Before Markeiz Ryan, 36, left the U.S. Air Force in 2019, he took a trip to Vietnam and that experience changed the course of his life.
“It just looked like so much fun and it really lived up to all the hype,” Ryan tells CNBC Make It. “I ended up having the best time of my life, and that depression was [just] gone.”
Ryan says that after that first visit to Vietnam and how happy he was there, he didn’t want to let go of that feeling. He started planning his return to the country.
The veteran returned to his life in the United States and the Air Force, where he completed his service on a military base in Wyoming before being honorably discharged in 2019.
Ryan’s favorite part of the apartment is his view.
Louis Corallo for CNBC Make It
Soon after leaving the Air Force, Ryan relocated to Vietnam, where he lives off roughly $4,000 a month, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. His monthly income stems from several sources, including VA disability, the GI Bill since he’s pursuing a master’s degree, and teaching English. Ryan also occasionally takes on odd jobs, such as voiceover work, and is an avid fan of day trading.
Ryan suffers from spine arthritis, respiratory issues, auditory pain, and mental health challenges from his time in the military.
“This might not sound like a lot in America but trust me, this is more than enough to be middle or even above middle class in Vietnam,” he says.
When Ryan first arrived, he worked with a longtime friend and realtor to find his first apartment. He moved around a lot at first because of all the noise pollution. He also wanted to take advantage of low rent prices during the covid-19 pandemic.
“There’s a lot of honking, street sellers and sometimes karaoke really loudly, so if you are very intolerant to noise, this might not be the place for you,” he says.
Ryan says he has no plans of leaving this apartment.
Louis Corallo for CNBC Make It
In 2023, Ryan moved into the two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment where he currently resides in Ho Chi Minh City. It is in one of the country’s tallest residential towers. Ryan says what he loves the most is the view.
“The view is so good here. I can’t pass it up for everything. I’m never going to resign unless they kick me out,” he says.
His utilities round up to about $130, which includes electricity, water and housekeeping.
This is Ryan’s fourth apartment since he moved to Vietnam in 2019.
Louis Corallo for CNBC Make It
Ryan has been in this space for two years now and has no plans of leaving the apartment — or Vietnam.
“If I leave, it’s because Vietnam told me to leave. In America, I felt very unmotivated. I felt like no matter how hard you work, you’re still in poverty. You’re constantly chasing a standard that you can’t really achieve,” he says.
“Here in Vietnam, it takes a lot of the monetary pressure out of your day-to-day. You focus on what makes you happy, who you want to become and how you’re going to get there.”
Ryan lives in one of the country’s tallest residential towers in Ho Chi Minh City.
Louis Corallo for CNBC Make It
This experience, he says, is the complete opposite of what his life was like back in the U.S.
“Every day I wake up with a long to-do list of things I want to do, not the things that I need to do, and it’s a completely different way of living. Even if you need to work 40 hours a week here, you’re doing it as an investment in your future. Getting out of survival mode makes things infinitely more human.”
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