A survey by Dantri/Dtinews found that asking prices for apartments along the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line have risen sharply from their launch prices, making homes near stations increasingly unaffordable for lower- and middle-income households.
In the Ba Son area of Saigon Ward, apartments at Grand Marina Saigon are now listed at VND 400-500 million (USD 15,385- USD 19,231) per square metre, more than 50 per cent above their launch prices. Nearby, Vinhomes Golden River Ba Son has exceeded VND 300 million per square metre, an increase of 333 per cent. The area has the highest apartment prices among the locations surveyed along the line.
In Thao Dien and An Phu, in An Khanh Ward, increases have been even steeper. Masteri Thao Dien apartments are now priced at up to VND 135 million per square metre, up 350 per cent from launch. Gateway Thao Dien has reached VND 204 million per square metre, an increase of 410 per cent, while Thao Dien Pearl stands at VND 135 million per square metre, up 170 per cent.
Further along the route, around Rach Chiec, Phuoc Long and Binh Thai in Phuoc Long and Thu Duc wards, prices are lower but have still risen substantially. Him Lam Phu An apartments are listed at up to VND 68 million per square metre, up 183 per cent; Lavita Charm at VND 69 million, up 200 per cent; and Lavita Garden at VND 53 million, up 141 per cent.
Further from the city centre, around the Saigon Hi-Tech Park, Vietnam National University and Suoi Tien areas, prices have increased more moderately. The East Gate is listed at VND 46 million per square metre, up 44 per cent, while apartments at The 9 Stellars reach VND 117 million per square metre, an increase of 60 per cent.
Apartment prices along Metro Line 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien have risen sharply (Photo: Bao Quyen).
According to property website Batdongsan.com.vn, asking prices for apartments within 1km of Metro Line 1 and Hanoi Highway rose from VND 30.6 million per square metre in 2016 to VND 72.9 million this year, nearly 2.4 times higher. In 2025, after the metro began operating, asking prices in the area increased by about 30 per cent from the previous year.
The rapid rise in property prices around metro stations has also made it harder for lower- and middle-income residents to buy or rent homes nearby.
Research by Huynh Thi Huong Lan and Nguyen Vo Van Lich of Vietnamese-German University found that only 12 of the 60 housing developments surveyed along Metro Line 1 fell into the mid-range or affordable segments.
More strikingly, only two of 36 developments within an 800-metre walk of stations met the criteria for social or affordable housing. Although lower- and middle-income residents tend to rely more heavily on public transport, the supply of suitable housing around stations remains limited.
In response, the researchers proposed that Ho Chi Minh City introduce policies to increase the supply of affordable housing near public transport routes. One option would require developers of commercial projects in transition areas to allocate 10-20 per cent of their floor space to affordable housing in exchange for incentives on floor-area ratios.
Revenue from commercial rentals at central stations could also be channelled into transit-oriented development (TOD) funds to reinvest in infrastructure and support housing provision.
Another approach would be to expand the supply of social housing in areas with good transport links. Nguyen Thi Thanh Xuan, head of the Business Law division at the University of Economics and Law, said authorities needed greater flexibility in allocating land for social housing, particularly in TOD areas.
For commercial housing projects within TOD zones, developers could be allowed to choose whether to provide land for social housing within their projects or at another suitable site with adequate infrastructure. If the land were provided elsewhere, relevant development allowances could be calculated on an equivalent basis to those for the commercial project.
Xuan said this approach would give local authorities greater flexibility in planning land use and help place social housing in locations with suitable infrastructure and transport connections. Lower land costs could also create more room to reduce social housing prices and improve access for residents. She stressed that eligibility and implementation would need close oversight to ensure the benefits reached people with genuine housing needs.
Nguyen Ngoc Hieu, coordinator of the Sustainable Urban Development programme at Vietnamese-German University, said TOD planning needed to be aligned with residents’ ability to afford housing and with long-term urban sustainability. This was essential to restructuring cities in ways that reduced dependence on private vehicles.
He said the model could improve access to public transport while helping address problems such as flooding, land subsidence and traffic congestion, improving quality of life and reducing residents’ long-term costs.
Experts also called for credit policies that better target eligible households. Loans at reasonable interest rates could prioritise projects that meet genuine housing demand and buyers with appropriate financial means.
Market data should also become more transparent, with individual property units assigned identifying information to help authorities monitor transactions, track price fluctuations and intervene when necessary.
Stronger penalties are also needed for market manipulation, price rigging and deliberate attempts to inflate property prices for profit. Greater oversight, experts said, would help bring housing prices closer to actual purchasing power rather than allowing them to rise beyond what residents can afford.