| While some of those are true, you're discounting the benefits of life in Vietnam far too quickly, especially if you are moving back from the US with savings and a social security check. - People are kinder to each other, that's worth more than many modern comforts. - feel free and comfortable and relatively safe to ride your moped in your 70's - everyone does. - get a cheap private Grab (Uber) if you are really incapable. - food chain supply is significantly better, resulting in fresher and with healthier options almost everywhere compare to most modern countrues. - most modern medicine is available, and their are counties with superior medicine with a few hours flight. For many specialties, it's the same in the US - except you may only fly between states rather than counties. Same distance though. Ultimately, quality of life is subjective. You may think you have luxeries like neverending fast food sitting on your ass watching netflix, while I think you have shackles to an un-natural lifestyle that is burdened with gluttony and misery. In my experience living in Vietnam, the people are poorer and work harder, but still happier than the average person stateside. If you judge quality of life by a standard of happiness, I think many modern countries loose. |
At the same time I have vietnamese friends who struggle to provide their children with education because private school with good English cost them $1000+ / month. And since they mostly have more than one child it's can be hard even if you own some family business and work two jobs.
Also I have foreigner friends who took a job offer for $60,000 and went to work to HCM or Hanoi and hate it here because air pollution and terrible and situation with transport and public infrastructure.