Fireworks, Afternoon Tea, and $530 a Month Rent
Kuala Lumpur, or KL to the locals, is Malaysia's largest city. It's a fun place to explore and the more time you spend here, the more interesting places you'll discover.
Wendy’s love of travel was ignited at a very early age, when her grandparents brought back treasures and tales from India and Thailand. Her family took extensive trips throughout the United States, and as a young woman, she lived for two years in a Bavarian village a stone’s throw from the East German border. To finance her travels, she has worked as a bookkeeper, then as a business owner, as a registered nurse, and finally as the Director of Professional Services with a hospice in central California. She took an early retirement at the age of 51. In 2005, she and her husband, David, left the U.S. for Asia, achieving her dream of discovering new places, seeking out new adventures, and immersing herself in new cultures. Since that time, she has also fulfilled a life-long dream of being a writer. She has been writing for International Living since 2016, first as the Vietnam Correspondent, then as the Southeast Asia Correspondent, and most recently, as International Living’s Mexico Correspondent. After living in Southeast Asia for 16 years, Wendy now resides in the Spanish colonial city of Querétaro in the highlands of central Mexico.
In 2005, she and her husband David left the U.S. for Asia, fulfilling her dream of discovering new places, seeking out new adventures, and immersing herself in new cultures. Since that time, she has also fulfilled a life-long dream of becoming a writer. Wendy and David now live in Hanoi and are enjoying exploring the beaches, mountains, and restaurants in their new adopted home in Vietnam.
Kuala Lumpur, or KL to the locals, is Malaysia's largest city. It's a fun place to explore and the more time you spend here, the more interesting places you'll discover.
Wherever you are in Vietnam, you’ll find that the cost of living is very low. Even in the most expensive cities—Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi—two people can live well for less than $1,500 per month. If you’re hoping to find an even lower cost of living than that, my advice is to head for the beaches.
When you move to Vietnam, you’ll likely find that the people are delightful, the standard of living is high, the cost of living is low, and there aren’t enough hours in the day to explore Vietnam’s many wonders. Below are a few tips to help you get started on your Vietnamese adventure.