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 ₫ |
The table scrolls sideways
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
Phòng trọ
You getThe cheapest thing there is, findable in a day
You payBare-bones, shared kitchen
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 | What it is like | Who for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quận 1 | 15–30M ₫ | Downtown, nightlife, restaurants | Expats and remote workers |
| Thủ Đức | 10–20M ₫ | Quiet and green; An Phú is the international pocket | Families, long stays |
| Quận 7 | 10–20M ₫ | Phú Mỹ Hưng: new build and schools | Families with children |
| Bình Thạnh | 7–15M ₫ | Five minutes from downtown and noticeably cheaper | Budget, students |
The table scrolls sideways
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 | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 2,500–4,000 ₫ per kWh | The state tariff is about 1,900 ₫ — the rest is the landlord’s mark-up |
| Water | 15–25k ₫ per m³ | State price around 7,000 ₫, so a two-to-three-fold mark-up |
| Internet | 200–350k ₫ a month | Sometimes included in the rent |
| Cleaning | 100–200k ₫ a visit | Once or twice a week; included in a serviced apartment |
| Gas bottle | 350–450k ₫ | Lasts two to three months |
| Air conditioning | 500k–1.5M ₫ a month | The big one — it is the same electricity bill |
The table scrolls sideways
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.
Short answers
A studio is 5–15M ₫/month and a one-bedroom 8–15M ₫. Da Nang starts around 4M ₫ and Ho Chi Minh City around 6M ₫. A serviced apartment with cleaning starts from about $300/month.
Usually 2 months’ rent, refunded when you leave. Don’t pay the whole term up front — monthly or quarterly at most. Record the meter readings and the flat’s condition at move-in.
Facebook expat groups are the most popular route; Batdongsan.com.vn is the biggest aggregator; Cho Tot (chotot.com) is a classifieds site; Zalo has city groups. An agent’s fee is 50–100% of one month’s rent.
District 1 is central with nightlife (15–30M ₫). District 2 (Thu Duc) / An Phu is an international expat area (10–20M ₫). District 7 (Phu My Hung) suits families and schools (10–20M ₫). Binh Thanh is a budget option near the centre (7–15M ₫).
Electricity 2,500–4,000 ₫/kWh (landlords often mark up the ~1,900 ₫ state rate). Water 15–25K ₫/m³. WiFi 200–350K ₫/month. Air-conditioning is the big one: 500K–1.5M ₫/month.
If you need more depth
Listing bases, the official electricity tariff, and the reads that take renting apart step by step.