Minh Duc wakes at 5:30 a.m. each day to prepare for his commute from Hung Yen Province to Hanoi.

When traffic is light, the 37-year-old reaches his office in about 45 minutes. After work, he makes the return trip home, where he has dinner with his wife, children and parents.

The demanding routine has allowed Duc to keep his job in Hanoi while enjoying something he says would have been difficult to afford in the capital: a spacious home without a mortgage.

In 2024, after years of saving, Duc and his wife spent around VND2.5 billion (US$96,200) building a nearly 200-square-meter, two-story house on a 360-square-meter plot given to them by his parents. The front yard serves as a play area for the children, while other parts of the property are used for growing plants. The couple did not need to borrow from a bank.

Duc had considered moving back to his hometown since the early years of his career. After graduating from university, he worked in Hanoi on a monthly salary of about VND7.7 million, spending VND1.5 million on a room smaller than 20 square meters.

Duc’s house in his hometown. Photo courtesy of Duc

A conversation with a Japanese colleague later changed his view of commuting. The colleague told him about people traveling hundreds of kilometers by bullet train to work each day. Duc began thinking that, since his hometown was relatively close to Hanoi, he too could live outside the capital while continuing to work there.

After marrying in 2016, his wife remained in their hometown, where she worked and lived with his parents, while Duc stayed in Hanoi during the week and returned home on weekends. The couple initially considered buying an apartment in Hanoi so they could live together.

Duc looked at homes in Cau Giay, Pham Van Dong and Bac Tu Liem, where 60-65-square-meter apartments were selling for around VND2 billion.

With their combined income of about VND30 million a month, purchasing one would have required a substantial mortgage. His wife would also have needed to find a new job in Hanoi, while the family's daily expenses would have risen. "I had no idea when I would be able to save enough money," Duc says.

There was another reason to stay in Hung Yen. His parents were approaching 70, while his older brother had moved to HCMC and his older sister had married. Duc wanted to remain close enough to care for them.
He therefore chose to settle in his hometown while keeping his Hanoi job.

"I did look for a job in Hung Yen, but I couldn't find one that matched my expectations, so I am still working in Hanoi," he says.

The daily commute was difficult at first. Duc usually left home at around 6:30 a.m. to avoid peak-hour congestion. Leaving later could add considerably to his travel time.

Rain and cold weather were even more challenging when he traveled by motorcycle. On winter days, his hands sometimes became stiff from the cold despite wearing two layers of coats and pants. It took him about a year to adjust. "At first, it was very exhausting, especially in bad weather or when I had to come home late," he says. "But since I had made the choice, I told myself I had to stick with it."

The commute also brought risks. Over more than seven years, Duc was involved in two traffic accidents. In one, another vehicle struck him on Vinh Tuy Bridge, leaving him with a leg injury that required a cast and 10 days off work.

Duc says living with his parents, wife and children, and sharing daily family moments, has reinforced his decision to remain in his hometown. Photo courtesy of Duc

In another, he fell from his motorcycle after braking suddenly when a vehicle ahead changed direction on the Xuan Quan-Bat Trang embankment road.

The incidents made him more cautious, particularly when traveling early in the morning or late at night.
Years of commuting and saving eventually paid off in 2024, when the couple completed their family home. "With about VND2.5 billion, it would be difficult for my family to own a similar property in Hanoi," Duc says.

A year later, they bought an electric car, making his daily commute more comfortable and less dependent on weather conditions.

For Duc, however, the greatest benefit of living in his hometown is being close to his family. After a day at work, he looks forward to coming home for dinner with his wife, children and parents. Those family gatherings have reinforced his belief that the decision was worthwhile.

He says that had he taken out a large mortgage to buy an apartment in Hanoi, he might have gained a shorter commute but lost much of what he now values.

Duc continues to work in Hanoi and travel between the two places every weekday. He has also considered starting a business in Hung Yen, though he has yet to find the right opportunity. "Looking back, I feel I have gained more than I have lost," he says. "I have a spacious home, my parents, wife and children beside me, and I still have the job I want."