Where to Live in Hochiminh City?

HCMC offers the whole spectrum of accommodation options, from US$3,000 a month luxury penthouses, to rooms in shared houses for US$50. 

If you’re looking for a decent apartment for a couple of people, expect to pay around US$400, which will also depend where you want to be based. 

The city is split into different districts, with 1 and 3 being the most central. Both are made up of a nice mixture of shops, restaurants, and hotels. Those on the main streets are more exclusive, while stores become more local in nature as you head into the back alleys. This means you can have the best of both worlds, indulging in a 3-course French meal served on a rooftop one day, and sample cheap local delicacies the next. District 1 also houses the backpacker district of Pham Ngu Lao, a good place to meet foreigners, network, and get advice. Being central, these are also some of the most expensive areas, but you pay for convenience and the modern ambience. It’s easy to sit in a bar in Pham Ngu Lao or district 3 and meet potential housemates or find out about jobs. 

If, on the other hand you fancy greater cultural immersion, Districts 4 and 5 will offer you that experience, coupled with a cheaper price tag. 

District 4 is across the river, and due to being the site of the former port, it has retained an atmosphere reflecting its previously dodgy reputation. However, since it’s no longer a port, and the unsavory characters sometimes found in ports have moved out, the reality is now wholly unfounded. I lived there for a year and found it cheap and cheerful.

District 5 is home to Chinatown, and so this makes it a colorful place to live, stroll and browse. There is plenty of good shopping, and literally hundreds of hole-in-the-wall restaurants and street vendors.

Skipping straight to the other end of the spectrum, if you feel you might want to escape from the raw street energy on occasion, you should consider Anh Phu. It’s quite a drive across two bridges, but you emerge into a far more open plan, amid a calm oasis of luxurious apartments and upscale restaurants. There’s also a range of social clubs here for new mothers and those interested in yoga or meditation among other things. 

Finding accommodations is not difficult. Apart from word of mouth recommendations, there are a plethora of agents who work specifically with and for foreigners. This greatly eases the stress of being a new arrival in a new city, and of course helps with the language barrier. 

Once you have sufficiently settled in, the only thing left to do is rent yourself a motorbike, take a deep breath and explore the city.