Foreign tourists at Bach Dang Wharf Park in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, December 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran
Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have joined the list of 10 fastest-growing remote working hubs for digital nomads, thanks to free Wi-Fi services and cheap cost of living, according to a report.
The central seaside city of Da Nang ranked second on the list after Tokyo in Japan, seeing 109% growth in digital nomads in 2023, according to Nomad List, the largest crowdsourced database of remote workers in the world .
Hanoi comes in seventh with growth of 58% and HCMC ninth with 55%.
Da Nang is considered the third most important city in Vietnam after Hanoi and HCMC and offers free Wi-Fi in the city center with fast internet speeds.
The monthly cost of living for a nomad in Da Nang was $942.
Known for its long sandy beaches, Da Nang is often used as a springboard to access three world-famous heritage sites: the Imperial Capital of Hue, My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An Town.
Hanoi and HCMC, where free Wi-Fi services are available in public places, have been considered politically safe destinations by digital nomads.
Meanwhile, the cost of living in Hanoi was $1,289 per month and in HCMC was $1,157.
Tokyo took the top spot as the fastest-growing destination for digital nomads, growing 246% this year.
Seoul comes third, followed by Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
To compile the list, Nomad List experts ranked the fastest-growing remote work centers by analyzing nearly 300,000 records in their database over the past two years.
Vietnam has not yet launched a visa specifically for digital nomads.
Citizens from nearly 200 countries can easily apply for a tourist visa online and stay in Vietnam for up to 90 days.
In Southeast Asia, only Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia offer special visa programs allowing foreigners to work remotely under certain conditions.
