attract import duties at customs — declare accurately and retain purchase invoices.