To move to Da Nang and rent an apartment you need the deposit and the first month's rent in hand, plus $500-800 for settling in and 10% on top for the unexpected. Settling in means a hotel for the first nights, a SIM card, a scooter, water and groceries, insurance and the visa. For a one-bedroom at $884 that comes to about $2,450 in the first month; for a two-bedroom at $1,380, about $3,900; for a villa, from about $10,500. Below are the lines the total is made of, three ready scenarios and a formula you plug your own rent into.

What the first month is made of

Line How much Where the figure comes from
Deposit 1 month's rent, 2 in pricier apartments and villas market practice, our guide to the lease and deposit
First month's rent 1 month our catalogue
Agent's commission usually 0 on a long-term rental the owner usually pays it
Hotel for 2-3 nights after landing $60-150 the backup plan from our guide to renting before arrival
Utilities for the first month $50-150 our guide to utility bills
Internet connection $0-20 often included; router deposit
SIM card and a month of data $5-10 operator's shop
Scooter: first month and deposit $50-120 rental 1.2-1.8 million ₫ plus deposit
Groceries and household basics $150-250 estimate
Insurance for a month $50-100 international plan
Visa $25-50 90-day e-visa, evisa.gov.vn
Contingency 10% of the total our recommendation

What is not in the table and often forgotten: the flight, excess baggage, a first doctor's visit without insurance, buying things the apartment turned out not to have: a fan, bedding, kitchen odds and ends. Add $100-200 on top if the apartment is "furnished" but you are moving in for a long time.

Three scenarios

In dollars; rent examples from our catalogue, the rest are September 2026 estimates.

Single, one-bedroom at $884 Couple, two-bedroom at $1,380 Family, villa at $2,684
Deposit 884 1,380 5,368 (2 months)
First month 884 1,380 2,684
Hotel, 2-3 nights 80 120 150
Utilities 60 100 250
Internet, SIM 15 25 40
Scooter 70 140 250 (a car or two scooters)
Groceries, household 150 250 400
Insurance 60 120 300
Visa 25 50 100
Contingency 10% 220 360 950
Total about 2,450 about 3,900 about 10,500

A villa is expensive not because of the rent but because of the double deposit: over two thousand dollars that come back only at move-out.

The formula

Start-up sum = rent × (1 + deposit in months) + $500-800 for settling in + 10% contingency. For a rent of $1,000 and a one-month deposit: 2,000 plus 650 plus 265, about $2,900. With a two-month deposit, about $4,000.

Plug in your own rent: every apartment with its price is in the catalogue. The full budget of an ordinary month after move-in, once the deposit and the hotel are behind you, is in our cost of living guide.

How to bring the sum down

  • A one-month deposit instead of two: ask, negotiate, offer a longer lease.
  • A hotel for two nights rather than a week: lease and video viewing before you land.
  • A scooter from day one rather than taxis: a week of Grab costs a month of scooter rental.
  • An apartment with internet in the price and a flat electricity rate no higher than 3,500 dong.
  • Insurance arranged before you land is cheaper than insurance arranged after the first clinic visit.

Where not to save

The lease before the money, and the deposit only to the owner named in the lease. Saving on that costs the whole start-up sum. What to do in the first week after moving in is in first days in Da Nang; visas and documents are in our guide to moving to Da Nang.

Rules, fees and tariffs in this text were checked against official sources on 27.09.2026; the links sit on the document numbers. This is not legal advice, so confirm your own case with a lawyer or the authority.