Cost of Cable TV, Internet, Telephone in HCM City

Hi Dan, I pay roughly 1.3mil a month for internet, tv, phone line(I don't use it so no call charges). Water, electric and gas. I think that's everything.

Now I don;t use my air-con much (about once a month just to flush the system)

this also includes some other service charge that I can not recall at the moment.

That's for a 2 bedroom (100m2) apartment with two of us living there

Yes rent prices are negotiable Easiest way is to find a good agent tell them your budget where you want to live and let them do the leg work for you.

Thank you so much.  That information is very helpful.  I have narrowed my areas to Districts 2, 3, and 7.  Any thoughts?

Thanks again, Dan

All depends on where you are working(assuming you are working). I live in D2 and its ok. the tunnel has made it easier and quicker to get into D1 so I don't mind that too much.
D3 is nice and central and i have friends who live there.

D7 I'm not a fan of, it's too far out for me and too sanitized compared to other areas but people say the same about D2. I have friends who live there too and they like it. I've heard rent is a little cheaper in the area.

D2 and D7 are both very big expat communities, D2 more US, UK, Aus etc and D7 is more Asian focused a lot of Koreans etc

Tbh you can not really go wrong with any of those areas it all comes down to personal preferences.

Best bet would be to get somewhere central (hotel\room etc) to start with then take a ride around the areas and see what appeals t0 you When you coming?

Great info.  I will be arriving in December, 2012.  Can't wait.

if U still look for the answer about the price than I think I can help U
my cable TV is about 3$/month, internet 22$/month, the phone I think Up to how much U use it but I think the max is about 44$, and the electric bill at my house have 3br is about 22$ too

Hi,
TV cable is 3$/month. One laptop with 3G internet is max of 10$/month. Some PCs with ADSL line is about 10$/month too. It is about 5 cent/minute for  domestic calls. Electric bill is about 30$/month  for two bedrooms with air conditioners and cooking at home.

Laidbackfreak has given you a good answer regarding the amounts most EXPATS pay. As an expat, you will never get the prices quoted here by the Vietnamese posters, unless you live in the midst of a local Vietnamese "community", and the local police usually won't allow you to do that, even if you're married to a Vietnamese. (There are several other threads here on EB detailing that.)

The MOST you should pay for utilities, if it's just you and maybe a significant other, is what I pay every month:

Internet - 1,980,000 VND - about $96. (I choose to have the fastest ADSL connection I can get in my area because I cannot tolerate slow speeds. The slower connections here are similar to "dial-up" connections in the states.) My internet speed and bandwidth are very comparable to a good USA connection. Fiber-optic connections are also available in my area, but for MUCH higher monthly rates, and even I am not crazy enough to pay for that.

Electricity - on average, about 1,250,000 VND - $60. Mine is highest in April, maybe $75, and lowest in January, maybe $50. My AC is off during the day, and on all night.

Cable TV - $8. It's not that good - only a few English channels such as Discovery, NatGeo, CNN Asia, ESPN Asia, TLC, etc. But compared to the monthly cost of American cable TV, it's a bargain.

Water, Gas, etc. - on average, about $10 for both combined. Where I live, in the Q7/Phu My Hung area, the gas, water, and if applicable, management fees, are combined in one bill and paid at the community center. Management fees VARY WIDELY depending on the complex. If the complex has amenities such as a pool, exercise room, childrens' play area, well-lit, well-maintained common areas, etc. etc., and security guards watching every entrance 24/7, the fee can be as much as $65. Some complexes keep the fees lower by reducing security (and as a result, have a much higher theft rate) and allowing pay-as-you-go for the amenities.

So my total is 96+60+8+10+65= $239.
The key to all of this is to rent from a place that breaks all of this out, and allows you to pay it yourself, so you know exactly what you're paying for. Then all you have to do is negotiate your monthly rent with the landlord. If at all possible, do NOT enter into a situation where you pay everything, all inclusive, to the landlord every month.

Hope this helps.

saigonmonkey wrote:

Laidbackfreak has given you a good answer regarding the amounts most EXPATS pay. As an expat, you will never get the prices quoted here by the Vietnamese posters, unless you live in the midst of a local Vietnamese "community", and the local police usually won't allow you to do that, even if you're married to a Vietnamese. (There are several other threads here on EB detailing that.)

The MOST you should pay for utilities, if it's just you and maybe a significant other, is what I pay every month:

Internet - 1,980,000 VND - about $96. (I choose to have the fastest ADSL connection I can get in my area because I cannot tolerate slow speeds. The slower connections here are similar to "dial-up" connections in the states.) My internet speed and bandwidth are very comparable to a good USA connection. Fiber-optic connections are also available in my area, but for MUCH higher monthly rates, and even I am not crazy enough to pay for that.

Electricity - on average, about 1,250,000 VND - $60. Mine is highest in April, maybe $75, and lowest in January, maybe $50. My AC is off during the day, and on all night.

Cable TV - $8. It's not that good - only a few English channels such as Discovery, NatGeo, CNN Asia, ESPN Asia, TLC, etc. But compared to the monthly cost of American cable TV, it's a bargain.

Water, Gas, etc. - on average, about $10 for both combined. Where I live, in the Q7/Phu My Hung area, the gas, water, and if applicable, management fees, are combined in one bill and paid at the community center. Management fees VARY WIDELY depending on the complex. If the complex has amenities such as a pool, exercise room, childrens' play area, well-lit, well-maintained common areas, etc. etc., and security guards watching every entrance 24/7, the fee can be as much as $65. Some complexes keep the fees lower by reducing security (and as a result, have a much higher theft rate) and allowing pay-as-you-go for the amenities.

So my total is 96+60+8+10+65= $239.
The key to all of this is to rent from a place that breaks all of this out, and allows you to pay it yourself, so you know exactly what you're paying for. Then all you have to do is negotiate your monthly rent with the landlord. If at all possible, do NOT enter into a situation where you pay everything, all inclusive, to the landlord every month.

Hope this helps.

You are obviously on the higher end of the price scale, as it is well above I am paying, additionally including 2 separate office but no airco and no (bottled) gas. 2 offices run on separate meters with commercial power. All together between 100 and 150 per month.

It's possible, that in Saigon the prices for power and water might be differ to other cities?

l3ully wrote:

You are obviously on the higher end of the price scale, as it is well above I am paying, additionally including 2 separate office but no airco and no (bottled) gas. 2 offices run on separate meters with commercial power. All together between 100 and 150 per month.

It's possible, that in Saigon the prices for power and water might be differ to other cities?

Exactly. That was the point of my post. I wanted Dan to know what's the most he should pay.

I'm assuming you're referring only to electricity. I'm no doubt getting gouged, but the only thing I can do about it is move, and I'm not doing that. Furthermore, I just checked my bills again, and realized that for a month where I was in Vietnam every day, my electric bill was over $100.

The electric company is Dien Luc / EVNHCMC. Prior to switching to this company sometime about a year ago, the company supplying my area was Hiep Phuoc. It seems that switch also conincided with a rate hike. I'm pretty sure it's higher here than in the rural areas and other cities.

saigonmonkey wrote:

Laidbackfreak has given you a good answer regarding the amounts most EXPATS pay. As an expat, you will never get the prices quoted here by the Vietnamese posters, unless you live in the midst of a local Vietnamese "community", and the local police usually won't allow you to do that, even if you're married to a Vietnamese. (There are several other threads here on EB detailing that.)

The MOST you should pay for utilities, if it's just you and maybe a significant other, is what I pay every month:

Internet - 1,980,000 VND - about $96. (I choose to have the fastest ADSL connection I can get in my area because I cannot tolerate slow speeds. The slower connections here are similar to "dial-up" connections in the states.) My internet speed and bandwidth are very comparable to a good USA connection. Fiber-optic connections are also available in my area, but for MUCH higher monthly rates, and even I am not crazy enough to pay for that.

Electricity - on average, about 1,250,000 VND - $60. Mine is highest in April, maybe $75, and lowest in January, maybe $50. My AC is off during the day, and on all night.

Cable TV - $8. It's not that good - only a few English channels such as Discovery, NatGeo, CNN Asia, ESPN Asia, TLC, etc. But compared to the monthly cost of American cable TV, it's a bargain.

Water, Gas, etc. - on average, about $10 for both combined. Where I live, in the Q7/Phu My Hung area, the gas, water, and if applicable, management fees, are combined in one bill and paid at the community center. Management fees VARY WIDELY depending on the complex. If the complex has amenities such as a pool, exercise room, childrens' play area, well-lit, well-maintained common areas, etc. etc., and security guards watching every entrance 24/7, the fee can be as much as $65. Some complexes keep the fees lower by reducing security (and as a result, have a much higher theft rate) and allowing pay-as-you-go for the amenities.

So my total is 96+60+8+10+65= $239.
The key to all of this is to rent from a place that breaks all of this out, and allows you to pay it yourself, so you know exactly what you're paying for. Then all you have to do is negotiate your monthly rent with the landlord. If at all possible, do NOT enter into a situation where you pay everything, all inclusive, to the landlord every month.

Hope this helps.

The costs seem high. Price of maximum Viettel ADSL option, which is even used for internet shops supported optical cable, is 1.000.000đ/month (about 50 $) (http://viettelonline.com/adsl-viettel/c … sl-viettel).

DinhHien,
The website is all in Vietnamese, so I can't understand it.

It appears they only offer 3G wireless, not in-home. (I realize 3G is accessible in-home, but I have 3 computers running from a wireless router, as well as a wireless media server.)

Also, you can't just say the service is fast. It must have adequate bandwidth.

I know what I've got, relating to internet, and know I'm paying a lot, but I've got the combination of speed, bandwidth, and most importantly, customer service I need.

It appears the electricity rate is becoming the problem, but very little anyone can do about that.

Thanks for your input.