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Da Nang
#114 of 124
Asia

Da Nang

Vietnam

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Da Nang compare to Chicago?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Da Nang is 63% worse off vs in Chicago

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Da Nang compared to Chicago, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$13,635
-$126K (-90%) vs Chicago
Based on 230 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$10,090
-$83K (-89%) vs Chicago
Tax Rate: 26%

Community Insights

New

Da Nang is a lifestyle arbitrage paradise, not a career hub.

For software engineers, the city represents a split reality: it is one of the best places in the world to live if you bring your own remote job, and one of the worst if you need to find one locally. With a cost of living rank of #3 and a safety index of #9, it offers an unbeatable quality of life for those earning Western wages. You can live in a modern apartment near the beach, eat out daily, and save the majority of your income.

However, the trade-offs are real. The local tech market is small and pays poorly (Median SWE Salary ~$13k/year). Infrastructure nuances like construction noise, moldy apartments, and the rainy season (which can bring floods) require a period of adjustment. Furthermore, the lack of a long-term residency visa for nomads means your stay is often punctuated by visa runs, preventing a feeling of true permanence.

Resident Sentiment

Current residents are largely enamored with the lifestyle but weary of the logistics.

Most remote software engineers express zero regret about the move, citing the freedom and spending power as game-changers. The community is described as welcoming and chill. However, frustration is frequently vented regarding bureaucratic hurdles (visas) and environmental factors (noise, dampness). The consensus is that it's a fantastic place to spend a few years, but difficult to settle in permanently due to visa policies.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Chicago.

Rankings

Cost of Living

Top 2%

#3

of 124 cities

19/100

Current value (lower is better)

Safety Index

Top 7%

#9

of 124 cities

75.9/100

Current value

Tax Rate

Top 20%

#25

of 124 cities

26%

Current value (lower is better)

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Da Nang compared to Chicago?

Avg. Property Price
$2,542 / m²
19% cheaper than Chicago
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Da Nang to maintain the same standard of living.

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Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
71% cheaper than Chicago
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Da Nang

Microsoft logo
Microsoft
Axon logo
Axon
Grab logo
Grab

The Good

  • Extremely low cost of living (ranked #3 cheapest of 124 cities), allowing for a high savings rate if earning foreign currency.
  • Beachside lifestyle with a relaxed pace, offering a unique balance between city amenities and nature (mountains, ocean).
  • Growing digital nomad community with plentiful cafes and coworking spaces catering to remote software engineers.
  • Internet reliability is generally good to excellent in the city, sufficient for video calls and remote desktop work.
  • Safe environment (ranked #9 safety index globally), making it very secure for expats and solo travelers.
  • Food and coffee culture is vibrant, affordable, and high-quality, a major perk cited by residents.

The Bad

  • Abysmal local salaries (median ~$13k/year), meaning working for a local company is financially unviable for most Westerners.
  • Visa uncertainty remains a major stressor; Vietnam lacks a dedicated digital nomad visa, forcing many to rely on 90-day e-visa runs.
  • Mold and humidity issues are common in rentals, especially during the rainy season, requiring careful apartment selection.
  • Noise pollution from rampant construction, karaoke, and traffic is a frequent complaint in residential areas.
  • Limited local tech scene compared to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi; few networking opportunities for serious corporate career advancement.
  • Language barrier is significant; the local Da Nang accent is difficult even for those who have studied standard Vietnamese.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

The Remote Bootstrapper or Digital Nomad.

Software engineers who already have a remote job earning USD/EUR/GBP will thrive here. It is ideal for those who value work-life balance, surfing/beach life, and saving money over big-city hustle. If you want to burn rate your runway while building a startup, or simply enjoy a high standard of living on a mid-level salary, Da Nang is perfect.

Skip it if...

The Corporate Climber or On-Site Job Seeker.

Do not move here if you expect to find a high-paying local job; you will be taking a massive pay cut compared to Western or even other Asian tech hubs. It is also unsuitable for those who are highly sensitive to noise, require pristine Western housing standards, or need a guaranteed long-term visa without border runs.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather1.5/10-64% vs Chicago
Safety76+120%
Pollution53+5%
Events0-100%
1.5/10TechCities weather score vs 4.2/10 in Chicago

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
30°C(vs 15°C in Chicago)
Average Low
23°C(vs 8°C in Chicago)
Sunshine Hours
2,182h/yr-326h/yr(-13%)
Hottest Month High
34°C(vs 28°C in Chicago)
Coldest Month Low
19°C(vs -5°C in Chicago)
Rainy Days
101/yr+10/yr(+11%)

Community & Quality

Da Nang community pulse

Da Nang has 0 Luma events listed.

100% fewer events than Chicago.

Pollution Score

Middle of the pack

#76

of 124 cities

53/100

Current value (lower is better)

Community Events

Bottom 32%

#86

of 124 cities

0 events on luma

Current value

Comfortable Weather

Bottom 11%

#112

of 124 cities

15/100 weather score

Current value

Purchasing Power

Bottom 9%

#114

of 124 cities

Home Affordability

Bottom 8%

#115

of 124 cities

≈20.2 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Net Income

Bottom 4%

#120

of 124 cities

$10,090/yr

Current value

SWE Affordability
20.2 years
17.5 years longer than Chicago
Muggy Days
323/yr+281/yr(+671%)
Cloud Cover
72%(vs 47% in Chicago)