Living In Da Nang Vietnam: Expat Guide
Dubbed one of the best places to live in Vietnam, Da Nang surely has excellent qualities to become your new home. The city is surrounded by mountains and beaches and has a comfortable living standard.
Our complete guide to living in Da Nang includes the following section:
- Cost of living
- How to find apartments in Da Nang
- Best areas to stay
- Where to buy food & necessaries
- Best coffee shops to work
- Where to meet new people
- Life in Da Nang: traffic, weather & job
What is it like to live in Da Nang?
Da Nang is a young, peaceful, and beautiful city. It’s favored by nature with beautiful scenery, charming mountains, clean and beautiful environment with a pleasant climate.
Da Nang has good infrastructure, including roads, bridges, schools, residential areas, and public works. It’s a walkable city and very convenient to live in.
If you’re working from home, Da Nang is an excellent choice cause it has high-speed internet and several cafes to explore.
On the weekends, you can take a day trip to places near the city, such as Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary, Son Tra peninsula, and Hue.
Read more: You can learn more about Vietnam’s rich history & culture with Vietnam’s culture smart book.
The cost of living in Da Nang
Although Da Nang is a big city, Da Nang’s living cost is quite affordable compared to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh.
Two people can live comfortably in this beautiful city for about $1000 a month.
You can expect to pay around $1 ~ $2 per dish for street food and $5 ~ $10 per dish if you eat in restaurants.
Apartment rental in Da Nang is also affordable. You can rent a studio or a one-bedroom service apartment at $220 ~ $300 per month. It usually includes water, internet, and housekeeping (cleaning 1 to 2 times a week).
Here is a summary cost for two people person:
| Accommodation rental (one bedroom, TV cable & internet): | $250 |
| Electricity: | $50 |
| Gas & water: | $5 |
| Prepaid cell phone plan: | $5 |
| Groceries: | $150 |
| Transportation (motorbike rental and gasoline): | $100 |
| Entertainment (eating out, drinking): | $350 |
| Gym | $100 |
| Monthly total: | $1010 |
Tips: I highly recommend learning basic Vietnamese before moving. Please look at my free Vietnamese Guide resources or contact me for private online lessons.
Best areas to live in Da Nang
An Thuong and Son Tra are the best areas to live in Da Nang.
While Son Tra is more secluded and locals, An Thuong (My An area) is chic, young, and vibrant.
An Thuong area has several cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops and is close to the beach and the center. Certain streets in An Thuong, such as Ngo Thi Si Street, are full of bars, so if you want a quiet place to stay, avoid them.
How to find accommodation in Da Nang
We usually book our apartments on Airbnb and Booking.com if we only stay a month.
For more extended stays, we’ll book a hotel room for a few days and check out apartment choices before moving in.
You can ask and search on Expats in Da Nang group for rooms. It’s also useful to contact hosts on Airbnb to see if they offer good deals for long-term rentals. You can also look up Google maps and try calling the surrounding apartments for their prices or simply walking around and asking them directly.
A studio or a 1-bedroom apartment in Da Nang costs $220 ~ $300 (5 to 7 million VND a month, while a 2-bedroom studio can cost up to 10 million VND per month.
When finding an apartment in Da Nang, Vietnam, I recommend to
- Ask if your rent covers the water, internet, and room cleaning.
- Take photos of facilities when you first move in.
- If possible, ask for a contract and a payment receipt.
- Ask the landlord/ hotel manager to register you properly with the local police.
Shopping in Da Nang: Where to buy food & necessaries
Best supermarkets in Da Nang
Some good supermarkets in Da Nang are Go (BigC), CoopMart, and MegaMart.
We usually shop at Go, which has everything you need at fair prices. You can find a large selection of meat, vegetables, kitchen equipment, food supplements, etc. You can also order using the Grab or Zalo app and get free delivery if you live within 5km.
Moon Milk is a good choice if you want to buy imported products.
Markets in Da Nang
You can also buy fresh products at the nearby local markets. If you live in An Thuong/ My An area, Bac My An market is an excellent place to shop.
However, it can be challenging to go shopping if you don’t know Vietnamese. Check my free resources on the Vietnamese guide or contact me for private online lessons.
Clothes
There are many clothing shops around Da Nang, but you can find most brands and stores on Le Duan Street. The street is full of clothes, shoes, and necessities.
Best cafe to work in Da Nang
Where to find a quiet space to work in Da Nang?
I’ve spent a few months scouring Da Nang for the best laptop-friendly workspaces where freelancers, students, aspiring writers, and all hustlers can have a seat and get things done.
Some of my favorites are:
- Goc An Yen: 78 An Hải Đông 1, An Hải Đông, Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng
- Lu Coffee: 62 Lê Quang Đạo, Bắc Mỹ Phú, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
- BreadnSalt: 84 Hoàng Kế Viêm, Bắc Mỹ Phú, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
- The Cup coffee: 233 Nguyễn Văn Thoại, Bắc Mỹ Phú, Ngũ Hành Sơn, Đà Nẵng
Where to meet new people in Da Nang
We usually meet new people at bars, restaurants, and events in Da Nang. Section 30 is our favorite spot to hang out, and we enjoy going to events such as Language exchanges and dance events.
Life in Da Nang
The weather
Cool and pleasant weather is what we love about Da Nang. The temperature in Da Nang fluctuates from 26 to 32 degrees, and the climate is divided into two seasons.
During the dry season, the climate in Da Nang is quite pleasant. The day is sunny with the possibility of light rain in the evening, and the night is cool.
You can prepare summer clothes such as tops, dresses, t-shirts, and shorts. A hat and sunglasses are useful items as well.
Meanwhile, the weather in Da Nang during the stormy season (October to mid-December) is not pleasant.
At this time, frequent storms, strong winds, and heavy rains make it less ideal for outdoor activities. There are sometimes floods too, so brace yourself!
The traffic
We rarely see traffic jams on weekdays, while the road can be a bit busier at the weekends. There are many big tourist buses and cars from Friday to Sunday, especially on the main streets near the beach.
Jobs
In general, Da Nang is still a tourist city, with not many large enterprises. Most of the companies are small companies or representative offices.
If you’re looking for jobs in Da Nang, it can be challenging to find a suitable one. The most popular jobs for foreigners in Da Nang are teaching English or working in hotels and restaurants.
