Renting in Vietnam — prices, contracts, districts
Renting from 5M ₫/month, housing types, prices across 6 cities, contracts, utilities and the best expat neighbourhoods. Updated 2026.
What a month costs
Monthly long-let prices, utilities not included. The spread inside one city is wider than the gap between cities: a studio can cost twice as much one neighbourhood over.
| City | Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City | 6–12M ₫ | 10–18M ₫ | 15–30M ₫ |
| Hanoi | 5–10M ₫ | 8–15M ₫ | 12–25M ₫ |
| Nha Trang | 5–10M ₫ | 8–14M ₫ | 12–22M ₫ |
| Phu Quoc | 6–12M ₫ | 10–18M ₫ | 15–25M ₫ |
| Da Nang | 4–8M ₫ | 6–12M ₫ | 10–20M ₫ |
| Da Lat | 3–7M ₫ | 5–10M ₫ | 8–15M ₫ |
- Ho Chi Minh CityStudio6–12M ₫1 bedroom10–18M ₫2 bedrooms15–30M ₫
- HanoiStudio5–10M ₫1 bedroom8–15M ₫2 bedrooms12–25M ₫
- Nha TrangStudio5–10M ₫1 bedroom8–14M ₫2 bedrooms12–22M ₫
- Phu QuocStudio6–12M ₫1 bedroom10–18M ₫2 bedrooms15–25M ₫
- Da NangStudio4–8M ₫1 bedroom6–12M ₫2 bedrooms10–20M ₫
- Da LatStudio3–7M ₫1 bedroom5–10M ₫2 bedrooms8–15M ₫
Haggling is part of the price, not rudeness. The first number is usually 10–20% above what they will actually accept. A six-to-twelve month contract adds another 5–15% off.
What you get for what
Six formats, from a room in a shared house to a villa. Between neighbouring rungs there is usually two or three million dong and one habit you have to give up.
2–5M ₫ a month
Roomlisted as Phòng trọ
You getThe cheapest thing there is, findable in a day
You payBare-bones, shared kitchen
5–10M ₫ a month
Studio
You getYour own kitchen and bathroom, furnished
You pay20–30 m² is the whole flat
8–15M ₫ a month
One-bedroom
You getA separate bedroom, often a new block with a pool
You payContract and a two-to-three-month deposit
12–25M ₫ a month
Two-bedroom
You getEnough for a family or a flatshare
You payRarely let short-term
10–30M ₫ a month
Serviced apartment
You getCleaning, linen, reception, everything included
You pay30–50% above a plain flat
20–50M ₫ a month
Villa or townhouse
You getGarden and parking, room for a family
You payLong lets only, from a year
Where to search, and through whom
The Vietnamese rental market lives in messengers rather than on websites: half the listings never appear anywhere except a group. The search taken apart is in renting in Vietnam.
- Facebook GroupsSearch “Thuê phòng” plus the city name, or the local expat groupsFree
- ZaloThe local messenger — groups by city and neighbourhoodFree
- Batdongsan.com.vnThe largest property portalFree
- Cho TotA classifieds site that also carries rentalsFree
- An agentFinds it, shows it and translates — for a price50–100% of one month
Where exactly to look
The neighbourhood decides more than the city: it sets the price and whether you will hear a word of English all month.
| Neighbourhood | Price | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Quận 1Downtown, nightlife, restaurants | 15–30M ₫ | Expats and remote workers |
| Thủ ĐứcQuiet and green; An Phú is the international pocket | 10–20M ₫ | Families, long stays |
| Quận 7Phú Mỹ Hưng: new build and schools | 10–20M ₫ | Families with children |
| Bình ThạnhFive minutes from downtown and noticeably cheaper | 7–15M ₫ | Budget, students |
×2the spread between neighbourhoods inside one city
- PriciestQuận 115–30M ₫
- CheapestBình Thạnh7–15M ₫
| Neighbourhood | Price | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Tây HồWest Lake, cafés, the expat district | 12–25M ₫ | Expats and remote workers |
| Hoàn KiếmOld Quarter, the whole tourist centre | 10–20M ₫ | Short stays |
| Ba ĐìnhEmbassies and parks, quiet | 10–18M ₫ | Families |
| Cầu GiấyUniversities, students, cheap food | 7–14M ₫ | Students, budget |
×1.8the spread between neighbourhoods inside one city
- PriciestTây Hồ12–25M ₫
- CheapestCầu Giấy7–14M ₫
| Neighbourhood | Price | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Hải ChâuCentre, Han market, every bridge nearby | 6–15M ₫ | Convenience |
| Sơn TràMỹ Khê beach and the restaurant strip | 8–18M ₫ | Beach, expats |
| Ngũ Hành SơnQuiet, halfway to Hoi An | 5–12M ₫ | Families, long stays |
| Thanh KhêResidential, no tourists | 4–9M ₫ | Budget |
×2the spread between neighbourhoods inside one city
- PriciestSơn Trà8–18M ₫
- CheapestThanh Khê4–9M ₫
| Neighbourhood | Price | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Lộc ThọBeach, restaurants, nightlife | 7–15M ₫ | Short stays |
| Vĩnh HảiResidential north end, cheaper and calmer | 5–10M ₫ | Long stays on a budget |
| Vĩnh NguyênQuiet, next to the port | 5–12M ₫ | Families, long stays |
×1.5the spread between neighbourhoods inside one city
- PriciestLộc Thọ7–15M ₫
- CheapestVĩnh Hải5–10M ₫
Neighbourhood names and paperwork no longer match. On 1 July 2025 Vietnam abolished the district tier: 63 provinces became 34, and “Quận 1”, “Bình Thạnh” and even Thủ Đức stopped existing as administrative units — what is left is province and ward. In listings, with agents and in conversation the old names live on and will keep living on: that is how the city is divided in people’s heads. But your lease, your police registration and your bills will carry the new ward name. The mismatch is normal — just check the address against the paper before you sign.
The deal: contract, deposit, utilities
The rest is settled in one evening at the landlord’s table. Five steps, eight contract clauses, and one tariff that causes more arguments than everything else combined.
- LookFive to seven viewings are enough to read the local market. Look past the flat itself: the ride to work, the nearest shop, where the bike goes at night.
- HaggleThe first number is 10–20% above what they will actually take, and haggling offends nobody. A six-to-twelve-month contract earns another 5–15%. Settle what is included: furniture, internet, cleaning, parking.
- TestWater pressure, air conditioning, washing machine, locks, sockets, stove. Anything broken now becomes your problem after signing.
- SignThe contract comes in Vietnamese and English, usually from six months. The deposit is normally two months. Meter readings for water and electricity go into the handover record — without them there is nothing to argue from later.
- Move inKeys, AC remotes, access card. Your landlord must register you with the police — not a formality: without it you cannot extend a visa or open an account.
What the contract must say
The Vietnamese version is the binding one; the English is for your convenience only. Having the key clauses translated costs 200–500k ₫ and pays for itself in the first deposit dispute.
Utilities
| Service | How much |
|---|---|
| ElectricityThe state tariff is about 1,900 ₫ — the rest is the landlord’s mark-up | 2,500–4,000 ₫ per kWh |
| WaterState price around 7,000 ₫, so a two-to-three-fold mark-up | 15–25k ₫ per m³ |
| InternetSometimes included in the rent | 200–350k ₫ a month |
| CleaningOnce or twice a week; included in a serviced apartment | 100–200k ₫ a visit |
| Gas bottleLasts two to three months | 350–450k ₫ a bottle |
| Air conditioningThe big one — it is the same electricity bill | 500k–1.5M ₫ a month |
- ElectricityThe state tariff is about 1,900 ₫ — the rest is the landlord’s mark-upper kWh2,500–4,000 ₫
- WaterState price around 7,000 ₫, so a two-to-three-fold mark-upper m³15–25k ₫
- InternetSometimes included in the renta month200–350k ₫
- CleaningOnce or twice a week; included in a serviced apartmenta visit100–200k ₫
- Gas bottleLasts two to three monthsa bottle350–450k ₫
- Air conditioningThe big one — it is the same electricity billa month500k–1.5M ₫
Electricity is where the money goes. The state tariff is around 1,900 ₫ per kWh. Landlords charge 3,000–4,000 ₫, and with air conditioning that is an extra million dong a month. Push for 2,500–3,000 ₫, or ask to have the meter put in your name — chuyển tên điện. The rate belongs in the contract as a number, or there is nothing to argue from.
Never pay more than a quarter in advance. The standard is a two-month deposit plus the first month. Nobody hands over a year up front: if the landlord vanishes there is no one to claim it back from. And photograph everything before you move in — walls, floors, furniture, appliances, meter readings.
Neighbourhoods in detail
Where expats settle, where it is cheaper, where it is loud at night — one guide per city.
If you need more depth
Listing bases, the official electricity tariff, and the reads that take renting apart step by step.