Housing affordability and living costs face rising pressures

Various reports highlight the growing challenges of housing affordability and the diverse ways individuals manage living expenses. In Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee plans to convert 109.91 hectares of the Le Minh Xuan Industrial Park expansion area into social housing to support low-income workers and ensure social security.

Personal financial experiences vary widely across the region. In Beijing, a couple with an annual income of 1.5 million NDT manages to live on less than 5% of their monthly earnings after paying off significant mortgage debts. Conversely, a 22-year-old entrepreneur in China chooses to rent high-end housing for 90,000 NDT per month rather than buying property, preferring to invest capital into funds with an 8% annual return.

In South Korea, the struggle is more acute; a 27-year-old in Seoul faced homelessness after a four-day delay in rent payment, illustrating the precarious nature of low-income housing support. Additionally, experts note that real estate prices are driven by complex cost structures, including construction (45-60%) and land costs (30-35%), which often push prices beyond the reach of average citizens.