Hanoi Students Cut Spending as Costs Stay High

That matters economically because young consumers are among the first to adjust when living costs rise, trimming food orders, commuting and trips home. Their behavior feeds directly into demand for food delivery, ride-hailing, retail goods and transport services, signaling weaker spending power at the lower end of the urban labor market.

Nguyễn Thu Phương, a student at the National Economics University, said her monthly living costs are close to 6 million dong, forcing her to teach Cambridge classes two afternoons a week to cover expenses. Thùy Dương, a first-year student at the University of Economics and Industrial Engineering, said she spends 5 million to 7 million dong a month and is actively looking for part-time work to reduce the burden on her family.

Other students are changing routines rather than absorbing the higher costs. Mai Anh, a second-year student at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said the cost of a round trip home to Hai Phong has climbed from about 110,000 dong to 140,000 dong as fuel prices pushed up bus and delivery charges, making weekly visits unaffordable.

The pressure does not end after graduation. Vũ Thu Thảo, a new graduate on a 7 million-to-8 million dong probation salary, said she can save only 1 million to 2 million dong a month after paying 4.5 million dong in rent and higher utility and transport costs. That leaves little room for savings or emergencies, a pattern that can delay household formation, asset purchases and broader consumer recovery.

For investors, the story points to a consumer base under strain even as headline retail indicators can look uneven. Adalytica’s consumer spending sentiment reads 82, still in “greed” territory, but its retail goods spending gauge is at 25 and in “fear,” underscoring how fragile discretionary demand remains for low- and middle-income buyers.

The implication is clear for landlords, retailers, delivery platforms, transport operators and consumer brands: volume growth will likely depend on value pricing and promotions, not broad-based spending power. Unless wages rise faster than rent, fuel and food costs, young consumers are likely to keep trading down and postponing nonessential purchases.