Da Nang Cost of Living Breakdown for Digital Nomads in 2026

Da Nang Cost of Living Breakdown for Digital Nomads in 2026

Da Nang consistently ranks among Southeast Asia’s cheapest destinations for remote workers. While Bali prices creep upward and Chiang Mai gets more crowded, Da Nang offers something rare: a genuine beachside lifestyle on a lean budget. You can live comfortably here for $1,200 a month, and scrappy nomads with street food habits can push that under $800.

This breakdown covers every line item you’ll actually spend money on so you can plan a realistic budget before you land. If you’re still deciding whether Da Nang is right for you, start with our full Da Nang nomad guide. For broader planning, the remote work lifestyle playbook on HitchHive covers the fundamentals of setting up abroad.

Monthly budget summary

Here’s what real monthly spending looks like across three tiers. These figures reflect 2026 costs based on current nomad reports and include all categories below.

Category	Budget ($700-900)	Comfortable ($1,200-1,500)	Premium ($1,800-2,500)
Accommodation	$250-350	$400-550	$700-1,200
Food	$150-200	$300-400	$400-600
Transport	$60-80	$70-100	$100-150
Coworking & Internet	$10-15	$50-80	$80-120
Health & Fitness	$15-30	$30-60	$60-120
Entertainment & Social	$80-120	$150-250	$250-400

Accommodation: where the real savings are

Rent is Da Nang’s biggest competitive advantage over other nomad hubs. Here’s the range:

• Studio apartment (inland): 6,250,000-8,750,000 VND ($250-350/month)
• 1-bedroom near the beach: 10,000,000-13,750,000 VND ($400-550/month)
• 2-bedroom with ocean view: 17,500,000+ VND ($700+/month)

How to find an apartment

The single best piece of advice from long-term residents on Reddit: do not book through Airbnb. You’ll pay a 30-50% markup for the exact same unit. Instead, book a hotel for your first 3 days, then walk the neighborhoods you like and look for “For Rent” signs. Many landlords don’t list online because word-of-mouth fills vacancies fast enough.

For online searching, join the Facebook groups “Da Nang Expats” and “Da Nang Apartments for Rent.” You can negotiate directly with landlords. Redditors consistently recommend viewing apartments at multiple times of day. That quiet place at 2 PM might be next to a jackhammer at 7 AM. Da Nang has a lot of ongoing construction.

One cost that catches newcomers off guard: electricity is almost always billed separately at 3,500-4,000 VND per kWh, translating to roughly 800,000-1,500,000 VND ($32-60) per month depending on air conditioning usage. In summer (May through August), this spikes higher. For more ways to keep costs down, check out our budget travel hacks.

Food: eating like a local changes everything

Da Nang’s food scene is where a tight budget stops feeling like a sacrifice. The city has some of Vietnam’s best regional dishes, and eating at street stalls and local restaurants will keep you well-fed for under $5 a day if you commit to it.

Street food prices

• Banh Mi: 20,000 VND ($0.80), stuffed baguettes from sidewalk carts, arguably the best fast food on earth
• Com Ga (chicken rice): 35,000 VND ($1.40), Da Nang’s signature comfort meal
• Mi Quang (turmeric noodles): 30,000-40,000 VND ($1.20-1.60), a Central Vietnamese specialty you won’t find this good anywhere else
• Bun Cha Ca (fish cake noodle soup): 30,000-35,000 VND ($1.20-1.40)

Restaurants

Sit-down local restaurants (com binh dan) serve full rice plates with meat and vegetables for 40,000-80,000 VND ($1.60-3.20). Western restaurants (pizza places, burger joints, brunch spots near the tourist areas) run 150,000-300,000 VND ($6-12) per meal. The gap is enormous, and most long-term nomads settle into a rhythm of 80% local food with the occasional Western meal when cravings hit.

For groceries, Vinmart and Lotte Mart stock both local and imported goods. Imported cheese, cereal, and Western staples carry a premium. For fresh produce, fruit, and seafood at rock-bottom prices, head to Con Market (Cho Con) in the city center. Budget roughly 500,000-800,000 VND ($20-32) per week for home cooking with mostly local ingredients.

Transportation: the motorbike question

Da Nang has essentially no useful public transit. Your options are a motorbike or ride-hailing apps, and most nomads end up choosing both.

• Motorbike rental: 100,000-125,000 VND ($4-5/day) or 1,500,000-2,000,000 VND ($60-80/month) for longer commitments
• Fuel: A full tank costs around 70,000-90,000 VND ($2.80-3.60) and lasts roughly a week of city driving
• Grab (ride-hailing): A typical cross-city trip runs 30,000-60,000 VND ($1.20-2.40)

If you’re comfortable on two wheels, renting monthly is the obvious move. Da Nang’s traffic is calmer than Hanoi or HCMC, and the coastal roads are enjoyable to ride. If you’re not a confident rider, Grab is affordable enough to use daily. Our Southeast Asia backpacking budget guide covers more transport strategies across the region.

Coworking spaces and internet

Da Nang’s coworking scene has matured a lot in recent years. Day passes typically run 100,000-150,000 VND ($4-6), while monthly memberships range from 1,250,000-2,000,000 VND ($50-80) depending on the space and whether you want a dedicated desk or hot-desking. Our coworking and cafes guide reviews the best options in detail.

Home internet is often included in rent. If not, fiber through VNPT or Viettel costs 200,000-250,000 VND ($8-10/month) with speeds of 50-100 Mbps. A local SIM card from Viettel or Mobifone with a generous data plan runs 125,000-200,000 VND ($5-8/month). Pick one up at the airport or any phone shop. Most cafes also have reliable free WiFi as a backup.

Health, insurance, and fitness

Da Nang has a range of medical facilities at very different price points:

• Vinmec International Hospital: The most modern and expensive option. A basic consultation runs 500,000-800,000 VND ($20-32). Quality is excellent, and English-speaking staff are available.
• Family Medical Practice: A mid-range international clinic popular with expats. Good for non-emergency visits and routine health needs.
• Hoan My Hospital: A more budget-friendly option. Waits can be longer, but costs are significantly lower.

Gym memberships are affordable: expect 375,000-750,000 VND ($15-30/month) for well-equipped gyms. Several have pools. Yoga studios and CrossFit boxes are also available, usually at a slight premium.

Travel insurance is non-negotiable. Vietnam’s visa situation means periodic visa runs (see our Vietnam visa guide for the full strategy), and those trips can throw curveballs. SafetyWing and World Nomads are popular choices among the nomad community, running $40-80/month depending on coverage. Don’t skip it.

Entertainment and social life

Socializing in Da Nang is cheap, especially if you lean into the local scene rather than expat bars.

• Local beer (bia hoi / Larue / Tiger): 15,000-25,000 VND ($0.60-1.00)
• Cocktails at bars: 80,000-150,000 VND ($3-6)
• Coffee (ca phe sua da): 15,000-25,000 VND ($0.60-1.00)
• Specialty coffee shops: 45,000-70,000 VND ($1.80-2.80)

Day trips are part of the Da Nang lifestyle. Hoi An is just 30 minutes south by Grab (around 150,000-200,000 VND / $6-8 one way) or even cheaper by motorbike. Ba Na Hills, with its famous Golden Bridge, costs around 800,000 VND ($32) for the entrance ticket. That’s pricey by Vietnamese standards, but a one-time experience most people find worthwhile. For more ideas on filling your weekends, see our Da Nang activities guide.

Money tips: handling cash and cards in Vietnam

The Vietnamese Dong (VND) takes some getting used to. With denominations in the hundreds of thousands for everyday purchases, double-checking zeros becomes a survival skill. The 20,000 and 500,000 notes look similar enough in dim lighting to cause expensive mistakes.

Practical advice

• Cash is still king. Most street food vendors, local restaurants, and smaller shops only take cash. Budget travelers in particular will find that nearly all their cheapest options are cash-only.
• Avoid frequent ATM withdrawals. Vietnamese ATMs charge 22,000-55,000 VND ($0.90-2.20) per withdrawal, and your home bank likely adds a foreign transaction fee on top. Withdraw larger amounts less frequently.
• Use Wise or Revolut cards. These fintech cards offer near-interbank exchange rates and minimal fees. Many mid-range and upscale restaurants accept card payments, and these cards save you 2-4% compared to traditional bank cards.
• Exchange rate reference: As of early 2026, $1 USD equals roughly 25,000 VND. Use this as a quick mental shortcut: divide VND prices by 25,000 to get the dollar amount.

How Da Nang compares to other nomad hubs

Numbers tell the story. Here’s how Da Nang stacks up against the other heavy-hitters for a “comfortable” nomad lifestyle.

Category	Da Nang	Chiang Mai	Bali (Canggu)	HCMC
1-Bed Apartment	$400-550	$450-650	$600-900	$500-700
Local Meal	$1.50-3	$1.50-3	$2-5	$1.50-3
Coworking (Monthly)	$50-80	$60-100	$80-150	$60-100
Monthly Total (Comfortable)	$1,200-1,500	$1,300-1,600	$1,600-2,200	$1,400-1,700
Beach Access	Yes (city beach)	No	Yes	No

Da Nang’s edge is clear: it’s the cheapest beach city on this list by a meaningful margin. Chiang Mai matches it on food costs but has no coastline. Bali costs 30-50% more across the board. HCMC has more nightlife but higher rents and far more chaos. For a deeper comparison, see our roundup of top nomad cities.

Continue your Da Nang journey

This cost breakdown is one piece of the puzzle. Here’s where to go next:

• The complete digital nomad guide to Da Nang — visas, neighborhoods, seasonal timing, and everything else you need to plan your stay.
• Best coworking spaces and cafes in Da Nang — detailed reviews with WiFi speeds, pricing, and vibe checks for every major workspace.
• Things to do in Da Nang for digital nomads — weekend trips, outdoor activities, and social events to fill your non-working hours.
• Chiang Mai cost of living for digital nomads — compare your budget between Vietnam’s coast and Thailand’s mountains

If you’re arriving on a tight budget and want to ease into Da Nang before committing to an apartment, our hostel guide covers how to make short-term stays work while you apartment hunt.

Find your Da Nang crew

Da Nang’s costs drop even further when you split them. A two-bedroom ocean view apartment that seems like a splurge at $700/month becomes very reasonable at $350 each. Sharing a motorbike rental, splitting grocery runs, cooking together: the savings compound fast.

HitchHive connects digital nomads heading to the same destinations. Find a roommate for your Da Nang stay, link up with other nomads arriving the same week, or join a cost-sharing group for day trips and coworking memberships. Your Da Nang budget stretches further with the right travel companions.