What Does a Month in Da Nang Cost? Real Numbers from an American

Last updated: November 2026 · By Vitali

Most cost-of-living pages for Da Nang give averages from price databases. These are my own numbers: what I actually paid as a U.S. citizen living long-term in a Da Nang suburb in 2026. All amounts are converted at 26,000 VND per U.S. dollar, so your figures will shift with the exchange rate.

Housing and utilities

• Studio in a new building in FPT City (Wi-Fi, kitchen, in-unit washer): 6,500,000 VND (~$250) per month without a contract, or about 6,400,000 VND (~$246) on a three-month lease.
• Water (flat fee): 70,000 VND (~$2.70).
• Building service fee (flat): 150,000 VND (~$5.80).
• Electricity: 4,000 VND (~$0.15) per kWh. My monthly bill ranged from 360,000 VND (~$14) to 1,200,000 VND (~$46). The difference was almost entirely daytime air conditioning, and I kept costs low by using the ceiling fan whenever I could.

People on one-year leases pay less. I met people paying under 5,000,000 VND (~$190) a month, but you have to pay a security deposit of one month’s rent and commit for the year.

Phone and internet

• Viettel 90-day eSIM plan: 375,000 VND (~$14.40) for three months, about 125,000 VND (~$4.80) a month, plus a one-time 50,000 VND (~$1.90) activation fee.
• Keeping a U.S. number on Tello: about $6.39 a month with taxes.
• Wi-Fi was included in my studio rent.

Food

• Street food (a banh mi or a bowl of pho): 25,000 to 40,000 VND (~$1 to $1.50) per meal. If you eat street food three times a day, expect up to about 3,600,000 VND (~$138) a month per person. That assumes 40,000 VND a meal, the top of the range I paid.
• Fruit and vegetables from local markets and street shops: about 200,000 VND (~$7.70) for a single person’s weekly supply, or roughly 800,000 VND (~$31) a month.
• Hypermarket prices:
  • Chicken breast: 90,000 VND/kg (~$1.60/lb)
  • Pork: 150,000 VND/kg (~$2.60/lb)
  • Beef: 300,000 VND/kg (~$5.20/lb)
  • Salmon: 395,000 VND/kg (~$6.90/lb)
  • Tuna: 295,000 VND/kg (~$5.20/lb)
  • Eggs (pack of 10): 32,000 VND (~$1.20)
  • Jasmine rice: 169,000 VND/5 kg (~$6.50/11 lb)
  • Milk (1 L): 42,000 VND (~$1.60)

If you cook for yourself, your cost depends on what you buy. Use the hypermarket prices as a base and add fruit and vegetables from the market.

Getting around

• Honda Air Blade (older 125cc automatic) rental: 1,700,000 VND (~$65) per month, with a refundable deposit of 1,000,000 VND (~$38). A full tank of fuel was about 70,000 VND (~$2.70).
• A Grab or Green SM ride from FPT City to central Da Nang on a bike cost 50,000 to 70,000 VND (~$1.90 to $2.70), plus an optional tip. A car costs two to three times as much (about 100,000 to 210,000 VND, or ~$3.80 to $8.10).

Insurance

• Travel health insurance (Atlas Travel, for a 45-year-old U.S. citizen): $206 for three months, about $69 a month. Your price will depend on your age and policy.

Putting it together

Housing, utilities, phone and a U.S. number added up to roughly $284 to $316 a month in my case, depending on how much I ran the air conditioner. Adding the scooter and street food for every meal brings it to roughly $490 to $520 a month. Adding travel health insurance (~$69 a month, depending on your age) brings it to about $555 to $590. One-time setup costs are not included.

What these numbers don’t show

They are one person’s costs in one suburb, in one year. Central beachfront areas cost more. Prices change, and a studio in a newer building with a washer is not the cheapest option. Treat this as a real example, not an average.

Where the guide comes in

The costs above are a small part of what I learned setting up in Da Nang. Da Nang, Vietnam: The Ground Truth Guide covers the e-visa, money and cards, health insurance, scooter rules, finding a rental, and a pre-departure checklist, all from firsthand experience, with no sponsors and no affiliate links. It is a $4.99 PDF.

Get the guide

Questions? Email hello@groundtruthguides.com.

← Back to home