Thao Dien vs An Phu: Which District 2 Neighbourhood to Rent In?

In short: Thao Dien and An Phu are next-door neighbourhoods of the former District 2, sharing Vo Nguyen Giap Boulevard and Metro Line 1. On Visreal’s listings, Thao Dien is the cheaper and much bigger market (2-bedroom median $1,100 a month across 690 listings), while An Phu asks a little more (2-bedroom median $1,255 across 121 listings) but offers larger 3-bedrooms. Choose Thao Dien for the riverside village, cafes and most international schools; choose An Phu for newer towers such as Lumiere Riverside and Estella Heights and malls on the doorstep.

Where Thao Dien ends and An Phu begins

Both names come from wards of the old District 2 (part of Thu Duc City from 2021). On 1 July 2025, Vietnam abolished district-level government and merged wards across the city.

Thao Dien ward was merged with Thu Thiem, An Loi Dong, An Khanh and part of An Phu into a new An Khanh ward. The old An Phu ward was split: one part went into An Khanh, the other joined Binh Trung Dong and Binh Trung Tay in a new Binh Trung ward.

In daily use, most people have not switched. Landlords, schools and Grab drivers still say Thao Dien and An Phu, so this guide does too. Only new paperwork, such as temporary residence registration, uses the new ward names.

Renters treat Thao Dien as the river bend with its villa lanes and An Phu as the area around Song Hanh Street. The real ward line was messier, and building names do not help.

Building	Old ward (before July 2025)	Location	Rental market	2-bedroom median
Masteri Thao Dien	Thao Dien	Vo Nguyen Giap, beside An Phu station	384 listings	$850
Masteri An Phu	Thao Dien	Vo Nguyen Giap at Vo Truong Toan	73 listings	$800
Gateway Thao Dien	Thao Dien	Le Thuoc Street, village side	148 listings	$1,445
Lumiere Riverside	An Phu	Vo Nguyen Giap, river side	176 listings	$1,250
The Vista An Phu	An Phu	628C Vo Nguyen Giap	26 listings	$1,150
Estella Heights	An Phu	88 Song Hanh	136 listings	$1,400
The Estella	An Phu	Song Hanh, next to Estella Heights	33 listings	$1,300
Feliz en Vista	Thanh My Loi	1 Phan Van Dang, east of An Phu	32 listings	$950

Two surprises in that table. Masteri An Phu, despite its name, sat in Thao Dien ward, while Lumiere Riverside, which most people call a Thao Dien building, sat in An Phu ward. Feliz en Vista is often grouped with An Phu, but its official address is Thanh My Loi, a little further east.

Rent prices: Thao Dien vs An Phu by bedroom

Across the 690 Thao Dien listings and 121 An Phu listings Visreal has published, a 2-bedroom typically asks $885 – $1,380 a month in Thao Dien (median $1,100) and $1,135 – $1,370 in An Phu (median $1,255). Prices are USD per month, mostly furnished.

Size	Thao Dien: listings	Thao Dien: typical (median)	Thao Dien: size	An Phu: listings	An Phu: typical (median)	An Phu: size
1 bedroom	86	$866 – $1,000 ($920)	53 m²	16	$966 – $1,140 ($1,008)	52 m²
2 bedrooms	398	$885 – $1,380 ($1,100)	74 m²	49	$1,135 – $1,370 ($1,255)	74 m²
3 bedrooms	172	$1,458 – $2,600 ($1,990)	103 m²	55	$1,900 – $2,680 ($2,180)	130 m²
4+ bedrooms	34	$3,325 – $5,000 ($3,750)	164 m²	1	$3,000 (one listing)	173 m²

“Typical” is the middle half of asking rents (25th to 75th percentile). Read the An Phu column with care: 16 one-bedrooms is a small sample, and the 4+ bedroom row is a single apartment, not a market price.

Three things stand out:

• Thao Dien has the cheaper floor. The lowest 2-bedroom asks in Thao Dien start around $695, against $800 in An Phu. Masteri Thao Dien, the largest building, sits at that end: its 2-bedroom median is $850.
• Thao Dien also has the top end. It lists 34 apartments with four or more bedrooms (median $3,750), against a single one in An Phu.
• An Phu 3-bedrooms are bigger. The median An Phu 3-bedroom is 130 m² against 103 m² in Thao Dien, which explains most of the higher median rent.

Per square metre, the gap is small. Over the 12 months to 30 September 2026, An Phu listings asked a median $17.9/m² and Thao Dien $16.5/m², a narrower sample than the table above. For other sizes, browse our 2-bedroom apartments across the city.

What the apartments feel like

Thao Dien mixes three kinds of stock: the big Masteri towers on the boulevard, mid-rise buildings in the village such as Gateway Thao Dien and The Nassim, and older riverside blocks along Nguyen Van Huong and Quoc Huong streets. That variety is why the price range is so wide. Our Thao Dien expat guide covers each building in more detail.

An Phu is mostly larger condominium compounds with pools, gyms and shops at the base: Estella Heights and The Estella on Song Hanh, The Vista on the boulevard, and Lumiere Riverside, the newest of the group. Fewer small units come up here, which matches the data: 1-bedrooms are only 16 of 121 An Phu listings.

For a river view on a mid budget, Thao Dien has more choice. For a large family 3-bedroom in a newer compound, An Phu gives you more space.

Getting around: Metro Line 1 and the roads

Metro Line 1 opened on 22 December 2024 and runs along Vo Nguyen Giap Boulevard, the old Hanoi Highway, on a raised track. Both stations sit between the two neighbourhoods:

• Thao Dien station is the first stop after crossing the Saigon River, five stops from Ben Thanh. It is the closer station for the western end of Thao Dien.
• An Phu station is the next stop, six from Ben Thanh. Vincom Mega Mall stands beside it, Masteri Thao Dien is on the same side, and a footbridge crosses the boulevard to MM Mega Market An Phu.

So the station named An Phu actually serves Thao Dien’s biggest towers best. Our list of apartments near Metro Line 1 gives walking distances building by building.

By car or Grab, Thao Dien residents cross the river by the Saigon Bridge, which backs up at rush hour. The Song Hanh side of An Phu is closer to Mai Chi Tho Boulevard, the route through Thu Thiem to District 1. If your office is in Thu Thiem, our comparison of Thao Dien vs Thu Thiem is worth a read.

International schools on each side

School campus is the single biggest reason families pick one side over the other. Check fees and admissions with each school directly.

School	Campus	Old ward
British International School (BIS)	Several campuses on Nguyen Van Huong and Thao Dien streets	Thao Dien
ISHCMC Secondary	01 Xuan Thuy Street	Thao Dien
ISHCMC Primary	28 Vo Truong Toan Street	An Phu
Australian International School, Thao Dien campus	36 Thao Dien Street	Thao Dien
Australian International School, Thu Thiem campus	264 Mai Chi Tho	An Phu
European International School (EIS)	730 Le Van Mien	Thao Dien

Most campuses are in Thao Dien, but two big ones sit on the An Phu side. Masteri An Phu, Gateway and Lumiere Riverside are a short walk from ISHCMC Primary. See our guides to international schools in Thao Dien and apartments near ISHCMC.

Food, shopping and daily life

Thao Dien is where the cafe and restaurant scene is. The lanes around Xuan Thuy and Thao Dien Street are full of brunch spots, bakeries and bars, and The Deck Saigon on Nguyen U Di is the classic riverside dinner. Our Thao Dien restaurants guide has addresses and price ranges.

An Phu is more practical than charming. Estella Place, the mall in the base of Estella Heights, has shops, a food court and restaurants, and MM Mega Market An Phu handles the bulk shop. For evenings out, Thao Dien’s cafe lanes are a few minutes away by Grab.

Thao Dien or An Phu: which suits you?

Choose Thao Dien if…	Choose An Phu if…
You want cafes, restaurants and leafy lanes within walking distance	You prefer a quieter compound with a mall downstairs
Your children attend BIS, ISHCMC Secondary, AIS Thao Dien or EIS	Your children attend ISHCMC Primary or AIS Thu Thiem
You want the widest choice and the lowest starting rents	You want a large, newer 3-bedroom for a family
You want a river view on a mid budget	You drive to Thu Thiem or District 1 via Mai Chi Tho

From Visreal’s experience

Visreal has rented apartments to foreigners in Ho Chi Minh City since 2017, and Thao Dien and An Phu are two of our main areas. Our process has four steps: your brief, a shortlist and viewings, negotiating and signing, then support after you move in.

The brief is where the Thao Dien vs An Phu question gets settled. “Two bedrooms near ISHCMC” is not enough, because Primary and Secondary sit in different parts of the neighbourhood, so tell us the campus, the grade and your office. Because the two areas sit side by side, we can usually show you buildings on both sides of the boulevard in one afternoon.

One tip our agents give every client here: walk the route you will use every day before you sign. Crossing Vo Nguyen Giap on foot means using a footbridge or a station, and a building that looks close on the map can feel far in the midday heat.

At signing, we draft a three-party contract (you, Visreal and the landlord), explain it in English and negotiate: landlords often accept 5–10% off for a 12-month lease. After you move in, we help with temporary residence registration and handle repairs and renewals.

Brendontutu Tu wrote on Google: “The whole process was smooth, professional, and stress-free from start to finish. Everything was clearly explained and handled efficiently.” Visreal is rated 4.9/5 from 34 Google reviews, and our service is free for tenants.

FAQ

Is An Phu part of Thao Dien?

No, they were separate wards of the former District 2. Since July 2025, Thao Dien and part of An Phu form An Khanh ward, and the rest of An Phu is in Binh Trung ward.

Is An Phu cheaper than Thao Dien?

Not on Visreal’s listings. The median 2-bedroom asks $1,255 a month in An Phu against $1,100 in Thao Dien, and An Phu 3-bedrooms are larger and pricier.

Which is better for families, Thao Dien or An Phu?

It depends on the school. Thao Dien has more campuses, including BIS, AIS Thao Dien and EIS; An Phu has ISHCMC Primary, AIS Thu Thiem and larger 3-bedrooms.

Which Metro stations serve Thao Dien and An Phu?

Thao Dien station and An Phu station on Metro Line 1, five and six stops from Ben Thanh. An Phu station sits beside Vincom Mega Mall and Masteri Thao Dien.

Do I pay an agency fee to rent through Visreal?

No. Visreal’s service is free for tenants, from the first shortlist to support after you move in.

Find your apartment in Thao Dien or An Phu

Send your budget, move-in date and school or office on Zalo or WhatsApp at +84 903 004 226, and we will build a shortlist across both neighbourhoods at no cost. You can also browse current apartments for rent in Thao Dien and apartments for rent in An Phu.