Ho Chi Minh City Housing Tips

I think you should go to some street bar/stall in Bui Vien street in District 1. You'll find expat fellows everywhere and you'll learn everything from there soon enough.

Conditions in TP HCM can be extreme so there are additional thigs to consider.

Depending upon your transportation (transit is minimal here compared to the States) you have to consider time to work; time to supermarket, etc.

There can be 4 rush hours here each day, so noise is a big factor. A quiet property during the day might be just down the road from a club or something. Zoning isn't big over here.

Flooding is a major factor, so knowing whether your accommodation is on a street that floods is important.

You should seek the guidance of the people you are interning with as they might know where is best vis-a-vis your workplace.

Foreigners have a spots they gravitate to. One area, about 7 kilometres from downtown has apartment buildings much like NYC or Chicago but the travel is hectic. Expenses there for a one or two bedroom furnished apartment start at over a thousand US per month average.

Less  than a kilometre away rents in a new condo building are $400. Note: When you rent an apartment water, electricity, bottled gas (cooking), garbage pick-up, cable TV, Internet are all extra.

The biggest thing you seem to have is attitude. The fact that you explore rather than bundle up in your house is good, there are many things different here from the States which can make for a different lifestyle.

Craigs List VietNam has lists of housing costs for you to use to get an idea of prices; Wijkipedia has descriptions of the city and the Quans (districts) in the city.

If you go to < http://www.diadiem.com/ > you cab type the name of your street in (omit the word street) (i.e. Le Loi Street should be entered as Le Loi) it will take you to your area.

Votltage is 220V (adapters cheap here); Cell is GSM (American models can work here as long as GSM, unlocking available); water is potable. ATM's work with your US banks.

Check your PM I sent you some links.

Hello EmilyClaire.

Welcome to Expat.com!

The Housing in Ho Chi Minh City section is at your disposal. You can post an advert there as well. It might help.

Thank you,
Aurélie