Short answer: On the ground in Vietnam, plan on roughly 450,000–900,000 dong (about $17–35) per person per day on a hostel-and-street-food budget, 1.4–2.5 million dong (about $55–95) in a mid-range city hotel shared by two, and from about 3.2–4.9 million dong (about $125–190) for four- and five-star comfort. A week therefore costs roughly $120–240, $375–675 or from $860 per person, before flights to Vietnam, domestic flights, cruises and shopping. Add the e-visa fee of $25 if your nationality needs one.
Vietnam is one of the best-value destinations in Asia. Street food, local buses, ride-hailing and most entry tickets cost a few dollars, and even good hotels are cheap by Western standards. The costs that add up are long distances (Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is a two-hour flight), overnight cruises, private drivers and the busy weeks around the Lunar New Year (Tet). This guide breaks the costs down with official prices wherever they exist, so you can build a realistic budget for your trip to Vietnam. Prices in dollars are rounded and use about 26,000 dong (VND) to the US dollar, Vietcombank’s rate in early October 2026; use our Money exchange tool for today’s rate.
Vietnam daily costs at a glance
These example days are built from the prices further down this page: one person, one city day in a place such as Hanoi, Hoi An or Ho Chi Minh City. They leave out flights, trains, cruises, tours and shopping.
| Per person, per day | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | Hostel dorm bed or half of a private hostel room: 200,000–400,000 VND | Half of a city room at about 1.5–2.4 million VND: 740,000–1.2 million VND | Half of a four- or five-star double at about $136–197: 1.8–2.6 million VND |
| Food | Three local meals at 55,000–100,000 VND: 165,000–300,000 VND | Two local meals plus half of a 600,000–1.2 million VND dinner for two: 400,000–800,000 VND | 800,000–1.2 million VND |
| Local transport | City buses and a short ride-hail: 30,000–100,000 VND | Grab or taxis: 100,000–250,000 VND | Taxis all day: 300,000–500,000 VND |
| Sights | One or two tickets: 50,000–100,000 VND | 120,000–300,000 VND | 300,000–600,000 VND |
| Total | About 450,000–900,000 VND ($17–35) | About 1.4–2.5 million VND ($55–95) | From about 3.2–4.9 million VND ($125–190) |
Room figures come from hotel market reports for Ho Chi Minh City in 2026 (Savills’ city-wide average and Avison Young’s four- and five-star averages) and short-term rental data, and hostel prices from published hostel guides; meal and transport prices are typical October 2026 Hanoi prices from the crowd-sourced Numbeo index; entry fees are official. Treat them as typical ranges, not quotes.
What visitors actually spend in Vietnam
Vietnam’s statistics office surveys international visitors’ spending, which covers everything in the country (rooms, food, domestic travel, sightseeing and shopping) but not the international flight. In its most recent published results, an international visitor spent an average of $1,151.70 per trip in 2019. Visitors from the United States spent more than most, about $1,709.70 per trip, while visitors from nearby countries spent less. These pre-2020 figures are the latest official ones we could find, so expect today’s totals to be higher.
Vietnam is the cheapest country in this series by a wide margin. On our Travel costs by country scale it scores 29 for travel prices (hotels, restaurants and transport) against 100 for the United States. In plain words, the same kind of hotel night, meal or ride costs less than a third of what it would at home.
Accommodation costs
Hostels are cheap and plentiful in the main travel towns. Published hostel guides put a dorm bed in a decent hostel at about 150,000–250,000 VND ($6–10) in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and 100,000–150,000 VND in smaller towns such as Ninh Binh, Hue and Da Lat, with private hostel rooms at about 400,000–800,000 VND ($15–30).
Hotels cost more in the big cities and have risen in 2026. According to Savills, the average hotel room rate in Ho Chi Minh City reached about 2.4 million VND (about $92) a night in the second quarter of 2026. Avison Young put four-star hotels there at about $136 and five-star hotels at about $197 a night in the first quarter. Short-term rentals averaged about $57 a night in the city in June 2026, according to AirDNA. Beach towns and smaller cities such as Hue, Da Lat and Ninh Binh are usually cheaper, while island resorts on Phu Quoc can cost far more.
Room rates follow the calendar. They rise around Tet, when Vietnamese families travel home and on holiday, and in the domestic summer beach season, when coastal towns such as Nha Trang, Da Nang and Mui Ne fill up. Book early for those weeks, and for overnight Ha Long Bay cruises and sleeper trains at any busy time.
Food and drink costs
Food is where Vietnam shines. Numbeo’s October 2026 figures for Hanoi put a meal at an inexpensive restaurant at about 55,000 VND ($2, range 40,000–100,000), a three-course dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant at about 600,000 VND ($23, range 400,000–1.2 million) and a fast-food combo at about 115,000 VND. A half-liter of local draft beer costs about 28,000 VND ($1), a cappuccino about 49,000 VND and a small bottle of water about 8,000 VND.
A bowl of pho or a plate of rice at a street stall is often cheaper than Western-style fast food, so eating local is both the best and the cheapest way to travel. Imported wine and cocktails in rooftop bars cost close to Western prices.
Getting around: Grab, buses, trains and flights
Inside cities, a public bus ride costs about 10,000 VND (range 8,000–15,000) and a standard taxi starts at about 20,000 VND plus about 15,000 VND per kilometer, according to Numbeo. Grab works in all major cities for cars and motorbike taxis, with the price shown before you ride, and Xanh SM electric taxis are a common alternative. Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line, from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien, opened in 2025.
For longer distances you choose between domestic flights, Vietnam Railways and buses. Flights are the fastest way to cover the length of the country (about 2 hours 10 minutes from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City); trains are slower but scenic, especially between Hue and Da Nang. Train fares change with the date and class and are sold on the railway’s own site, dsvn.vn. Book early around Tet: tickets for the 2027 holiday period (23 January to 25 February 2027) went on sale on 5 September 2026 and sell out quickly. Our Vietnam itinerary shows which legs are best by air, rail or road.
Sightseeing fees
Entry tickets in Vietnam are set by the heritage boards that run each site, and most cost a few dollars. As of October 2026:
| Sight | Adult entry |
|---|---|
| Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi (daytime) | 50,000 VND (about $2) |
| Temple of Literature, Hanoi | 70,000 VND (under-16s free) |
| Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hanoi | 100,000 VND |
| Independence Palace, Ho Chi Minh City | 80,000 VND |
| Hoi An old town ticket (old town plus museums and sites) | 80,000 or 120,000 VND |
| My Son Sanctuary, near Hoi An | 150,000 VND for foreign visitors |
| Imperial City, Hue | 200,000 VND under the 2019 schedule (check the current price) |
| Trang An boat trip, Ninh Binh | 300,000 VND |
| Ha Long Bay sightseeing fee, day routes | 70,000–600,000 VND depending on route (most 150,000–250,000) |
The Ha Long Bay fee is paid per person for the bay itself; cruise and boat prices come on top and vary a lot by boat. In Ninh Binh, the Tam Coc boat trip costs 250,000 VND and the Hang Mua viewpoint 150,000 VND. In Hue, the 2019 fee schedule set the royal tombs of Tu Duc, Khai Dinh and Minh Mang at 150,000 VND each and a four-site combined ticket at 530,000 VND; new fees were approved for 2026, so check the price at the gate. Local sellers list Phong Nha Cave at 150,000 VND plus a shared boat, and Paradise Cave at 250,000 VND. Free things include walking Hanoi’s Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, the beaches of Da Nang and Nha Trang, and the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An at night (the old-town ticket is for the paid sites inside). The famous Son Doong cave expedition in Phong Nha–Ke Bang is in a different league at 80 million VND (about $3,000) for a four-day trip.
Visa fees and other entry costs
- E-visa: available to all nationalities for stays of up to 90 days, for US$25 (single entry) or US$50 (multiple entry), paid online and not refundable.
- Visa-free entry: citizens of many countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and South Korea, can stay 45 days without a visa under exemptions that run into 2028; US, Canadian and Australian citizens need the e-visa.
- Phu Quoc: visitors who stay on the island can visit for up to 30 days without a visa.
- Ha Giang loop: media reports in 2026 say operators now arrange a permit for the loop costing about 200,000–250,000 VND; check locally.
Tipping in Vietnam
Tipping is not traditional in Vietnam, but it is welcome in tourism. Leave small change in local restaurants, round up taxi fares, and tip guides, drivers, boat rowers and cruise crews if you are happy with their service; Grab lets you add a tip in the app. Some upscale hotels and restaurants add a service charge, so check the bill. Our tip calculator helps with the math in dong.
Money-saving tips for Vietnam
- Avoid Tet if you can. Around the Lunar New Year, transport sells out, prices rise and many businesses close for several days.
- Eat where locals eat. A simple meal costs about 55,000 VND, a fraction of tourist-restaurant prices.
- Use Grab or metered taxis from large companies so the fare is clear before or during the ride.
- Fly the long legs, ride the short ones. A domestic flight saves a day on Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City; the train and buses are better value between nearby cities.
- Compare cruise and day-trip options for Ha Long Bay: the official fee is the same, but boats vary widely in price.
- Pay in dong. When a card machine offers to charge in your home currency, choose dong to avoid a poor exchange rate.
- Base yourself in smaller cities. Hue, Da Lat and Ninh Binh have cheaper rooms than Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
To compare Vietnam with other countries, see Travel costs by country. For where to spend your days, see our top places to visit in Vietnam and the best time to visit Vietnam.
Plan your trip: our free trip planner can build a day-by-day plan for Vietnam from our guides, including Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Then use the Money exchange tool to turn dong into your own currency, and the Destination weather tool to pick your dates.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a week in Vietnam?
Using the example days above, seven days on the ground cost roughly 3.2–6.3 million VND (about $120–240) per person on a tight budget, 9.8–17.5 million VND (about $375–675) mid-range, and from about 22–34 million VND (about $860–1,320) in comfort, before flights, trains, cruises and shopping. Add $25 for a single-entry e-visa if you need one.
Is Vietnam expensive?
No. On our Travel costs by country scale Vietnam scores 29 against 100 for the United States, one of the lowest travel price levels anywhere. Meals from about 55,000 VND ($2) and most entry tickets under 200,000 VND ($8) keep daily costs low; the big costs are hotels in the largest cities, cruises and long-distance travel.
Do I need cash in Vietnam?
Yes. Cash is still king at street stalls, markets, small hotels and in rural areas, although Visa and Mastercard are accepted in hotels, malls, chain restaurants and many tourist businesses, and ATMs are common in towns. The higher-value polymer notes look alike, so check them carefully.
How much is the Vietnam e-visa?
US$25 for a single-entry e-visa and US$50 for a multiple-entry e-visa, valid for stays of up to 90 days and paid online. The fee is not refundable. Citizens of many European countries, Japan and South Korea can instead stay 45 days visa-free.
What is the cheapest month to visit Vietnam?
There is no single cheap month for the whole country, because the north, center and south have different seasons. The clear rule is to avoid Tet, the Lunar New Year in late January or February, when fares and hotel prices peak. Shoulder months outside Tet and the domestic summer beach season are usually better value; our best time to visit Vietnam guide goes month by month.