Serviced apartment vs long-term lease in Hanoi: which is cheaper?

A serviced apartment bundles rent, utilities, wifi and cleaning into one monthly price. A long-term lease is cheaper per month but you furnish it, set up your own bills, and commit for a year. Which wins depends entirely on how long you are staying.

Choose serviced if…

• You are staying under 6–9 months
• You want zero setup and no furniture spend
• You value flexibility over the lowest monthly rate
• You are arriving before you have decided on an area

Choose a long-term lease if…

• You are committing to a year or more
• You already know the neighbourhood you want
• You are happy to furnish or want an unfurnished base
• You want the lowest possible monthly cost

The break-even

As a rough rule, once you pass roughly six to nine months, the all-in cost of a long-term lease (including furnishing) starts to beat an equivalent serviced apartment. Below that, serviced almost always wins on total cost and hassle. Toggle Short-term in Nest search to compare serviced options directly against long-term homes in the same area.