Nha Trang gives an expat child three preschool routes: a local Vietnamese kindergarten, an international one and a small Russian-run one. A local kindergarten costs about $6 a day, an international one around $500 a month with lunch and the school bus, and the Russian-run ones sit in between. The right pick depends on the child’s age, the language you want and how long you stay.
What preschool options does Nha Trang have for foreign kids?
Foreign families in Nha Trang choose between local Vietnamese kindergartens, international ones and Russian-run ones. The prices below are monthly figures from parents’ reports in 2023, so Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City will differ and every price needs a written quote before you plan a budget.
The three routes differ mostly in language. A local kindergarten teaches in Vietnamese, an international one in English, and a Russian-run one in Russian, so start from the language your child already speaks.
What is a Vietnamese kindergarten like for a foreign child?
A local kindergarten is hard going for a foreign child, because staff rarely speak English, even when the sign says they do. In Nha Trang it costs about $6 a day (150,000 dong), or roughly $120 a month (3 million dong) in 2023. There is no central listing. You walk in, ask whether a place is free and see the group yourself.
Teachers often talk to a foreign child through a translation app on a phone: the teacher dictates, and the phone speaks out “wash your hands” or “come and eat”. One parent’s 2023 account is typical. The first month was fun, then the child refused to go, and the family moved to a Russian-run kindergarten after two months.
The other catch is the nap. A local kindergarten puts children to bed for three hours, from 11:00 to 14:00, and a child used to a short afternoon rest stays awake while the room sleeps. A child who stays awake through those three hours is overtired by evening, so never pay for a month before you have seen a full afternoon there.
Is an international kindergarten worth $500 a month?
An international kindergarten in Nha Trang cost around $500 a month in total in 2023. The base fee covers lessons only. Meals and the school bus are charged on top. Both schools below sit in the An Vien area in the south of the city.
Kid Castle is a Canadian school with a kindergarten, open Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 15:30, with all teaching in English. EFI is another school with a kindergarten and similar terms in the parents’ reports: a base fee, meals and a bus. Children of many nationalities attend, and Russian-speaking families are the largest group. The bus line matters more than it looks: both schools are in An Vien in the south, and a family living in the north spends a long part of the day in traffic. Fees change every year, so I would ask both for a current written price.
What do Russian-run kindergartens in Nha Trang cost?
Russian-run kindergartens in Nha Trang charge about $8 a day (200,000 dong) for a day that ends at 14:00. A full programme comes to $240-320 a month (6-8 million dong). Four of the long-running ones sit on the north side of the city, near the Oceanus complex, and the teachers and most children are Russian speakers, so they suit a child who speaks Russian at home.
Two examples from 2023 show the range. Gorizont takes children from 1.5 to 7 years in three groups: a nursery for ages 1-3, a junior group for 3-5 and a senior group for 5-7. Happy Land is open 09:00-18:00 and includes three meals, but its older group skips the nap and plays quietly or reads instead.
A small kindergarten run by one teacher in a rented apartment is a real option here, and parents describe a teacher who taught a child to read and write in two months. Check who covers the group when that teacher is ill, since a one-person kindergarten has no substitute.
How do you choose a preschool in Nha Trang, step by step?
Choosing takes a week if you go in order: language goal, shortlist, written quote, trial day and visa check. Skipping the quote is the usual mistake, because meals, buses and fees come on top of the advertised price.
- Decide the language you want the child to hear: Vietnamese, English or Russian.
- Shortlist two or three kindergartens near your home and visit each one in person.
- Ask for a written quote with the base fee, meals, bus and any registration fee.
- Book a trial day and watch the nap schedule and the language the teacher uses.
- Check the school term against your visa dates before you pay.
The visa step is where families get stuck. The e‑visa portal evisa.gov.vn charges $25 for a single entry and $50 for multiple entry, and it refuses many foreign cards, so the payment fails after you have filled in the whole form. You can do the form yourself if you have a card the portal accepts. At BestBus Vietnam I submit the application and pay the fee with a card the portal accepts, and I match the dates to your kindergarten term. Message me your arrival date and how long you plan to stay and I will tell you how many applications you need.
Which preschool should you choose in Nha Trang?
If your child speaks Russian and you stay one or two years, a Russian-run kindergarten gives the easiest start. If the family speaks English and wants English from day one, the international kindergarten fits, at a higher price. A local kindergarten works only if you accept a language gap and a three-hour nap.
| Type | Teaching language | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Vietnamese | Vietnamese | $120 a month | A short stay and a low budget |
| Russian-run | Russian | $240-320 a month | A Russian-speaking child, one or two years |
| International | English | $500 a month | An English-speaking family on a long stay |
Schools come next. When your child is ready for them, the guide to international schools in Nha Trang has the fees and the visa timing, and the family relocation costs article puts the budget together.
Whichever kindergarten you pick, its term sets your visa dates, and a school year runs longer than a single e‑visa. If you want the visa side covered while you visit kindergartens, send me your child’s age and the term you picked and I will work out which visa fits.
