In recent months, Vu Ngoc Anh - a student at the University of Labor - Social Affairs has clearly felt the rapid escalation of electricity and water bills when the following month was continuously higher than the previous month.
According to Ngoc Anh, from August to October 2025, the electricity price at her boarding house increased from 3,500 VND to 3,900 VND/kWh, while the water price doubled, from 20,000 to 40,000 VND/m3.
"The increase in electricity and water costs has a big impact on my family. At first, my parents paid 3 million a month, which was enough for accommodation and food, but now the room and electricity and water bills alone are almost gone. Every month I have to call home to ask for more. Every time I talk to my parents, I feel sorry for them, because their family doesn't have much.
Some months, I pay too much for electricity and water, so the roomatic friend is also uncomfortable, one person blames the other for more. We have been fighting many times, now we have to record the meters each week to be fair," Ngoc Anh lamented.
Not only Ngoc Anh, many students in Cau Giay, Hoang Mai, Bac Tu Liem areas... are also "complaining" because their electricity and water bills have skyrocketed. In some old rental areas, the landlord sets the price himself and collects the contract without a separate meter.
Vu Anh Tuan - a second-year student at the Vietnam Women's Academy shared: "We work part-time but our salary is just enough to eat, so high in electricity and water, how can we live? In the hot season, we don't dare turn on the air conditioners, in the cold season, bathing in hot water is also afraid of consuming, so not only electricity but also water, we have to monitor it every day."
According to a survey by reporters, in many areas around universities in Hanoi, the current average tuition fee is 4,000 - 5,000 VND/electricity and 30,000 - 50,000 VND/m3 of water.
Boarding house prices are also increasing continuously. If at the beginning of the 2023 - 2024 school year, a 1215m2 room cost 2-2.5 million VND/month, now it has increased to 2.5-3 million VND. In addition to electricity, water, internet and service fees, the total cost that students have to pay each month ranges from 3-4 million VND, not including food and transportation.
Ngoc Anh shared more: "The room I rent in Cau Giay area, the current price is 3.5 million/month, not including electricity and water. Last year, it was only 3 million, but now the owner says it should be increased because the electricity bill, garbage and surrounding house prices have all increased.
That is why many students have to find ways to get by. Some choose to stay in a shared house for expenses, others find a room away from the center or move to a dormitory. However, dormitories only meet a small part of the needs, causing the majority of students to still have to rent private accommodation.
