Moving to Hanoi
Hanoi
-
Affordability 5 out of 5
-
Safety 4 out of 5
-
Healthcare 2 out of 5
-
Traffic Flow 1 out of 5
-
Property affordability 1 out of 5
-
Climate 4 out of 5
-
Environment quality 2 out of 5
Known as the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi was founded in 1010 when the King named Ly Cong Uan was looking for a new capital to replace Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh province. This area was examined as the excellent region for developing agriculture, trading, and building the military system at that time. Day after day, Hanoi has become the largest city in Vietnam with 3328.9 square kilometers dividing into 12 districts, 1 town, and 17 suburbs. It is also the second –biggest- populated city in this country with nearly 7 million people by 2011.
This city is typical of the tropical-monsoon climate, manifesting in the cold winter and hot summer. In the summer, rain and storms are prevalent. Sometimes, this country gets serious storms originated from the North -East Pacific ocean. Fortunately, such storms are not as dangerous as ones in the Philippines, the typical – storm country in the South East Asia.
With the locations of most of the Governmental organizations, Hanoi is known as the political center of Vietnam. This feature becomes the strength of this city in attracting foreign investors since it takes a little time to process legal procedures.
Hanoi is also famous for its mixed and charming culture, which combines the traditional culture with the modern developed throughout its long history. During the nineteenth century, French dominated and created the modern traits for Hanoi’s architecture. Along with the industrialisation in Vietnam, the Capital is building its new face with many new urban areas such as My Dinh, Nam Thang Long, Dinh Cong, Viet Hung, Linh Dam, and others.
Select the size of your move to get free quotes
Job market
Since Hanoi is the economic centre of Vietnam, its job market is dynamic with various job offers from companies located in this area. With 290 foreign investment projects, 14 industrial zones, 16000 manufacturers and commercial traders, and 1400 foreign representative offices, it provides a tremendous potential for job seekers. Although there are 3.2 million job seekers, companies still face difficulties in hiring high-quality employees. Thus, highly skilled migrants are welcome here and can easily get a desired job.
By the end of 2013, the average income of an employee here was nearly £1800 annually while high -skilled people could get up to £6000 per month, excluding foreigners. Foreigners always get a higher salary compared to Vietnamese. The survey conducted by Navigos Search in the second quarter of 2014 indicated that top five industries, demanding high-skilled employees, were manufacturing (17%), retailing (14%), Finance, Banking, and Insurance (10%), Information Technology (9%), and Textile (7%).
Property information
The price of real estate in Hanoi is considerably cheaper compared to that in the western cities. The price for an apartment can range from £22,000 to £165,000 depending on size and location. It takes about £3 to £7 per a square meter per month to rent an apartment, or in other words a two bedroom apartment would cost you less than £350 a month. Due to attractive rent prices a significant proportion of the population prefers renting property instead of buying.
It is not uncommon for families to live together with their parents and sometimes even grandparents in the same house.
Recently, due to the increase of foreigners, moving to the Capital, the Government is considering to allow them to purchase houses or apartments. However the final decisions has not been made yet.
Neighbourhoods
Hanoi is located in the centre of Hong River Delta Area, so it neighbors many provinces – Thai Nguyen and Vinh Phuc province to the north, Ha Nam and Hoa Binh province to the south, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, and Hung Yen to the East, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho to the West.
All the neighbourhoods in Hanoi are under continuous development and are relatively culturally diverse. For instance Vinh Phuc, Bac Giang, and Bac Ninh provinces are quickly expanding industrial zones. Thai Nguyen, Hoa Binh, and Phu Tho are slower in the economic development than others, but with an enormous potential for tourism.
Schools and education
Hanoi is the biggest education centre of Vietnam. It encompasses 677 primary schools, 581 secondary schools and 186 high schools with a total of nearly 1 million students in 2009.
The city also hosts an excess of 50 colleges and universities, each of them being strong in specific disciplines. For instance, National Economics University is the most famous school for economics and business in Vietnam. The Hanoi National University of Education is best known for Education course. Hanoi Medical University is considered to be the best university for medical studies.
Furthermore, there are many schools for foreigners including the Vietnamese–Australian school, United National International School, British International School and Ha Noi Academy.
Cost of moving
The average shipping cost of moving for a family of three from the following cities will cost approximately:
| Country | Cost |
|---|---|
| Sydney | £1,819 to £1,944 |
| London | £1,685 to £1,801 |
| Dubai | £5,102 to £5,454 |
| Toronto | £2,247 to £2,402 |
A day in the life
Because of the heavy traffic in Hanoi commuting to work may sometimes prove to be a challenge. Therefore, it is always a wise idea to consider renting a property as close to your place of work as possible. If you’re considering working in the city centre you would probably find Hoan Kiem, Dong Da, Hai Ba Trung, Ba Dinh, and Thanh Xuan districts to be the most convenient ones.
The prominent feature of the Capital is the abundance of places with delicious and reasonably-priced food and drinks. Thus, you may be able to find “Phở” (the famous Hanoi noodles breakfast) or “Bún chả” and “Bánh cuốn” (special Vietnamese breads with meat) just outside your house.
In Hanoi, the working hours are from 8 am to 5 pm with a two-hour lunch break from around 11.30 am until 1.30 pm. It is not uncommon for people to enjoy a traditional lunch with several courses. Although there are many luxury restaurants to chose from for lunch, most of the people prefer going to such restaurants as Quan Ngon at Phan Boi Chau street, Buffet restaurant at Bui Thi Xuan street, Pizza Hutt, KFC, or “Phở” restaurants in the Old Towns around Hoan Kiem Lake.
Dinner is normally held at home with families. However, occasionally people will go out to restaurants in the famous entertainment areas such as Royal City, Times City, Pico Mall or Vincom Center. Singles also have plenty of options to chose from. You can find most of the best bars, clubs and parks in Ho Tay, Thu Le, Lenin, Back Thao.
Hanoi is an attractive city with a mix of different cultures. Although you may encounter some cultural difficulties, expats are normally supported by the locals in finding houses for rental, selecting schools, or simply learning their culture. Once you adapt to the local culture, getting around and making friends becomes as easy as anywhere else.