How much does a trip to Vietnam cost? Daily budget and prices

Vietnam splits into three spending patterns, and the gap between them is wide because beds and transport, not food, drive the bill. A backpacker sharing a dorm and eating at stalls can travel on roughly what a mid-range traveller spends on accommodation alone.

The figures below are per person per day, assuming two people share a room at mid-range and comfort. They exclude international flights, visas, cruises and multi-day tours, which sit on top as one-off costs.

Street food is the best-value part of any Vietnam trip. A bowl of phở or a bánh mì at a stall costs less than a coffee in most Western cities, and a sit-down meal in a mid-range restaurant is still a fraction of a home-country bill. Alcohol and imported food are where budgets leak: a cocktail bar in Ho Chi Minh City or a Western brunch in Hanoi can cost more than a day of local eating.

Transport is cheap but adds up over distance. Ride-hailing apps show the fare before you accept, which makes city budgeting easy. For long hops, a domestic flight saves a day or two of travel; a sleeper bus or train costs far less but eats the hours.

The south and the Hạ Long area run more expensive than the north's smaller towns. Ho Chi Minh City hotel rates and restaurant prices sit above Hanoi's for the same standard, and Phú Quốc and Côn Đảo are island markets where resorts set the floor. Quy Nhon, the Central Highlands and the Mekong Delta towns stay cheaper for the same comfort level.

Tết, the lunar new year week, is the single biggest cost spike: domestic transport sells out and prices rise, some hotels and restaurants add a surcharge, and many family-run places close. Expect 20–50% more than the figures above, and book transport well ahead if your dates overlap.

Carry small đồng notes. Stalls, markets, xe ôm motorbike taxis and spa tips run on cash, and breaking a ₫500,000 note for a ₫40,000 bowl is awkward. ATMs are common in cities but per-withdrawal limits are low and fees vary by bank, so take out larger amounts less often.

Ride-hailing apps such as Grab show the fare upfront and take cards in-app, which removes the haggling problem in cities. Hotels and mid-range restaurants accept cards; smaller guesthouses and street kitchens often do not. Tipping is not expected everywhere, but rounding up or leaving ₫20,000–50,000 for good service is normal in tourist areas.

Eat where locals eat, travel by sleeper bus or train instead of flying when the route is short, and pick one paid sight per day rather than stacking tours. Booking a Hạ Long cruise or a Ha Giang loop through your hotel usually costs more than arranging it directly, though the cheap end of the market cuts corners on safety and comfort.

The biggest single saving is route design: two regions in 10–14 nights means fewer domestic flights and fewer wasted transfer days. A tight three-region itinerary spends more on transport than on anything else.

International flights, the visa or e-visa fee, travel insurance, multi-day cruises and guided treks are one-off costs that sit outside the daily figures. A Hạ Long overnight cruise alone can equal several days of mid-range travel, and a private-driver day adds a similar lump. Build a separate line for these when you plan.

Visa rules and fees change; check the current requirement and cost before you book flights, and confirm your passport has enough validity.