How much money do I need for Vietnam?

Vietnam is a promising land to the foreigner travelers because of the unique attractions of the country in terms of nature, culture or history, not to mention cheap and diverse tourism services. Basically, the amount of money on average that has to be paid out of tourists ‘pocket is around USD50-70 in exchange for mid-range tourism services, including standard accommodation, meal fees, transportations fees and other fees. However, the expense is significantly diverse among different tourist-attracting destinations, and normally the price in the North of Vietnam is more expensive than the South counterpart. Below are some tips and estimates for tight budget travelers to enjoy a cracking trip in Vietnam.

Accommodation: Like other tourism destinations in the world, Vietnam has two main types of accommodation: budget and luxurious. Generally, the room price of the budget hotel fluctuates around USD 25- 35 per night, while the luxurious one is more various with the average price higher than USD 60 per night. Should travelers choose to stay at more modest accommodations like motels and guesthouse, the price is much cheaper, roughly USD15 – 25 per night.

Transportation: There is a ton of ways to travel around and between destinations in Vietnam. The recommended transportation methods for foreigners are taxies with the average price of VND 8,000-10,000 per km (USD 0.4 – 0.48 per km). Another way is to use motorbike taxi (Xe Om) with lower price around VND 6, 000-8,000 (USD 0.28-0.38), in case you know how to bargain and get the deal. For interprovincial travelling, you have more options to pick up, namely buses, train and air. Domestic air fare in Vietnam is approximately USD 60-150 per flight based on the airlines and distances. Train fare is from USD 5 – 60 while bus fare is a little lower with USD 4 to 50.

Food: In Vietnam, the fee for a meal in local restaurant is very reasonable. With common Vietnamese dishes, the price is pretty low at around USD 1 – 5 per dish, and if tourists want to try special foods of some specific destinations, it is certain that they will be charged higher based on the rareness and availability of the cuisine. Generally, average expense for main meals (lunch and dinner) in Vietnam is roughly USD 8 – 15 per person, whilst the breakfast is more or less USD 3-4 per person.

Other expenses: They are access fees to local attractions, souvenir expense and other extra costs. It is truly difficult to estimate the amount of money to spend on this dimension, however, normally the access fee to local attractions is less than 5 USD per person (except the high class playground), and souvenirs are just worth about USD 2 – 10 per objects (depend on your bargaining talent).

The bottom line: You can get by in Vietnam for $25 a day with basic food and stay. A suggested budget for a 10 day trip to Vietnam, excluding return air ticket, is $600, at the minimum.