Vietnam travel budget: daily costs by region and how to pay

What is Vietnam daily budget?

A mid-range Vietnam daily budget is $60 to $90 per person when two travelers share a room, which pays for a three-star hotel, a mix of street food and restaurant meals, ride-hailing rides and standard entry fees. Backpackers spend about $30 to $40 a day, while luxury travelers should plan on $250 or more.

All figures in this guide are per person per day in US dollars, and they do not include international flights, visas or travel insurance. If you travel alone, you pay the full room rate, so add about $17 to $27 a day to the mid-range figure.

How do a Vietnam backpacking budget, mid-range and luxury trips compare?

Hotels and activities create most of the price gap between travel styles, while food costs stay fairly similar. Backpackers pay $6 to $15 for a dorm bed, mid-range travelers split a private room that costs $35 to $55, and luxury travelers often pay $150 or more a night for a coastal resort room that two people share.

What are the main expense categories in a Vietnam travel budget?

The main expenses in a Vietnam travel budget are accommodation, food, local transport and activities, plus international flights, travel insurance and the visa. Hotels and long-haul flights take the biggest share for most visitors, while a few domestic transfers can make costs jump from one region to the next.

 

Food and drink: 

• Expect to pay $2 to $3 (50,000 to 75,000 VND) for a bowl of pho or bun cha.
• Banh mi usually costs $0.80 to $1.50 (20,000 to 40,000 VND).
• A glass of fresh draft beer (bia hoi) costs about $0.40 to $0.60 (10,000 to 15,000 VND).

Street food gives you the best value for your money. In Hanoi, a bowl of clear-broth pho bac costs around 50,000 VND ($1.90), while in Ho Chi Minh City, pho nam comes with a plate of fresh herbs and hoisin sauce and costs about 60,000 VND ($2.30).

Air-conditioned restaurants usually charge about double the street prices. An iced milk coffee (ca phe sua da) costs about 25,000 VND ($0.95) on a plastic stool and 45,000 to 60,000 VND ($1.70 to $2.30) in a coffee chain, and Hanoi's egg coffee costs 40,000 to 55,000 VND.

Accommodation costs: hostels to boutique hotels

• Hostel dorm beds cost $6 to $12 per night.
• Mid-range three-star hotels average $35 to $55 per room per night.

Prices go up quickly with the amenities you want, for example, a homestay in Mai Chau gives you a mattress on the floor of a stilt house with a mosquito net for about $8 a night, and the price often includes a family dinner.

In Da Nang, about $45 a night gets you a mid-range room near My Khe Beach with breakfast and a rooftop pool, while luxury pool villas at international beach resorts, such as those on the Son Tra Peninsula, start around $400 a night.

Local transportation and ride-hailing apps

For trips between cities, most travelers take sleeper buses or the national railway. A coastal bus ride such as Mui Ne to Nha Trang costs about $8 to $12 and has reclining seats or bunks.

The Reunification Express train runs along the whole length of the country, and a four-berth soft sleeper from Hanoi to Hue costs roughly $40 to $60 depending on where you book. The trip takes 13 to 14 hours.

Inside cities, most people use ride-hailing apps, but if you want to cut down costs, you can use local public transportation like the bus by checking routes and timings on Google Maps, which I personally use when traveling because it is cheap and makes getting to and from tourist destinations easy (and if you have plenty of time).

Attractions, activities and tours 

Public tourist sites generally maintain very affordable ticket prices. For instance, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum costs only 25,000 VND ($0.9) for foreign visitors, the War Remnants Museum is priced around 40,000 VND (&1.3), and many other historical spots offer free admission for everyone who wants to explore.

Tours in Vietnam are usually designed in two main ways: short local trips managed by operators who know the region well, or long itineraries that cover the entire country. Tour prices vary depending on your budget, which determines whether you stay in luxury hotels or what kind of food you eat for each meal. Generally speaking, short city tours cost around $30 to $70 per day, while full cross-country tours that last one to two weeks usually range from $500 to $1,500.

What is the estimated cost of international flights to Vietnam?

Return flights to Vietnam from North America or Europe usually cost $800 to $1,500, depending on your departure city, the airline and booking time. If you arrive in one city and leave from another (an open-jaw ticket), the price is often close to a normal return ticket, and you avoid a domestic flight back.

From San Francisco, a direct flight to Ho Chi Minh City commonly costs about $1,200, while a one-stop flight through Taipei or Seoul often costs around $850. Fares go up in July and August and around Tet, and low-cost airlines may charge extra for checked bags, so compare the full price before you book.

Flying into Hanoi versus Ho Chi Minh City

Your arrival airport decides the direction of your route and what you spend on the first day. Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport handles more traffic than Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport, so fares can differ a lot depending on your route and the season.

How much does a Vietnam e-visa cost?

A Vietnam e-visa costs $25 for a single entry and $50 for multiple entries; citizens from some countries, such as the UK and France, can also enter Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days. Check for our visa exemption list here.

Remember to apply only on the official Vietnam Immigration Department website, because look-alike sites add agency fees to the government price. Apply two to three weeks before you fly and keep your registration code, which you need to check your application status. Our guide to applying for the e-visa step by step lists the photo, passport and hotel address details you need.

Region-specific budgeting: how costs change from North to South

Prices change from north to south, and the same budget goes further in the northern mountains than at a southern beach resort. Tourist destinations like Hoi An and Phu Quoc are likely for higher price, while remote mountain areas have few restaurants, so you usually eat at your guesthouse with cheaper price.

Northern Vietnam: Hanoi and the Ha Giang loop

A 4-day guided motorbike tour of the Ha Giang Loop starts around $200.

The north suits travelers who feel comfortable on steep mountain roads. In Ha Giang, you can rent a semi-automatic motorbike for about $7 to $10 a day, or you can pay an easy rider (a local driver who takes you on the back of his bike) $45 to $60 a day, which is safer on the winding mountain passes.

To reach Sapa from Hanoi, a sleeper bus or limousine van costs about $12 to $20 and a train costs $20 to $60 depending on the berth class, while luxury tourist-train cabins cost $100 or more one way. Our Hanoi to Sapa guide compares the bus, train and car options.

• Ha Long Cruise Trip

A Ha Long Bay day trip costs roughly $65 to $100 per person, depending on the boat and the meals.

Activities range from cheap museum tickets to premium multi-day boat trips. A basic $65 Ha Long Bay day trip from Tuan Chau usually includes the transfer from Hanoi, a seafood lunch and a visit to Sung Sot Cave, while overnight cruises cost $130 to $200 per person and premium ships cost more. If you join guided trips, set aside $4 to $10 a day for your guide's tip.

Central Vietnam: Hoi An, Da Nang and Hue

An overnight train between Hue and Hanoi costs about $40 or more one way.

Central Vietnam has many historic sites and fast-growing beach resorts. In Hoi An, tailors charge from about $20 to $40 for a linen shirt and up to around $200 for a custom wool suit, and a ticket for the Ancient Town costs about 120,000 VND ($4.60). Da Nang has plenty of hotel rooms, which keeps prices lower, and you can eat seafood on My Khe Beach for roughly $15 per kilogram of clams, but ask the price before you order.

In Hue, you buy tickets for each site separately: the Imperial City costs 200,000 VND ($7.70), each royal tomb costs 150,000 VND ($5.80) and the four-site combo ticket costs 530,000 VND ($20).

Southern Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta

The south has the biggest difference in prices between cheap and expensive places. Ho Chi Minh City has $1 street coffee carts and $15 rooftop cocktail bars in the same area, and Phu Quoc, an island in the Gulf of Thailand, brings in most of its goods by ship, which makes everyday items cost more.

The Hon Thom cable car in Phu Quoc costs about 600,000 VND ($23), while a full-day Mekong Delta tour from Ho Chi Minh City costs only about $25 to $40 and usually includes bus transfers, a boat ride and a local lunch.

How much does a trip to Vietnam cost for one week?

A mid-range week in Vietnam costs about $420 to $630 per person, not including international flights, which pays for private hotel rooms that two people share, daily ride-hailing rides, a variety of meals and one overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay. This budget assumes you stay in the north instead of crossing the whole country.

If you land in Hanoi, a sample budget per person looks like this: about $13 for your share of a $25 private airport transfer, $113 for five hotel nights at $45 a room, $130 for a two-day Ha Long Bay cruise, $125 for food on five days at $25 a day, and $105 for local transport and tickets at $15 a day. That adds up to roughly $486 and leaves some room for a day trip or two. If you try to cover the whole country in seven days, you have to buy domestic flights, which add $100 or more and cost you hours at airports.

How much money do I need for Vietnam over three weeks?

A three-week mid-range trip to Vietnam needs about $1,260 to $1,890 per person, not including international flights. The extra time lets you take domestic flights between regions for roughly $30 to $60 each, join multi-day mountain treks and stay longer at the beach in Da Nang.

With three weeks, you can arrive in Hanoi and leave from Ho Chi Minh City, which saves you a return domestic flight. Plan about $300 for travel between cities, using two or three flights and $10 to $15 sleeper buses. If you share a room with a partner, budget around $600 for 21 nights in mid-range hotels and about $400 for meals, which lets you mix street pho with the occasional $25 sit-down dinner.

Practical payment strategy: your daily wallet setup

Carry a mix of small notes and cards so you avoid exchange fees and keep your money safe. Keep about 500,000 VND ($19) in small notes for street vendors, rural cafes and taxis, and leave most of your cash and your backup cards in the hotel safe.

Do not show large amounts of 500,000 VND notes at a night market, because that makes you an easy target for pickpockets and makes it harder to get change. Set up your wallet in this order:

1. Download a ride-hailing app and add your credit card while you still have your home Wi-Fi.
2. Buy a local SIM card or eSIM at the airport so you have data for banking and maps.
3. Withdraw 2,000,000 VND ($77) from an airport ATM of a major bank to cover your first days of street cash.
4. Break large 500,000 VND notes by buying a bottle of water at a convenience store.
5. Keep your daily spending cash separate from your passport and main cards, and lock your valuables in the hotel safe.

What is the Vietnamese dong (VND) and its exchange rate?

The Vietnamese dong (VND) is the national currency, and it trades at about 26,000 VND per US dollar (Vietcombank rates, Oct 2026). Because the notes have large numbers, learn to tell the blue 500,000 VND note from the blue 20,000 VND note before you pay.

Vietnam uses plastic notes from 10,000 VND and above, and they stick together when they are wet or humid, so count your change carefully. Only the 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000 VND notes are paper, and Vietnam no longer uses coins.

When to use cash vs credit cards

• Use cash in rural areas, at markets and for street food.
• Use cards at hotels and upscale restaurants, but expect an extra fee of about 2% to 4%.

Cash is still the main way to pay in daily life. In Da Nang and Hanoi, major cards work at convenience stores and supermarkets, but a local seafood restaurant with plastic chairs usually has no card reader. Most ATMs limit each withdrawal to 3 to 5 million VND (about $115 to $190) and charge a fee of 50,000 to 165,000 VND or 2% to 5% of the amount, so a few large withdrawals cost less than many small ones. Our guide to cash, cards and ATMs in Vietnam explains the details.

Vendors often shorten prices when they speak, so "fifty" means 50,000 VND, and you should keep small bills for public toilets, which usually charge around 3,000 VND ($0.12).

FAQ

Is Vietnam expensive for tourists?

No. Vietnam is one of the cheaper countries in Southeast Asia for food, local transport and mid-range hotels, and most travelers spend $30 to $90 a day. Costs go up when you choose luxury resorts, overnight cruises or domestic flights, or when you travel in peak season.

Is travel insurance necessary for a trip to Vietnam?

Yes, we strongly recommend it. A policy covers medical emergencies, delays and theft, and it typically costs $3 to $8 per day depending on your age and cover. If you plan to ride a scooter, check that the policy accepts your license, because many insurers refuse claims when you do not have a valid license and a 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit.

How does Tet affect travel costs?

During Tet, the Lunar New Year in late January or February, prices go up across Vietnam. Hotels in tourist areas often charge much more, and trains and domestic flights sell out weeks ahead at higher fares. Many shops and restaurants also close for several days, so book your transport early and carry extra cash.

How much should I tip in Vietnam?

Tipping is not required, but people appreciate it. Plan about $4 to $10 per person per day for a guide and $2 to $4 per day for a private driver, and give hotel staff small tips of 20,000 to 50,000 VND.

Which ATMs allow larger withdrawals in Vietnam?

Most ATMs limit you to 3 to 5 million VND per withdrawal, and a few allow 10 to 20 million. Limits and fees for foreign cards differ by bank, so check the limit on the screen before you confirm and ask your own bank about its fees. If you withdraw larger amounts less often, the fixed local fee adds up less.

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