Is it cheaper to rent an apartment or stay in a hotel for a month in Ho Chi Minh City?

For a month-long stay, an apartment is generally more cost-effective than a hotel; compare monthly listings on Airbnb. Renting a room in a shared apartment can be cheaper still.

One traveler notes that decent quality (non-'resort cardboard') apartments — a 2-bedroom around 70 m² — run roughly 40-50k per month in cities like Saigon, Hanoi, and Haiphong. In premium complexes such as Monarchy or Hyori Garden Tower, a similarly sized 2-bedroom costs about $1,000/month. Resort cities like Danang have limited good-quality stock and higher prices.

One resident shares that a good apartment can be rented for about $500 a month, with food for two people costing roughly another $500 a month.

Booking tip: reserve hotels in advance through the Agoda app, where rates are much lower. Avoid booking a hotel on arrival in person, as prices can be inflated — sometimes up to three times higher.

Many travelers end up choosing a hotel on higher floors — quieter and no hassle with apartment hunting or rental agreements.

If a hotel offers a good monthly rate, it can actually work out cheaper than renting an apartment.

On average, apartment rent is cheaper than a hotel stay, though the gap can be small depending on the deal.

Finding an apartment through a real estate agent adds about 20-30% to the rental cost, and not every agent is willing to help with the search.