Digital Nomad Vietnam: One-Month Plan

Vietnam has become a serious digital nomad destination since 2023, especially since the Digital Talent Visa (DTV) opened a 5-year multi-entry path for qualifying remote workers. This itinerary assumes you want to work most weekdays and travel light at weekends. HCMC is the standard base because of internet speed, coworking density and flight connectivity; Hanoi is the alternative.

The shape of the trip

Week 1: Settle in HCMC, set up routines. Week 2: HCMC base, weekend in Mui Ne or Vung Tau. Week 3: HCMC weekdays, fly to Hoi An for the weekend. Week 4: Move to Hanoi for the final week with a Ha Long weekend.

This gives you a steady workweek and one strong weekend trip per week without losing too much productivity to transit.

Week-by-week

Week	Base	Pattern
1	HCMC	District 3 or 7 serviced apartment, coworking signup, weekend at home
2	HCMC	Standard workweek + 2-night Mui Ne or Vung Tau weekend
3	HCMC	Workweek + Hoi An weekend (fly Fri eve, return Sun eve)
4	Hanoi	Move Mon morning, Hanoi workweek, Ha Long Bay weekend

Where to stay in HCMC

• District 1: central, expensive, tourist heavy. Good for short stays.
• District 3: quieter, French villas, lots of cafes. The nomad sweet spot.
• Thao Dien (District 2): expat enclave east of the river. Quietest, leafiest, most international restaurants. 20-minute Grab to district 1.
• Phu My Hung (District 7): modern, planned, sterile. Good for families. Far from the action.

Serviced apartments on Booking.com for monthly rates: budget USD 600-900/month for a studio in district 3 or 7; mid-range USD 900-1,500 for a 1-bed.

Coworking spaces

• Dreamplex (multiple HCMC locations): the original, well-organised, USD 150-200/month.
• The Hive (Thao Dien): leafy, international community.
• Toong (multiple HCMC and Hanoi): boutique, very Vietnamese aesthetic.
• WeWork (HCMC and Hanoi): standard global product.
• CirCO (HCMC): tech-startup feel, popular with founders.

Cafes are also workable: The Workshop (district 1), Loft (Saigon), Things Cafe (Thao Dien). Most have wifi 50-200 Mbps.

Internet, SIM, banking

• Mobile data: Viettel monthly unlimited at USD 6-10. Tourist SIM from airport works for the first day; switch to a registered SIM at any Viettel store with passport.
• Home internet: any serviced apartment in district 3 or Thao Dien will have 100+ Mbps fibre. Test before signing.
• VPN: Vietnam blocks no major work tool but slows some (Slack occasionally, Google Drive rarely). A VPN smooths this; ExpressVPN and Mullvad both work consistently.
• Banking: open a Timo account if staying long term (entirely app-based, English-friendly). Otherwise Wise/Revolut + ATM withdrawals from Sacombank, TPBank, MB Bank (lowest fees).

Weekend trips from HCMC

• Mui Ne (3-hour drive): kitesurfing, dunes, beach. Take a Limousine van Friday evening, return Sunday evening.
• Vung Tau (2-hour drive): beach city, cheaper and faster than Mui Ne. Less interesting.
• Hoi An (1-hour flight + 45 min): UNESCO town and beach. Flights from USD 40 each way booked early.
• Da Lat (1-hour flight or 6-hour bus): highlands, coffee farms, cool weather respite.
• Phu Quoc (1-hour flight): beach weekend at JW Marriott or budget bungalow.
• Phnom Penh (1-hour flight): for a Cambodia weekend stamp.

Estimated monthly cost

Mid-range single nomad in HCMC district 3:

Item	USD
Serviced apartment	800-1,200
Coworking	150-200
Food (mixed cafe, restaurant, occasional cook)	400-600
Mobile and home internet	30
Local Grab and taxis	100-150
Two weekend trips (flights + 2 nights)	250-450
Hanoi week (apartment + flights both ways)	350-500
Coffee and gym	100-150
Total	2,180-3,280

Frugal nomads can hit USD 1,400/month on this pattern; comfortable ones USD 4,000.

Visa logistics

• 30-day e-visa: USD 25, multi-entry available, the standard short-stay option.
• 90-day e-visa: USD 50, also available, multi-entry. Best for a month-plus stay.
• DTV (Digital Talent Visa): 5-year multi-entry, requires qualifying remote employment or freelance contracts. Application through Vietnamese embassy; document-intensive.
• Visa runs: if your e-visa expires, exit by air to Bangkok, Phnom Penh or Singapore and re-enter on a new e-visa. Land borders also work.

When to do this trip

December-March is the southern dry season: low humidity, sunny, comfortable working weather. April-May is hot but bearable. June-October is the wet season (humid, daily heavy afternoon showers); still workable if you do not mind. Hanoi is the opposite pattern: best October-April for the cool dry months.

What it skips

• Deep travel. This is base-and-weekend living.
• Northern adventure (Ha Giang, Sapa). Too far for a weekend.
• Sustained beach time. Phu Quoc is a weekend, not a stay.

Related: HCMC, DTV 5-year visa, vietnam one month, retirees slow itinerary, Mui Ne.