What monthly budget do three people need to live in Nha Trang, Vietnam, including shared rent?

A Nha Trang resident said that in April he rented a one-bedroom apartment with an open-plan living area, about 50 m² and 350 m from the beach, for VND 6.5 million a month plus a VND 2 million deposit. To find it he walked around the area a lot, collected about a hundred landlord contacts and then messaged them on Zalo every two weeks to ask about vacancies.

In his experience, options from agents, helpers and housing groups are usually about twice as expensive as what you can rent on your own, and Facebook Marketplace is flooded with agents. Another way is to take over a lease from tenants who are moving out, and he also monitors local classifieds such as Chợ Tốt Nhà, though he has had no luck there. On a tight budget, he thinks paying an intermediary makes sense only if none of the three friends is willing to search themselves.

He suggests working out food costs in advance: if you cook, put together a week's grocery basket at Bach Hoa Xanh (budget) or Lotte (budget-plus); food delivery such as Shopee Food is also available. Ready meals in local cafés or as takeaway start at VND 25,000 for a portion of rice with chicken, depending on the area and the place.

For a 2–6 month stay, include extending your stay in the budget. In the Nha Trang resident's experience, without a visa the stamp is renewed every 45 days, from about VND 1 million if done yourself; with a visa it is every 90 days, from VND 3.4 million through helpers. Check current entry rules with official sources.

Asked whether a modest per-person budget is realistic when three people share housing, participants in August 2026 said yes. The Nha Trang resident added: especially if you have no scooter, no expensive habits and cook for yourself; he mentioned going without insurance only with the caveat 'if you are lucky', meaning it is a risk. His advice is not to live on the edge and to keep a reserve for emergencies such as a broken laptop or an injury.

Not everyone agrees that Vietnam is much cheaper: in August 2026 one participant called that a big misconception — in his view only housing is noticeably cheaper, while other expenses are about the same, though a lot depends on lifestyle.