Cost of living in Vietnam in 2026

Rent in GoldView, D4, 2bd, 16m, management fee around 1.5. Electricity around 2m.

Regards

(Re: New Đà Nẵng City)

As of January 30th, 2026 one main currency exchange rate is 1 USD = ₫25,940 VNĐ (Việt Nam đồng) in slight free fall

Cost of Living for locals in their usual neighborhoods is radically lower than the cost of living for foreigners living in their ghettos; areas where they are essentially set apart from the local Vietnamese populace, such as the An Thượng (AT) "tourist streets" established formally by the local government in 2018.

I live far across town from the An Thượng/Mỹ Khê Beach area. My Vietnamese wife and I are 11 km away near the shore of Đà Nẵng Bay, where all of our neighbors are Vietnamese citizens. This area is known as Thanh Khê Tây, Thanh Khê (TKT).

** 3 BR, 4 Bath partially furnished house on 3 year lease:

(TKT) - ₫10 million VNĐ monthly

(AT) - ₫25 million VNĐ monthly

** Electricity

(TKT) ~₫2,500 VNĐ per kWh

(AT) ~₫4,000 VNĐ per kWh

** Black coffee

(TKT) ₫10,000 VNĐ

(AT ) ₫20,000 VNĐ

Most fresh market (AKA "wet market") food prices are at least twice as expensive in the An Thượng area.

Best way for foreigners to get lowest prices is to:

1. Have a Vietnamese person shop for you, but even then, a Vietnamese maid may inflate the price reported to pad the meager income that you are paying.

or

2. Shop only at stores where everything is clearly priced. Best stores are:

Winmart (formerly Vinmart) most of which are quick markets but also include the full-size market in Vincom Plaza.

Lotte Mart

MM Mega Market

Go! store (formerly Big C)

Co-Op market

Bottom line for me and my Vietnamese wife (and my two bonus daughters) is that our cost of living is at least 50% less than that which foreigners in the expat tourist bubbles experience.

I never pay any ATM withdrawal fees using my Charles Schwab Visa debit card from the USA (where I continue to maintain a DOMICILE address, making it possible to keep the account open during my "extended travels".

I recently had a full cardiac (heart) workup at the top healthcare canter in this city: VINMEC INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.

It included:

EKG

Chest X-ray

Cardiac Echogram including echo of the neck carotid arteries, plus echo gram of the abdomen and pelvis.

Full blood count and chemistry panels including liver panel & thyroid panel & diabetes & prostate cancer screening.

Full physical exam by Chief of Cardiology and appropriate prescriptions

Total cash price: $268.96 (₫7,073,648 VNĐ)