Let’s find out how to spend money in Vietnam wisely to have the best journey!
1. How much money should I bring to Vietnam?
The Vietnamese dong (VND), Vietnam’s official currency, comes in polymerized notes with multiple zeroes. It can be a confusing currency for travelers. At the present rate, 1 US Dollar equal to 23,300 VND.
Apart from US Dollars, many banks in Vietnam still exchange VND for these foreign currencies:
- Australian Dollar: 1 AUD ≈ 16,000 VND
- British Pound: 1 GBP ≈ 29,000
- Euro: 1 EUR ≈ 25,000 VND
- Canadian Dollar: 1 CAD ≈ 17,000 VND
- Japanese Yen: 1 JPY ≈ 200 VND
- Singaporean Dollar: 1 SGD ≈ 16,000 VND
- Taiwanese Dollar: 1 TWD ≈ 500 VND
- Hong Kong Dollar: 1 HKD ≈ 3,000 VND
- Swiss Franc: 1 CHF ≈ 22,000 VND
- New Zealand Dollars: 1 NZD ≈ 15,000 VND
- Thai: 1 THB ≈ 700 VND
*Please note that these values are rounded for convenience and are subject to change with time.
Before paying for anything, check your money out carefully because they are all quite similar in appearance, especially VND 20,000 and VND 500,000. Two of them have nearly the same color, but VND 20,000 is equal to almost $1, while the VND 500,000 is equal to more than $20.
500 USD and several ATM cards or credit cards will be right for you to have a comfortable trip to Vietnam. In major cities in Vietnam, it’s quite easy to use credit cards or ATM cards. You should not bring too much cash along the way because it can get you into trouble.
For foreign cards, each transaction usually costs around 2 USD for withdrawal fees. Paying that amount of money may be better than bring a lot of cash along the way.
2. How much to budget per day?
| Backpacker ($) | Mid-end Traveler ($) | High-end Traveler ($) | |
| Food & Drink | 6 – 10 USD (street food, popular restaurants) | 20 – 30 USD (locally mid-range restaurants) | 80 – 150 USD (luxurious restaurants) |
| Shopping | 5 – 10 USD (a simple handmade souvenir) | 15 – 25 USD (long dress, table runners, etc) | 50 – 100 USD (handcrafts and local art pieces) |
| Daily transportation (flights excluded) | 5 – 10 USD (walking and Grab Bike) | 10 – 20 USD (Grab Bike and / or taxi) | 40 – 80 USD (private car) |
| Tours & Other activities | 0 – 10 USD (free tours + fee entrance to destinations ) | 20 – 40 USD (group tours) | 60 – 150 USD (private tours) |
| Accomodation | 7 – 15 USD (backpacker hostels) | 35 – 50 USD (mid-range hotels) | 120 – 500 USD (5-star hotels) |
| Total | 23 – 55 USD | 100 – 165 USD | 320 USD and up |
Vietnam is generally reasonable for travelers to visit. How much money you spend on a Vietnam tourism trip often is the same as in a Thailand or Cambodia one. To have a well-experienced journey in Vietnam, you maybe should pay from $100 to $200 per day. This amount includes a comfortable accommodation of three-star or four-star hotels or high-class homestays. Besides, you can be served with high-end restaurants and services.
Similarly, with more than $300 per day, you will have an extremely comfortable and worth the trip to Vietnam. You can choose to stay at a five-star hotel and dine out in luxurious restaurants. Of course, the more money you spend, the more destinations you can visit, not to mention that Vietnam has an unlimited number of heaven-alike destinations waiting for your visit.
3. How much do things cost in Vietnam
| Item | Low-end price (VND) | High-end price (VND) |
| Clothes | ||
| Pair of jeans | 250k | 550k |
| Pair of flips | 30k | 280k |
| Tshirt | 100k | 500k |
| Sunglasses | 70k | 300k |
| Light jacket | 150k | 500k |
| Food | ||
| Pho | 35k | 90k |
| Banh Mi sandwich | 15k | 40k |
| Ice Cream | 10k | 50k |
| Iced coffee | 12k | 40k |
| Smoothie | 20k | 50k |
4. Food in Vietnam
One of the most delicious and famous dishes in Vietnam is Pho. Each of Pho bowl will cost from 30,000 to 90,000 VND depending on where you have it. You quickly find it in street-side restaurants or high-end ones. And you can have a short breakfast with Vietnam Banh Mi (Bread), which is quite delicious and available from 20,000 VND to 40,000 VND.
For each meal, you should spend $10 to $15 in mid-range restaurants. At these, you will be served meals that meet safety food and hygiene requirements and ensure your health. Besides, visitors also can choose high-end restaurants to be served with high-quality service and delicious and unique meals. Each person may spend from $50 to $100 on having a meal there.
Alcohol and Cigarettes in Vietnam
Vietnam is famous for Bia Hoi, which is a type of locally brewed drink served on tap. The price of Bia Hoi ranges from VND 20,000 to VND 50,000 per crystal bottle. Do not forget the names of 2 famous beer streets, Bui Vien in Ho Chi Minh City and Ta Hien in Hanoi Capital, which are the right places for beer players. Bia Hoi is also be served at high-end restaurants suitable for people who need a less crowded but still right place for beer-drinking. At these, drinkers may pay VND 80,000 to VND 150,000 VND for each Bia Hoi bottle.
Vietnam restaurants also serve craft beer, especially in many Western restaurants. In Ho Chi Minh city, there are four must-try types of craft beer, namely East Sea of Platinum, Pale Ale of East-West Wine, IPA of Rooster, and Burnin’ Down the House Double IPA of Pasteur Street. You must pay from VND 50,000 to VND 100,000 for each 300 ml cup of craft beer.
In Vietnam, the price of cigarettes is quite low. With from VND 15,000 to VND 40,000, you can buy a pack of local cigarettes. Imported cigarettes are also available here, with the price ranging from VND 30,000 to VND 80,000. In general, if you are a smoker, you only need to pay a little amount of money on cigarettes here, except e-cigarettes, which costs up to VND 1 million.
5. Which ATMs to use in Vietnam?
It is quite easy to find and use ATMs in Vietnam. You should notice the withdrawal limits of your ATM card. Vietnamese banks usually put that limit on 2 – 3 million dongs (90 – 140 USD) per transaction, and the rest may be higher or lower.
Every Vietnamese ATM use both Vietnamese and English, so please read the guide sentence on the screen before doing anything with it. Remember to call the Bank’s Customer Service department immediately if you meet trouble with ATMs.
Like AA Vietnam Travel fanpage for interesting tips and news.
