Renting guides
Where Should You Live in Da Nang? The Five Areas Compared
Who each area suits, what rent costs there today, and what the listings leave out.
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Key takeaways
- Most foreigners in Da Nang live in one of five areas: My An (An Thuong), My Khe, Son Tra, Hai Chau and southern Ngu Hanh Son.
- My An is the easiest place to start, because you can walk to the beach, cafes and coworking spaces. Son Tra gives you more space and quiet for similar rent.
- Hai Chau is the city centre on the Han River. Southern Ngu Hanh Son has the villas and the two international schools most families tour first.
- In my listings on 10 October 2026, a one bedroom apartment had a median rent of $645 in My An, $646 in Son Tra and $722 in Ngu Hanh Son. Two bedrooms ran from a median of $970 in My An to $1,520 in Hai Chau.
- Since July 2025 your contract uses new ward names: Ngu Hanh Son ward for My An, An Hai or Son Tra ward for the Son Tra side, and Hai Chau or Hoa Cuong ward for the city centre.
Which area of Da Nang is best to live in?
The best area depends on how you spend a normal week. Most foreigners choose one of five. My An, which most people call An Thuong, suits you if you want to walk everywhere. The My Khe beachfront is for sea views from a tower, Son Tra for space and quiet, and Hai Chau for life in the city centre on the Han River. Southern Ngu Hanh Son has the villas and the international schools.
I have found homes in all five for clients since 2019. Rent separates them less than people expect. The building, the floor and the furnishing move the price more than the area name, so pick the area that fits your days, then compare homes inside it.
| Area | Best for | Getting around | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| My An (An Thuong) | First stays, remote work, life without a motorbike | Walk to the beach, cafes, gyms and coworking | Bar noise, older buildings, tourists on short stays |
| My Khe beachfront | Sea views, pools and hotel-style buildings | The beach is across the road | You pay for the view, and the beach road is busy |
| Son Tra | Space, quiet and houses with outdoor space | Motorbike or Grab for most errands | Fewer western cafes, longer distances |
| Hai Chau | City life, office work, the river | Markets, banks and clinics nearby; the beach is a short ride | No beach on foot, city traffic |
| Southern Ngu Hanh Son | Families, villas and longer stays | A car or motorbike for most trips | Further from the centre and the cafes |
Choose the area for your normal week, then compare the homes inside it.
What is it like to live in My An and An Thuong?
My An is the walkable one. An Thuong is the name for the grid of numbered alleys inside it, a few minutes from My Khe beach, and it holds the densest mix of cafes, gyms, restaurants and coworking spaces in Da Nang. Most of my clients who arrive without a motorbike start here, and some stay a year without renting one.
You pay for that with noise and older buildings. Bars and live music sit on the main alleys, and building work starts around 7am. The area filled up years ago, so most of what you will view is older walk-ups and small blocks. Landlords price against short-term tourist rentals, which keeps rents up despite the age. See a flat once in the day and once around 9pm before you sign.
Khue My, the next area south, keeps the beach and the coworking spaces within walking distance and has fewer bars. In my listings on 10 October 2026, a one bedroom in My An had a median rent of $645, from $570, and two bedrooms ran from $760 to $1,220. The coworking guide and the nightlife guide cover what is on your doorstep.
Should you rent on the My Khe beachfront?
Rent on the beachfront if the view is the point. My Khe is the long public beach on the east side of the city, and the towers along the beach road put the sea outside your window, with pools, gyms and a front desk downstairs. Wyndham Soleil, for example, sits across the road from the sand.
You pay for the floor and the view more than for the address. The three My Khe apartments in my listings ran from $1,335 for a one bedroom to $3,135 for a two bedroom with a sea view. The beach road carries tourist traffic and the seafood restaurants stay busy into the evening, so ask which side of the tower a flat faces before you book a viewing.
The sea is calmest in the dry months. From around September the surf builds, and swimmers stay where lifeguards are posted. The guide to luxury apartment buildings compares the beachfront towers one by one.
Why do people choose Son Tra?
People choose Son Tra for space. It is the flat residential grid between the Dragon Bridge and the Son Tra peninsula, with wide streets, easy parking and the cheapest standalone houses in the city. The city centre is one short bridge away.
You will need a motorbike or Grab, because the blocks are long and most errands are a five to ten minute ride. Western cafes are fewer than in An Thuong and cluster along Pham Van Dong. Son Tra also has a large Korean community and more Vietnamese neighbours. If smells bother you, stay south of Phan Ba Phien, since the far north sits near the fishing port.
In my listings a one bedroom in Son Tra had a median rent of $646, from $440. Two bedrooms ran from $1,045 to $3,425, because much of my Son Tra stock is large sea view apartments, and houses started at $950. The Son Tra and My An comparison goes through the two areas street by street.
Is Hai Chau a good place to live?
Hai Chau is a good place to live if you want the city more than the beach. It is the centre of Da Nang, on the west bank of the Han River, with Han Market, offices, banks and the restaurants along Bach Dang on the river. The beach is a ten to fifteen minute ride across the bridges, and the airport is about ten minutes away.
Hai Chau has the widest price range in Da Nang. Local apartments on the inland streets rent for less than similar homes on the beach side, and most are advertised only in Vietnamese. The riverside towers, such as The Filmore on Bach Dang, are among the most expensive rentals in the city. Most of my Hai Chau listings are in The Filmore and other river towers: on 10 October 2026 two bedrooms had a median rent of $1,520 and three bedrooms $2,420.
It suits people who work in the city, or who want restaurants and the Friday to Sunday Dragon Bridge show nearby. Family Medical Practice, a foreign-run clinic with English-speaking doctors, is on Nguyen Van Linh.
Who should rent in southern Ngu Hanh Son?
Families with school-age children, and anyone who wants a villa with a garden. Southern Ngu Hanh Son runs down the coast toward Hoi An, past the Marble Mountains, through Hoa Hai and FPT City. APU American International School and Singapore International School are both here, and they are the two schools most of my expat families tour first.
The area is quiet, green and spread out, and its beaches are quieter than My Khe. The city centre is about twenty minutes away and Hoi An about twenty-five, so you will drive most days.
Ngu Hanh Son is also where most of my homes are: 37 of the 90 I listed on 10 October 2026. A one bedroom apartment had a median rent of $722, from $380, two bedrooms ran from $800 to $1,710, and houses and villas had a median of $3,605. The guide to Da Nang with kids covers the schools and their fees.
How much does rent cost in each area?
These are the rents in my listings on 10 October 2026, for leases of six months or more. Each area holds different homes, so compare specific listings rather than the averages: my Son Tra list leans toward large sea view apartments, and my Hai Chau list toward river towers.
| Area | Homes listed | One bedroom | Two bedrooms | Houses and villas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My An (An Thuong) | 11 | $645 (from $570) | $970 ($760 to $1,220) | None listed |
| My Khe | 3 | $1,335 (one listing) | $1,900 to $3,135 | None listed |
| Son Tra | 20 | $646 (from $440) | $1,445 ($1,045 to $3,425) | $950 to $3,055 |
| Hai Chau | 18 | $1,140 (one listing) | $1,520 ($1,025 to $1,905) | $1,370 to $2,282 |
| Ngu Hanh Son | 37 | $722 (from $380) | $1,080 ($800 to $1,710) | $3,605 ($1,740 to $11,000) |
Electricity, water and building fees come on top of the rent. The guide to renting in Da Nang as a foreigner lists what each one costs and what the contract should say.
The building and the floor move the price more than the name of the area.
Which areas flood in the rainy season?
No area is immune. Da Nang's wet season runs from about September to December, and October and November bring most of the heavy rain. The narrow alleys of An Thuong pool fastest, low-lying streets near the river on the Son Tra side take on water in serious storms, and the 2022 flood reached ground floors across the east bank.
If you will be here in October, rent above the ground floor. Ask the landlord whether the street floods, and look for a water line on the walls near the floor during the viewing. The month by month guide shows what each season is like.
What are the new ward names on a Da Nang contract?
On 1 July 2025 Vietnam abolished its districts and merged the wards below them, so a lease signed today uses new ward names while listings still use the old ones. Nothing moved. This table matches the names you will hear to the ward on your paperwork.
| Area people call it | Ward on your contract | Old wards inside it |
|---|---|---|
| My An, An Thuong, Khue My and southern Ngu Hanh Son | Ngu Hanh Son ward | My An, Khue My, Hoa Hai, Hoa Quy |
| My Khe beachfront and southern Son Tra | An Hai ward | Phuoc My, An Hai Bac, An Hai Nam |
| Northern Son Tra | Son Tra ward | Tho Quang, Nai Hien Dong, Man Thai |
| Central Hai Chau, along the river | Hai Chau ward | Thanh Binh, Thuan Phuoc, Thach Thang, Phuoc Ninh, Hai Chau |
| Southern Hai Chau | Hoa Cuong ward | Binh Thuan, Hoa Thuan Tay, Hoa Cuong Bac, Hoa Cuong Nam |
The same reform merged Da Nang with Quang Nam province, which brought Hoi An inside the city. If a landlord hands you a contract with a ward name you have never seen, ask which old ward it covers.
Frequently asked questions
Where do most expats live in Da Nang?
Most expats live on the beach side of the Han River, in My An (An Thuong), Son Tra and southern Ngu Hanh Son. My An has the largest foreign community and the most cafes, gyms and coworking spaces within walking distance. Hai Chau, the city centre, suits people who prefer city life to the beach.
What is the cheapest area to rent in Da Nang?
In Alice Rentals listings on 10 October 2026, one bedroom apartments had the lowest median rents in My An ($645), Son Tra ($646) and Ngu Hanh Son ($722), with the cheapest from $380 a month. Rents fall further on the inland streets of Hai Chau and in the west of the city, where most listings are only in Vietnamese.
Is it better to live near the beach or in the city centre in Da Nang?
Live near the beach if you swim, work remotely or want to walk to cafes. Live in Hai Chau, the city centre, if you work in an office or want markets, riverside restaurants and doctors nearby. The two sides of the Han River are a ten to fifteen minute ride apart.
Where should families with children live in Da Nang?
Most expat families look at southern Ngu Hanh Son first, because APU American International School and Singapore International School are both there. Son Tra suits families who want a house with outdoor space for less money, and My An suits families who want to walk to the beach.
Do you need a motorbike to live in Da Nang?
Not in My An, where the beach, shops, cafes and coworking spaces are within a ten minute walk of most addresses. In Son Tra, Hai Chau and southern Ngu Hanh Son you will want a motorbike, or a budget for Grab rides most days.
Is Hoi An part of Da Nang now?
Yes. Da Nang city merged with Quang Nam province on 1 July 2025, which brought Hoi An inside the city. Hoi An's old town is about 35 to 40 minutes by motorbike from My An.
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