Living in An Khanh, Ho Chi Minh City: Expat Guide
Living in An Khanh, Ho Chi Minh City means choosing between Thao Dien, An Phu, and the emerging riverside — here is how the pockets compare for expat renters.
Ask an expat where they live in An Khanh, Ho Chi Minh City and you will usually hear one word: Thao Dien. That is not wrong, but it is incomplete. An Khanh Ward is the administrative boundary in Ho Chi Minh City — and Thao Dien is just the best-known pocket inside it.
Cross the Hanoi Highway and you are in An Phu. Keep going toward the river and you hit a newer high-rise strip near Thu Thiem. Head east and the streets get quieter and greener in Binh An. Same east-side rental market, four very different pockets.
Most renters do not realize they have a choice. They arrive, hear "Thao Dien" from a colleague or a Facebook group, and stop looking. But the part of An Khanh Ward you pick changes your daily life more than which building you pick — so here is what each pocket is actually like, based on the buildings we list and the people we place in them.
Thao Dien: the expat village
Thao Dien is the leafy peninsula inside the river bend, north of the Hanoi Highway. It has the densest cluster of international schools in the city, a cafe and restaurant scene you can walk to, and the towers everyone has heard of — Masteri Thao Dien, The Ascent, Tropic Garden. Rents are the steepest in the ward, and the Vo Nguyen Giap junction is slow at peak hours. You pay for the convenience of not needing a bike.
We have already told Thao Dien's story in depth — how it grew from rubber plantations into HCMC's expat capital, and what the An Phu metro station means for renters there. Read that first if Thao Dien is your main focus. The rest of this guide is for everyone whose gut says Thao Dien but whose budget or commute says otherwise.
An Phu vs Thao Dien: the practical side of An Khanh ward
Cross the Hanoi Highway and the feel changes fast. An Phu is the busier strip around the An Phu interchange and the Estella Place mall. Less cafe-village, more shopping-center-and-highway. You do not walk to brunch here — you ride to it. But groceries, the metro, and the Thu Thiem Tunnel are all close, which matters more than brunch if you are commuting into the city center or out to the airport.
Renting in An Phu also costs less than Thao Dien for a comparable unit. Not dramatically, but enough that expats who do not need the cafe enclave increasingly land here. The buildings worth a look: The Vista has been the dependable mid-rise favorite for years, Imperia An Phu has the larger family units, and Lumiere Riverside trades the mall proximity for a quieter riverside setting. The Estella and Estella Heights sit right off the Estella Place mall and pull families who want walking access to retail plus the AIS and EIS school campuses.
For the actual rent numbers, see our Thao Dien rent price guide — the An Phu end of the ward runs a notch below those figures.
The An Khanh riverside: emerging and close to Thu Thiem
Keep going along the river toward Thu Thiem and a newer strip is taking shape around The Sun Avenue and Palm Heights. This is the part of An Khanh ward closest to the Thu Thiem new urban area — the city's biggest planned expansion — and it does not feel like Thao Dien or An Phu. Newer stock, more high-rise, fewer cafes within walking distance, river views instead of cafe-row views.
It suits renters who work in or near Thu Thiem and want a modern tower, with the caveat that you will be riding or driving for dinners and groceries for now. Not a neighborhood for the car-free expat. But if proximity to the city's biggest planned expansion matters to your commute, this pocket is closer than anywhere else in the ward.
Schools across the ward
If you are moving here with kids, schools will probably decide your pocket before rent does. An Khanh Ward has the strongest international-school cluster in HCMC. Thao Dien has BIS, ISHCMC, and EIS within a short walk of the main towers. An Phu has AIS and the newer EIS primary campus, with the Estella Place mall between them — which is why The Vista and Imperia An Phu fill with families every August. The riverside and Binh An pockets are further from the flagship campuses, so factor a school run into the daily commute.
One rule of thumb: pick the pocket around your school first, the building second. A 10-minute difference in commute is nothing. A 30-minute difference at 7 a.m. in HCMC traffic is a lot.
Binh An: the quiet value pocket
Binh An, on the eastern edge, is where the expat enclave thins out and a more local neighborhood takes over. Mostly compounds and low-rise serviced apartments, greener streets, lighter traffic. Since the 2025 city reorganization, Binh An sits administratively in Binh Trung Ward — but for renters, it still functions as the quieter, greener edge of the An Khanh area. Listing volume is thin compared with Thao Dien and An Phu, so you will have fewer options — but rents are lower and the streets are calmer. Worth a look if you want a compound for a family and a pool in the building is not a dealbreaker either way.
Where to live in An Khanh ward
| Vibe | Best for | Rent level | Commute | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thao Dien | Cafe village, walkable | School proximity, expat enclave | Highest | Metro + slow junction |
| An Phu | Mall + highway | Mid-market value, tunnel access | Mid | Metro interchange |
| Riverside | New towers, river views | Thu Thiem workers | Mid-high | Highway, car-dependent |
| Binh An | Quiet, green, compounds | Families wanting calm | Lower | Bike/car needed |
- Thao Dien — the walkable expat enclave, international schools on your doorstep. You pay for it.
- An Phu — mall-and-metro convenience, easier highway access, better value. You will want a bike or car.
- The An Khanh riverside — newest towers, closest to Thu Thiem. Best if you work there and do not mind driving for lifestyle.
- Binh An — the quiet, green, compound end of the area, at the lower rent range. Fewer listings, less noise. (Now in Binh Trung Ward.)
Three of these pockets sit inside An Khanh Ward, and Binh An is just across the boundary in Binh Trung Ward — but you are 10 to 15 minutes from any of them to any other. It is a daily-lifestyle decision, not a distance one.
An Khanh ward: quick answers
Is An Khanh the same as Thao Dien?
No. An Khanh Ward is an administrative division in Ho Chi Minh City. Thao Dien is one neighborhood inside it, alongside An Phu and the riverside strip near Thu Thiem. Expats say "Thao Dien" loosely to mean the whole area, but the ward is bigger.
Which is cheaper, An Phu or Thao Dien?
An Phu, usually. Rents run a notch below Thao Dien for comparable units because An Phu lacks the cafe-village walkability and the premium tower stock. You trade the lifestyle for the value and the highway access.
What international schools are in An Khanh ward?
The densest cluster in HCMC. Thao Dien has BIS, ISHCMC, and EIS. An Phu has AIS and the EIS primary campus. School proximity drives most of the rental demand in the ward.
Is Binh An a good area for expats?
For some expats, yes — especially families who want calm and do not need tower amenities or walking-distance cafes. It is the quietest, greenest pocket of the area, with mostly compounds and low-rise serviced apartments at lower rents. Since the 2025 reorganization Binh An sits in Binh Trung Ward administratively, but it still functions as part of the same rental market. The catch is that listing volume is thin, so you will have fewer places to choose from.
Thinking about renting in An Khanh Ward? Tell us your budget and what matters to you — we will send matches across the ward within 24 hours.
