Vietnam Travel Budget: How Much Does It Cost To Travel Vietnam

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Traveling in Vietnam is a fantastic experience! The people are friendly, getting around is easy and the food is delicious.

Plus, travel in Vietnam is not expensive at all! Curious about the costs of a trip to Vietnam? In this post, I’ll disclose our Vietnam travel budget and give you a detailed breakdown of our Vietnam costs. Let’s dive in!

Vietnam travel budget

Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!). I’m very grateful when you use my links to make a purchase:-).

Vietnam on a budget

In the infographic below you can find a detailed budget breakdown of our Vietnam trip costs to give you a quick overview of how much (or actually how little) you can spend during your trip in Vietnam.

Of course, the amount you’ll spend depends on your style of travel, the length of your trip, and the type of accommodation you choose.

However, compared to countries such as Japan, New Zealand, Canada, and Europe, Vietnam is a very affordable destination.

Generally speaking, you can travel around Vietnam on a budget of $30-$60 per day (per person). As you can see in the infographic, we spent $66 per day as a couple.

I’ll explain more about how much we spent on accommodation, food, transport, and activities further on in the post.

How much does it cost to travel around Vietnam: facts and figures

• I traveled with my husband, all Vietnam travel costs are for the two of us together.
• We spent a month in Vietnam, traveling from the North to the South, you can find our Vietnam itinerary here.
• I quote prices in Vietnamese Dong (VND) as well as Euros (€) and US Dollars ($). When we were in Vietnam €1 was approx. 25000 VND and $1 was around 22200 VND. Check the current exchange rates on XE.com.
• In total, we spend 44 million VND / (€1764 / $1986 in the 30 days we were in the country. This comes down to a budget per day of 1.470.000 VND / €59 / $66 per day.
• This includes all expenses in Vietnam plus transportation costs for the trip from Phu Quoc, (Vietnam) to Kampot (Cambodia). It does not include the plane ticket from Manila to Hanoi.

How to save money when planning a trip to Vietnam

The good news is: traveling to Vietnam on a shoestring budget is definitely possible!

That being said, it’s important to plan carefully, look for discounts, and be flexible with your itinerary to make the most of your travel budget for Vietnam.

Avoid the high season (travel during the low season instead)

Start by researching the best time of year to visit Vietnam as flight costs and hotel prices vary throughout the year.

The busiest months in Vietnam are July and August. During these months accommodation prices are at their highest.

If you have the option to be flexible with your travel dates and able to travel in the low season (April-June and September-November), this is a great way to save money on your Vietnam trip.

Save money on flights

You can look for discounts on flights to Vietnam on websites like Kiwi.com. Try different travel dates and see how this affects the price of your flight.

Generally, the cheapest days to fly are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Airlines often offer discounted fares on these days, so it’s worth checking the booking sites and comparing prices on different days of the week.

You’ll get a better deal by booking your flight in advance. For domestic flights 1-3 months before your trip is ideal.

Although we got lucky and landed a great deal on last-minute tickets from Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City and from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc Island. Reputable low-cost airlines in Vietnam are AirAsia, Vietjet, and Nok Air.

For international flights, it’s best to book 2-8 months in advance. Tickets to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are usually the cheapest option, but you may be able to snag up a cheap flight to Da Nang or Nha Trang.

Lastly, you may be able to find cheaper flights if you’re willing to be flexible with your departure and arrival times.

Sure, it’s not ideal to arrive in the middle of the night, but if it saves you hundreds of dollars it’s worth losing one night of good sleep.

✈️ Click here to find the best ticket deals

Book your accommodation in advance

Once you’ve got your flights booked, it’s time to research budget accommodation. I always use Agoda and Booking to find the best value-for-money accommodation for our trips.

I recommend checking both platforms before you book to make sure you get the best deals on hotel rooms.

Please note that Agoda includes taxes in their price whereas Booking doesn’t always include this. Make sure to check this before finalizing your booking.

Also, if you’re in a country with hefty ATM fees or a limit on how much cash you can withdraw per transaction it can be better to book with Agoda as you can often pay online with your credit card (thereby reducing your need for cash).

Cost of travel in Vietnam

Now that you know some great ways to save money in the planning phase of your Vietnam trip, it’s time for a deep dive into our Vietnam expenses. Our daily budget can be divided into five categories:

• Accommodation costs: 18% of our daily travel budget
• Transportation costs: 22% of our daily travel budget
• Cost of food & drinks: 39% of our daily travel budget
• Activity costs: 17% of our daily travel budget
• Visa costs: 5% of our daily travel budget

1. Cost of accommodation in Vietnam

During our one-month trip in Vietnam, we spent 7.852.250 VND / €314 / $354 in total on accommodation, which comes down to 261.742 VND / €10,50 / $11,80 per day*.

We stayed in private rooms with our own bathroom, often breakfast was included! In the table below you can find the hotels that we stayed at.

* Note that our trip to Vietnam was a couple of years ago and average prices have increased a bit since then. I’ve updated the prices in the table to reflect the current prices per night, that’s why these are a bit higher than the average of $11.80 per night mentioned (though still very affordable).

Budget hotels we stayed at in Vietnam

2. Cost of transport in Vietnam

Let’s take a closer look at transportation in Vietnam. There are many ways to travel around the country, such as trains, buses, taxis and tuk-tuks, and minivans.

One of the most popular and cost-effective ways is taking the night train. You’ll save money on accommodation because you’re taking a sleeper train. Plus, you’ll save valuable time by covering (large) distances at night, so you can see more of Vietnam.

I really enjoyed our train journeys in Vietnam. The 4 people soft sleeper cabins are pretty comfortable and I usually got a decent night’s sleep.

Another budget-friendly way to travel in Vietnam is by catching a local bus. Bus services are available in all of the major cities and most of the smaller towns as well.

This is a great way to explore parts of Vietnam where there aren’t any train tracks (such as the more rural areas of the country).

A quick note: when traveling in Vietnam (and Southeast Asia in general), you need to be prepared for delays.

Most of these delays will be relatively short but sometimes your train, bus or minivan can be delayed for hours (without anyone offering an explanation).

The easiest way to get from A to B in Vietnam is by booking your transportation ticket via 12Go Asia. This is an online platform where you can book tickets for trains, buses, ferries, minivans, and private transfers all around Southeast Asia.

I’ve used 12Go Asia several times and had great experiences with both the ease of booking on the platform itself as well as their fast and friendly customer service when I needed to amend our booking.

For example, you can use 12Go Asia to book train tickets from:

• Ninh Binh to Hue (check availability here)
• Da Nang to Nha Trang (check availability here)

How much did we spend on transportation in Vietnam?

During our trip around Vietnam, we traveled by night train, taxi, plane, bus, bike, and more.

Our total cost for transportation was 9.480.000 VND / €379 / $427. The average costs per day were 316.000 VND / €12,60/ $14,20.

3. Cost of food and drinks in Vietnam

Vietnam is known for its delicious and unique cuisine, with many dishes that are sure to tantalize your taste buds!

Some of the most popular dishes in Vietnam you should definitely try include:

• Pho (noodle soup)
• Banh Mi (a type of sandwich and a personal favorite)
• Goi Cuon (spring rolls)
• Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancakes)
• Chả Giò (fried spring rolls)

Other classic Vietnamese dishes include Bún Bò Huế (spicy beef noodle soup), Cơm Tấm (broken rice with grilled pork), and Bánh Khọt (fried mini pancakes).

Whatever you choose, you’re sure to enjoy a truly unique and flavorful experience when eating in Vietnam.

Dishes are freshly prepared, you can add all the spices you like (and stay clear of them if you don’t), eat soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and find delicious smoothies on every corner.

How much did we spend on food and drinks in Vietnam?

Good news: the food in Vietnam is not only really tasty, but it’s also very cheap!

That is if you eat local food at local restaurants. Eating Western Food always triples the price of dinner when traveling around Southeast Asia.

So when it comes to food, explore the local markets to find inexpensive meals and try delicious street food whenever you have the chance.

Anyway, let’s talk numbers.

In total, we spent 17.145.000 VND / €686 / $772 on food and drinks which comes down to an average of 571.500 VND / €23/ $25,70 per day.

4. Activities in Vietnam

When you’re in Vietnam, make sure to take advantage of all the free activities the country has to offer, like exploring temples, local markets, green rice paddies, National Parks, and pretty beaches.

Doing so will help you make the most of your vacation while still sticking to your budget.

When planning your Vietnam trip, it’s also worth looking into tour companies that offer (discounted) activities that can help you save money while still getting the best experience.

Klook is the largest tour operator in Southeast Asia, but Get Your Guide has been working really hard on growing their SEA offers as well so be sure to check out those websites as well when you’re planning your Vietnam activities.

Some of the most worthwhile tours in Vietnam are:

How much did we spend on activities in Vietnam?

In total, we spend 7.613.000 VND / €305 / $343 on tours and activities in Vietnam, which comes down to 253.767 VND / €10,20 / $11,40 a day.

Activity costs include things like museum tickets, organized tours, bike rentals, etc.

5. Vietnam Visa costs

The costs for a tourist visa to Vietnam depend on your nationality. In our case, we have Dutch nationality and paid $45 each for a 1-month single entry visa.

Most nationalities need a visa for Vietnam and you can apply for a visa online.

Keep in mind you will need to pay two fees: online you will pay the Visa Pre-Approval Letter Fee and once you arrive at the airport you must pay a Stamping Fee (to be paid in cash, so be sure to bring dollars).

6. Travel insurance costs

I didn’t include the cost of travel insurance in our Vietnam budget breakdown because we use our travel insurance for all our trips, not just for our Vietnam itinerary.

However, that doesn’t take away the fact that making sure you have proper travel insurance is super important.

It helps protect you and your belongings in the event of a mishap during your travels. Furthermore, it provides coverage for medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost or stolen items, and more.

Also, having good travel insurance will provide you peace of mind, knowing that if something goes wrong, you have a safety net in place.

With so much to consider when planning a trip, having the right travel insurance can help ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey without stressing out about things that can go wrong.

Plan your Southeast Asia trip like a pro with these tools:
✈️ Find the best flight deals on Kiwi.com.
🚌 Book your transport tickets (train, bus, ferry, minivan, and more) via 12Go.Asia
🛏️ Find your dream accommodation on Booking.com or Agoda.
😎 Book the best tours with Klook and Get Your Guide.
📖 Plan your journey with the Lonely Planet.
🗺️ Travel safely and get reliable travel insurance from Safety Wing.

Vietnam budget travel: in conclusion

These are the most important costs to take into account when you are traveling in Vietnam. As you can see Vietnam is a very budget-friendly destination and totally worth a trip!

I found Vietnam an intriguing country with a very interesting history, beautiful temples and pagodas, friendly people, and delicious food.

You can download the infographic with all the information about our Vietnam trip budget below. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment!

This post was updated in December 2022.

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