Rental Yield Calculator (VND)
If you are weighing whether to buy an apartment in Vietnam and let it out, rental yield is the first number to run. It answers a blunt question: for every dong you sink into the property, how much annual rent does it throw off, expressed as a percentage? That single ratio lets you line up a downtown condo against a suburban townhouse, or compare buy-to-let against simply leaving the money in a VND term deposit — everything reduces to one comparable percentage.
There are two flavours, and the gap between them matters. Gross yield divides a full year of rent by the purchase price: a 3.000.000.000 VND apartment let at 12.000.000 VND/month — 144.000.000 VND a year — shows a gross yield of 4.80%. Net yield subtracts the real running costs first, and it is the honest number. With 20.000.000 VND of annual costs (building management fees, repairs, rental tax, vacancy), net yield drops to 4.13%. That 0.7-point gap is the slice that costs quietly remove — a trap for buyers who anchor on the gross figure alone.
The calculator above takes the property value, the monthly rent and your estimated annual costs, then returns gross yield, net yield and the annual net income in VND. Two caveats. First, every figure in the examples on this page is illustrative input, not a quote about current Vietnamese property prices, market rents or yields — replace them with your own deal's numbers. Second, rental yield deliberately ignores capital appreciation, which in Vietnam has often been the larger driver of total return than rent. A low-yield property can still be a strong investment once price growth is added — pair this tool with FiMo's capital growth calculator for that side of the story.
How rental yield is calculated
The two core formulas
Gross yield = (Annual rent ÷ Property value) × 100, where Annual rent = Monthly rent × 12.
Net yield = ((Annual rent − Annual costs) ÷ Property value) × 100.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Property value | Purchase price (or current market value) of the property |
| Monthly rent | Rent actually collected each month |
| Annual rent | Monthly rent × 12 |
| Annual costs | Total running costs over a year |
| Net income | Annual rent − Annual costs |
Verifiable example: 12.000.000 × 12 = 144.000.000 VND annual rent; divided by 3.000.000.000 and × 100 gives a 4.80% gross yield. Subtract 20.000.000 of costs to leave 124.000.000 VND of net income, which divided by the property value gives the 4.13% net yield.
What goes into annual costs?
The 20.000.000 VND figure in the examples is an illustrative assumption bundling the usual line items:
- Building management / service charges for condominiums, typically per square metre.
- Repairs and maintenance: repainting, replacing appliances, furniture wear.
- Rental tax: an individual letting residential property in Vietnam is taxable once revenue passes the exemption threshold — check the current rules, as the exact amount depends on your revenue and the prevailing rates, which we deliberately do not assert here.
- Vacancy: months without a tenant still carry costs.
- Agent / tenant-finding fees each time you re-let.
Why net yield beats gross yield
Gross yield is quick to compute and handy for a first-pass comparison, but it ignores every cost, so it always overstates reality. Net yield reflects the cash you actually keep. In the example, costs drag the yield from 4.80% down to 4.13% — a loss of 0.7 percentage points. The heavier the cost load (high service-charge condos, older units needing work), the wider that gap.
What the ratio leaves out
Rental yield is a figure before leverage and before appreciation: it ignores mortgage interest if you buy with a loan, and it ignores any change in the property's value over time. In Vietnam, multi-year price appreciation has frequently exceeded the rental cash flow, so a low-yield property is not automatically a poor buy. Combine rental yield with an appreciation assumption (the capital growth calculator) and a rent-vs-buy analysis before deciding.
Worked example: one 3.000.000.000 VND apartment at different rents
Illustrative assumptions: property value 3.000.000.000 VND, annual running costs held at 20.000.000 VND, only the monthly rent changes.
| Monthly rent | Annual rent | Gross yield | Net yield | Net income/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.000.000 | 108.000.000 | 3.60% | 2.93% | 88.000.000 |
| 12.000.000 | 144.000.000 | 4.80% | 4.13% | 124.000.000 |
| 15.000.000 | 180.000.000 | 6.00% | 5.33% | 160.000.000 |
| 18.000.000 | 216.000.000 | 7.20% | 6.53% | 196.000.000 |
At 12.000.000 VND/month — the middle row — the apartment shows a 4.80% gross yield but only a 4.13% net yield, i.e. 124.000.000 VND of net income a year. To reach a 5% gross yield you would need to let the same unit for roughly 12.500.000 VND/month — a useful reverse calculation when pricing a lease.
Same 12.000.000 VND/month rent, different purchase prices
The higher the price you pay, the lower the yield for the same rent — which is why overpaying breaks the whole buy-to-let case:
| Purchase price | Gross yield | Net yield |
|---|---|---|
| 2.500.000.000 | 5.76% | 4.96% |
| 3.000.000.000 | 4.80% | 4.13% |
| 3.500.000.000 | 4.11% | 3.54% |
A 500-million-dong swing in purchase price moves the net yield noticeably even though the rent never changes. When negotiating, always convert back to yield to see which price still makes the property worth buying to let. And remember these numbers are all pre-appreciation — cross-check with FiMo's capital growth and ROI calculators for the full return picture.
Frequently asked questions
What is rental yield?
Rental yield is the annual rent a property produces expressed as a percentage of its value. It tells you how hard each dong of capital works as income, and makes properties — or buy-to-let versus a VND deposit — directly comparable. Example: a 3.000.000.000 VND apartment let at 12.000.000 VND/month (144.000.000 VND a year) has a gross yield of 4.80%.
What is the difference between gross and net rental yield?
Gross yield = annual rent ÷ property value, before any costs. Net yield subtracts running costs first, so it reflects the cash you actually keep. In the example, gross yield is 4.80% but after 20.000.000 VND of annual costs the net yield is only 4.13% — a 0.7-point gap. Base decisions on net yield.
What is the rental yield formula?
Gross yield = (monthly rent × 12 ÷ property value) × 100. Net yield = ((annual rent − annual costs) ÷ property value) × 100. Check: 12.000.000 × 12 = 144.000.000; 144.000.000 ÷ 3.000.000.000 × 100 = 4.80% gross. Subtract 20.000.000 to leave 124.000.000 VND, ÷ 3.000.000.000 × 100 = 4.13% net.
What is a good rental yield in Vietnam?
There is no fixed threshold, and we deliberately do not assert a current "market" figure. Use yield as a relative screen: compare your property's net yield against the prevailing deposit rate and against other properties at the same time. Crucially, yields in Vietnam often run low partly because prices reflect expected capital appreciation — pair the yield with a growth assumption (the capital growth calculator) rather than judging the number in isolation.
What costs should I include for a non-resident landlord?
Typically: condominium management/service charges, repairs and maintenance, rental tax (due once revenue exceeds the exemption threshold — check current rules), vacancy between tenants, and agent fees each time you re-let. Non-residents should also budget for the time and cost of managing remotely. The 20.000.000 VND/year in the example bundles these illustratively; estimate your own and enter them into the calculator.
How much rent do I need for a 5% gross yield?
Work backwards from the formula: required monthly rent = 5% × property value ÷ 12. For a 3.000.000.000 VND apartment that is roughly 12.500.000 VND/month to hit a 5% gross yield. It is a useful pricing check, though the achievable rent is ultimately set by the local market.
Does rental yield include capital appreciation?
No. Rental yield measures rental cash flow only; it ignores any rise or fall in the property's value and ignores mortgage interest if you buy with a loan. Your total return = rental cash flow + the gain or loss on resale. In Vietnam appreciation has often been the bigger component, so use FiMo's capital growth and ROI calculators alongside this one for the complete picture.