Travel Tips

Is Vietnam Expensive? An Honest Look at What It Really Costs

It is one of the first questions people ask before booking, so let us answer it plainly. No, Vietnam is not expensive. It is one of the best-value countries in Southeast Asia, and for most travellers the day-to-day cost of being there is low: a bowl of pho for a pound or two, a good coffee for about a pound, local transport for pennies, and comfortable hotels for a fraction of what the same standard costs at home.

That does not mean a trip is free, of course, and a few parts of it do add up. In this guide we look at what is genuinely cheap, where the money actually goes, how Vietnam compares to places like Thailand and to travelling at home, and roughly how much to budget a day. For the full trip-total breakdown with a sample budget, our detailed guide to how much a trip to Vietnam costs runs the numbers end to end.

Is Vietnam expensive? The honest short answer

Vietnam is inexpensive by the standards of most Western travellers and good value even next to its neighbours. Your money goes a long way on the things you do every day, which is food, drinks, getting around and a nice place to sleep. As a rough guide, a backpacker travels comfortably on about US$30 to 45 a day, a mid-range traveller on roughly US$100 to 200 a day, and a higher-end trip from about US$200 to 350 a day and up, all before international flights. The spread is wide because Vietnam lets you choose: you can eat on the street for almost nothing or book a smart hotel and a private driver, and both are good experiences.

How Vietnam compares to home, and to Thailand

Against the UK, the US, Australia or western Europe, Vietnam feels cheap almost everywhere that matters to a traveller. A restaurant meal, a taxi across town, a domestic flight or a night in a comfortable hotel all cost a good deal less than the equivalent at home. Compared with its neighbours, Vietnam is broadly in line with Thailand and often a touch cheaper for food and local transport, while being noticeably better value than Singapore. It is one of the reasons a two-week trip here can feel far more generous than the same budget would stretch to elsewhere.

What is genuinely cheap in Vietnam

The everyday things are where Vietnam shines. Street food and local restaurants are excellent and very cheap, so eating well costs little. Coffee, one of the real pleasures here, is about a pound a cup. Local transport is inexpensive, whether that is a short Grab ride across a city or a domestic flight between regions that often costs less than a train would at home. A local SIM or eSIM is a few pounds, covered in our guide to getting a SIM or eSIM. Entrance fees for most museums and temples are small. For day-to-day spending, our guide to how much spending money you really need has the detail.

Where the costs do add up

A handful of things are where real money goes, and knowing them in advance makes budgeting easy. The biggest single cost for most people is the international flight to get to Vietnam, not anything inside the country. After that, an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise is a highlight that sits above the usual daily rate, with a fuller look in our guide to how much a Ha Long Bay cruise costs. The upper end of hotels and private guiding also adds up if you choose it. None of these are surprises, and all of them are easy to plan around once you know they are coming.

A realistic daily budget by travel style

If you want a single number to carry in your head, think in daily terms before flights. A backpacker staying in hostels, eating on the street and using buses and trains manages on about US$30 to 45 a day. A comfortable mid-range traveller, in three-star or boutique hotels with a mix of restaurants, the odd private transfer and a cruise, lands around US$100 to 200 a day. A higher-end trip with the best hotels and a private car and driver throughout runs from about US$200 to 350 a day and up. Those bands hold across most of the country, and our full Vietnam cost guide turns them into one, two and three-week totals with a worked sample.

Is Vietnam cheaper than Thailand?

For most day-to-day spending the two are close, and Vietnam often comes out a little cheaper on food and local transport. Thailand can edge ahead on the very cheapest beach stays and nightlife, while Vietnam tends to give better value on domestic flights and on comfortable hotels for the money. The honest answer is that neither will break the bank, and the choice between them is really about the kind of trip you want rather than the price. If you are weighing the two, our thoughts on the best time to visit Vietnam may help you picture the trip.

How much to budget for two weeks

Two weeks is the most common trip length, so it is a useful anchor. As a broad guide, a mid-range two-week trip inside the country, before international flights, tends to land somewhere around US$1,500 to 3,000 per person depending on your choice of hotels and how much flying you do between regions. Add the international flight on top and you have your all-in figure. Rather than repeat the full breakdown here, our detailed cost guide lays out a sample two-week budget line by line, and our fourteen-day itinerary shows what that money actually buys.

How to keep the cost down

A few simple habits keep a Vietnam trip good value without making it feel tight. Eat where the locals eat, because the street food and small restaurants are the best food anyway. Travel in the shoulder seasons rather than the winter peak if your dates can flex. Use domestic flights for the long hops to save a day of travel, but trains and sleeper buses for the shorter ones. Carry a sensible amount of cash, as our guide to ATMs, cash and cards explains, and tip in the relaxed way described in our tipping guide. Small choices, repeated over two weeks, make a real difference.

If Vietnam is cheap, is private planning still worth it?

It is a fair question, and our answer is honest: the value of planning is not in the daily cost, it is in getting the trip right. Vietnam is easy on the wallet but it is a big, varied country with three climates, long distances and a lot of ground that can be done well or badly. We are planners, not resellers, and we never take commission, so we have no reason to push you towards anything other than what works. We shape the route around your dates and interests, book the right cruise and hotels at the right price, and run the whole thing so you are not losing half your holiday to logistics. Our guide to why book a private Vietnam trip explains the thinking.

How we keep your Vietnam trip good value

Because we never take commission, every choice we make is about your trip rather than our margin, and that tends to keep the numbers honest. We are straight with you about where it is worth spending, on the cruise or a special hotel or two, and where it simply is not. We run the whole trip for you, arrival to departure, with an English-speaking team on hand throughout, and we are rated five-star on Tripadvisor. Tell us your dates and a rough budget and we will build a trip that makes the most of every pound.

Common questions

Is Vietnam expensive?

No, Vietnam is not expensive. It is one of the best-value countries in Southeast Asia, with cheap street food, inexpensive local transport and comfortable hotels for a fraction of home prices. A backpacker travels on about US$30 to 45 a day and a mid-range trip on roughly US$100 to 200 a day before international flights.

Is Vietnam cheaper than Thailand?

For most day-to-day spending the two are close, and Vietnam is often a little cheaper for food and local transport. Thailand can be cheaper for the most basic beach stays, while Vietnam tends to give better value on domestic flights and comfortable hotels. Neither will break the bank.

How much money do I need per day in Vietnam?

As a rough daily guide before international flights, a backpacker needs about US$30 to 45 a day, a comfortable mid-range traveller around US$100 to 200 a day, and a higher-end trip from about US$200 to 350 a day and up. For cash to carry, around US$40 to 60 a day covers most mid-range travellers.

What is the most expensive part of a trip to Vietnam?

For most travellers the biggest single cost is the international flight to reach Vietnam, not anything inside the country. After that, an overnight Ha Long Bay cruise and the top end of hotels and private guiding are where the money goes. All of them are easy to budget for in advance.

Is Vietnam cheap for food?

Yes, Vietnam is very cheap for food and the food is excellent. Street food such as pho or banh mi costs a pound or two, a mid-range restaurant meal is modest, and a good coffee is about a pound. Eating well is one of the cheapest and best parts of a trip here.

How much should I budget for two weeks in Vietnam?

A mid-range two-week trip inside the country, before international flights, tends to land around US$1,500 to 3,000 per person depending on hotels and how much you fly between regions. Add the international flight for your all-in figure. Our detailed cost guide lays out a sample two-week budget in full.