Video summary

We Lived in Asia for 7 Months… Here's Where We'd Retire

Main summary

Key takeaways

Lifestyle

Overview

The video ranks three Southeast Asian cities they visited (not entire countries) for potential retirement based on 8 categories:

  • Cost of living
  • Health care
  • Long-term/retirement visa options
  • English language
  • Food
  • Fitness / gym scene
  • Expat community
  • Ease of daily life

Their rankings reflect their personal experiences and needs, not universal “best” advice.

Rankings by City

1) Da Nang, Vietnam

  • Cost of living (winner category)

    • Very affordable for accommodations, food, groceries, restaurants, and daily necessities

  • Health care

    • Accessible, not expensive, professional
    • Example: Friday emergency help for kidney stones—staff moved quickly even though the place was closed at first
    • Pharmacies were easy to use and very helpful
    • Blood tests: walk in, no scheduling, ~10–15 minutes; results returned within a couple hours via email
    • Dental care: crown replacement about $200–$275 (vs >$1,000 in the US)

  • Long-term visa / staying options

    • Vietnam doesn’t offer easy long-term retirement visas (as described)
    • Common approach: apply for a 90-day e-visa, then do visa runs every 3 months
    • Not convenient for staying 1–2 years continuously

  • English spoken

    • Younger people: good English
    • Older generations/local communities: less English
    • In tourist/service areas (restaurants, hospitals, massage), English is more widely available

  • Food

    • Strong love for Vietnamese cuisine, plus many international options

  • Fitness / gym

    • Gyms were generally decent but rarely had air conditioning
    • During July/August, training without AC was described as brutal

  • Expat community

    • Lots of younger digital nomads and also retirees
    • Mentioned groups:
      • “50+ Coffee” meetup (set up by a New Zealander before they arrived)
      • Pickleball meetups
      • Many meetups for younger entrepreneurs/nomads as well

  • Ease of daily life

    • Easy once you learn local walking routes (sidewalks can be blocked by parked scooters/bikes)
    • Lots within walking distance (grocery, restaurants, errands)
    • Grab rides were very affordable (~$2–$3 USD) for hot days or trips to beach/malls

  • Key takeaway

    • Best for affordability + solid health care + conveniences, but visa flexibility and gym AC can be limiting.

2) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (tied for #1 overall by closeness)

  • Cost of living

    • Good, but less affordable than Da Nang
    • Accommodation and food generally higher

  • Health care

    • Described as top-notch
    • They personally used pharmacies; friends did full body checkups at Prince Court

  • Long-term visa

    • “Malaysia My Second Home” (MM2H) visa with 4 tiers
    • Requirements mentioned:
      • keep a deposit amount in the bank
      • buy property and can’t sell for years

  • English spoken

    • Very easy—English is widely used (noted as former British colony)
    • Signs/menus/directions and grocery stores often in English
    • No Google Translate needed for groceries (as described)

  • Food

    • Very diverse: Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western, and more

  • Fitness / gym

    • Strong gym scene with good equipment, cleanliness, and good English-speaking staff
    • Example feature: a gym offered spinning classes and provided clip-in spin shoes (disinfected after class), useful for travelers
    • Other options around them: boxing classes, coaching, spin, running clubs

  • Expat community

    • Large expat population due to KL being a major financial hub
    • Mentioned neighborhood being more geared toward younger expat families (international schools)

  • Ease of daily life

    • High accessibility: grocery stores close by; movies and transit easy in English
    • Movie theater experience mentioned:
      • concierge-style ticket help/escort
      • served meals brought to your seat; more than basic popcorn

  • Key takeaway

    • Best blend for English convenience + healthcare + fitness options + daily ease, with cost slightly higher than Da Nang.

3) Chiang Mai, Thailand

  • Cost of living

    • About the same as Kuala Lumpur (slightly higher than Da Nang, but “not by much”)

  • Health care

    • “Top-notch” and includes big hospitals
    • Completed a full body checkup at Chiang Mai Ram Hospital
      • Cost mentioned: $290 per person
      • Took ~2 days with extra tests as needed
      • Fast process and patient escorts to keep appointments on time
    • Nearby professional pharmacy; also a Starbucks within walking distance

  • Long-term visa options

    • Multiple options described:
      • 10-year renewable long-term resident visa (~$1,500 USD), for higher-income/asset levels (not framed as typical for “average” people)
      • DTV (Destination Thailand Visa):
        • described as newer and popular
        • application cost mentioned around ~$300 USD
        • qualification routes: language school (Thai), cooking school, Muay Thai school
    • They stress they’re not visa advisers and recommend doing research/asking professionals

  • English spoken

    • Good English throughout tourist/digital-nomad/service areas in Chiang Mai

  • Food

    • “Unbeatable”
    • Lots of cafés, street food, night markets near their Airbnb
    • Friendly vendors who offered help and advice
    • Mentioned connecting with local owners (Japanese place next door; Thai café across the street)
    • Night markets described as affordable and varied (including an Irish place inside a night market)

  • Fitness / gym

    • Visited a couple gyms; one had an easy daily-rate model
    • Example gym details:
      • daily rate, minimal/no paperwork
      • didn’t need to show passport/ID (as described)
      • paid cash each day
      • had locker rooms
      • fans but no air conditioning

  • Expat community

    • Strong expat/digital nomad presence (“not one time” they didn’t see foreigners)
    • Mentioned lots of Facebook groups dedicated to Chiang Mai
    • Framed Chiang Mai as a digital-nomad hub—services cater heavily to that crowd

  • Ease of daily life

    • Extremely convenient:
      • 7-Elevens and grocery options nearby (even multiple on/near the same street)
      • restaurants close to their apartment
      • gym about a 10-minute walk

  • Key takeaway

    • Excellent for food, convenience, expat/digital-nomad density, and healthcare, with gym AC typically absent.

Overall Conclusion (“Their Retirement Shortlist”)

  • Top overall pick: Kuala Lumpur, barely

    • They found it edged out Chiang Mai and Da Nang for their priorities.

  • Category winners they mentioned

    • Cost of living: Da Nang
    • Health care: Kuala Lumpur (healthcare lead, in context)
    • Long-term visa options: Kuala Lumpur for the MM2H program described; Thailand also has multiple options
    • English: Kuala Lumpur
    • Food: all three were strong (no major differentiation)
    • Fitness: all three were good, with KL emphasized for their needs
    • Expat community: Chiang Mai (best/most concentrated, especially for digital nomads)
    • Ease of daily life: Kuala Lumpur (later stated as the winner), though Da Nang and Chiang Mai also did well

Notable Locations, Products, and Speakers Mentioned

Cities

  • Da Nang (Vietnam)
  • Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
  • Chiang Mai (Thailand)

Health / venues

  • Prince Court (Kuala Lumpur) — full body checkups (via friends)
  • Chiang Mai Ram Hospital — full body checkups

Attractions near Da Nang

  • Lady Buddha
  • Bana Hills
  • Nearby Hue / Hoi An

Visa program names

  • Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H)
  • DTV (Destination Thailand Visa)

Food / delivery mention

  • Grab (used for rides and delivery in Vietnam)

Gyms / community references

  • “50+ Coffee” meetup (Da Nang; set up by a New Zealander)
  • Pickleball meetups (Da Nang)
  • 7-Eleven density noted (Chiang Mai)

Product reference

  • Starbucks (noted as within walking distance of the Chiang Mai clinic)

Speakers

  • The video is narrated by a couple (referred to as “Jim” and “I/they” throughout).

Original video