Cheap, clean + wifi. Finding such a place isn’t easy in booming Burma. “This three bedroom apartment is 6000$ a month, but it comes with a view on the Shwedagon Pagoda”, tells a slick housing agent with a golden smile. That was our first attempt to rent 2,5 weeks ago. What’s going on?

Foreign investments have grown fivefold compared to a year ago. Due to the new pro-democracy politics, international economic sanctions have been lifted and thus the money pours in. Coca-Cola opened it’s first Burmese plant this week for exampe (listen tip: ‘How to sell Coke to people who have never had a sip’ by NPR).

With these investments, many expats move in and the house prizes skyrocket. A foreign teacher writes on this blog: “Rentals for a 3 bedroomed house have gone up from $600 three years ago (..), to a $1000 now and next year it will be $2,500.”

Well, that is still way better than $6000. We ask around. Actually everybody we meet that seems a bit nice, we tell about our hunt. Many Yangonese promise us to help and assure us it is easy to find an affordable place soon, since they have so many contacts. That is very nice, but things turn out to go a bit slow here.

Last week we find our place, just by searching online all the time. A three bedroom apartment on top of a hill (not a luxury during the rainy season that just started) in an old building with mostly Burmese families, no rich expats. It has ugly carpet and no elevator, but it is clean and cheap ($640 a month). One more 'cultural difference' pops up: we have to pay the 6 month rent in advance at once in cash. No ATM will give us that, but my employer promises to arrange that. If that works out, we'll move in this Monday.

...and the best thing is: it has this incredible view on the Shwedagon!