Pricing is always relative. (and pretty personal) My guess is the place you can get in Austin for $900/month isn't a fair comparison to the place you'd get in Saigon for the same.

Saigon place: - Furnished - In central district (D1) - Short-term lease - Maid included? (possibly) - Might include cable, internet, phone, electric, etc.

It is pretty high. My three bedroom apartment, including the nanny, is around $800 a month and it's in the second nicest area in Saigon.

2 bedroom apartments in the newer buildings like Sunrise City, Stella, etc. are twice that though. But those apartments are super "high end" for Vietnam.

Maybe in 2004 you could. ;) That's 40-50% below the market prices I've seen in the past few years; if you have that deal now hang onto it with both hands, heh.

Worth considering that he's talking about a furnished and serviced apartment.

I can barely get a 1br in Austin for that price.