Newcomers planning a long stay in Da Nang almost always end up choosing between two options: the My Khe beachside area on the Son Tra side, or An Thuong on the Ngu Hanh Son side. Both are a few hundred metres from the sea, and prices aren't far apart. But living in them is a completely different experience.
At a glance
| Son Tra (around Nguyen Van Thoai) | An Thuong (Ngu Hanh Son) | |
|---|---|---|
| Atmosphere | Local residents, quieter | Large foreign community |
| Food | Vietnamese eateries, seafood, budget | Western restaurants, vegetarian, cafés |
| Evenings | Early nights | Lively until late |
| To the centre | 5–10 min | 10–15 min |
| Suits | People who want quiet, families | Newcomers, people who like to socialise |
Son Tra: quiet, close to the beach, living like a local
The area around Nguyen Van Thoai Street and the lanes leading to My Khe Beach is where Da Nang locals actually live — not a tourist zone. Mornings bring bánh mì carts, noodle stalls and small markets. In the evening the lanes are quiet, and by around ten the streets are empty.
My Khe Beach here is wide and less crowded than the stretch near the centre. It's a few minutes' walk: swim in the morning, then head back to work.
Strengths: food is noticeably cheaper than in An Thuong — a simple rice meal is 40,000–60,000 VND, while the same dish in the expat area can cost double. It's quiet, which suits people working from home or families with small children. The airport is quick to reach.
Weaknesses: few places speak English. If you don't speak Vietnamese and aren't comfortable communicating with gestures, the first week will be a little harder. There are few places to hang out in the evening — to meet people, you'll ride to another area.
An Thuong: lively, convenient, a bit pricier
An Thuong is where Da Nang's foreign community is most concentrated. The streets around Ngo Thi Si, Hoang Ke Viem and Doan Uan are packed with cafés, Italian restaurants, vegetarian spots, bakeries, gyms and spas.
Strengths: you can live comfortably without speaking Vietnamese. Making friends is easy — sit in a café and you'll meet people in the same boat. Plenty of work spots with good Wi-Fi and sockets. Close to An Bang Beach.
Weaknesses: it's more expensive. The same bowl of phở can cost 30–50% more in An Thuong than in Son Tra. Evenings are noisy — if your room faces a street with bars, weekend sleep can be hard. And because so many foreigners live here, rents are often a little higher for the same quality of room.
A few things people rarely think about
Sun orientation. Da Nang's sun is fierce from May to August. West-facing rooms get stifling in the afternoon; even with the AC at full power they don't cool down, and the electricity bill soars. Ask which way the balcony faces before you rent.
Rainy season. From October to December Da Nang gets heavy rain, and some streets flood briefly after a downpour. If you're renting on the ground floor, ask whether that area has flooded before.
Construction noise. Da Nang builds a lot. An empty lot next door today can be a building site in three months. Look around the neighbourhood before signing a long contract.
Sea air. Living right by the sea is lovely, but salt corrodes metal faster. Scooters, hinges and anything on the balcony deteriorate faster than in town.
What about other areas?
Hai Chau — the administrative centre, near Han Market and the Dragon Bridge. Easy to get around, lots of offices, but far from the beach with little green space.
Nai Hien Dong — north of Son Tra and still developing. Lower prices and bigger houses, good for renting a whole house or villa. The trade-off is being further from cafés and restaurants.
Southern Ngu Hanh Son — quiet and closer to Hoi An. Suits people who want real peace and have their own transport.
Practical advice
If you've never lived in Da Nang, don't sign a one-year contract straight away. Rent for a month in the area you're leaning towards, try it out, then decide. A month is enough to know whether you can handle the evening noise, whether you really do walk to the beach every morning, and whether the food nearby suits you.
Most people who stay long-term move at least once in their first year. That's normal — choosing where to live is something you only learn by doing.
RentalFM has rooms in all three clusters: Ben House and Dawn on Nguyen Van Thoai on the Son Tra side, Sabi Boutique on Doan Uan in An Thuong, and three villas on Nguyen Dang Tuyen. If you try one area and it doesn't suit you, you can move to another building in our network without starting your search from scratch.