Housing, electricity, water, fuel, and construction materials costs in Vietnam increased by 0.55 percent in February, contributing 0.1 percentage points to the Vietnam’s Consumer Price Index. The rise was driven by increased housing demand and higher utility costs, according to Vietnam’s General Office of Statistics (GSO).
House rent prices rose by 0.8 percent as workers and students returned to cities after the Lunar New Year, leading to higher demand for rentals. Additionally, rising real estate values contributed to increased rental prices. The cost of housing maintenance materials increased by 0.09 percent due to rising cement and steel prices, along with higher input costs for coal, steel billets, and labor.
Domestic electricity prices increased by 0.38 percent, while water prices rose by 0.26 percent, reflecting higher consumer demand. Gas prices increased by 0.56 percent following a domestic price adjustment on February 1, 2025, which raised gas prices by VND 3,000 per 12 kg cylinder due to a US$10 per ton increase in global gas prices, bringing it to US$630 per ton, the GSO goes on to say.