How Much Does a Trip to Vietnam Cost in 2026?
Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia’s best-value destinations and also one of the most rewarding. A bowl of pho at a street stall costs $1–2. Dorm beds start at $5. Bia hoi — fresh-brewed street-corner draft beer — goes for $0.25 a glass in Hanoi. The country stretches 1,650 km from north to south and packs in three dramatically different regions: the mountains and lakes of the north, the historic streets of Hoi An and Da Nang in the centre, and the energy of Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in the south.
Budget backpackers can travel comfortably on $25–45/day including accommodation, meals, transport and activities. Mid-range travelers staying in private hotels with air-conditioning and joining the occasional day tour spend $60–110/day. The comfort tier — boutique riverside hotels, private transfers, rooftop dining — runs $160+/day. Whatever your budget, Vietnam consistently punches well above its weight.
Full Cost Breakdown: Vietnam 2026
Prices per person per day in USD. Exchange rate: 1 USD ≈ 25,400 VND (May 2026). ATM fees vary — Techcombank and Vietcombank typically charge the lowest foreign card fees, around $1–2 per withdrawal.
| Category | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort / Splurge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | $5–15/night Hostel dorm or fan guesthouse |
$20–55/night Private room, A/C, ensuite |
$90–280/night Boutique hotel or resort |
| Food | $4–9/day Pho stalls, banh mi, bia hoi |
$15–35/day Restaurants, coffee shops, craft beer |
$55–120/day Fine dining, rooftop bars, wine |
| Transport | $3–8/day Grab bike, local bus, xe om |
$10–28/day Grab car, motorbike hire, sleeper bus |
$30–90/day Private car, internal flights |
| Activities | $3–10/day Museum entry, free city walking |
$12–35/day Cooking class, cycling tour, boat trip |
$45–130/day Ha Long Bay cruise, private guide |
| Total per day | $15–42/day | $57–153/day | $220–620/day |
By Budget Level
Hostel dorm beds in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and Hoi An’s backpacker streets start at $5–8/night. Budget private rooms with fan go for $8–12; with air-conditioning, $12–18. Ho Chi Minh City has the widest spread of budget options, with backpacker guesthouses around Pham Ngu Lao from $7–15/night. Hoi An is arguably Vietnam’s best base for budget travelers — excellent food, beautiful surroundings, and private rooms from $12.
Street food keeps costs remarkably low. A bowl of pho from a pavement stall: $1–2. Banh mi sandwich: $0.80–1.50. A plate of com tam (broken rice with pork): $1.50–2.50. Three full meals at local restaurants or stalls costs $6–12/day. Bia hoi street corners in Hanoi serve fresh draft beer for $0.25–0.50 per glass. Getting around on Grab bike (motorbike taxi) costs $0.50–1.50 per ride in most cities.
Tip: Slow down. Vietnam rewards travelers who linger. Staying in one town for 3–4 nights cuts transport costs dramatically and lets you discover places that day-trippers miss.
Mid-range mini-hotels in Hoi An offer private rooms with rice paddy or pool views, breakfast included, and genuinely warm service for $25–50/night. In Hanoi, comfortable 3-star hotels in the Old Quarter or Hoan Kiem area run $30–60. Ho Chi Minh City has the widest range: $20–45 buys a clean, central private room with good reviews. Book via Booking.com at least a week ahead for better rates — last-minute availability in popular towns can be limited.
A full dinner for two at a mid-tier restaurant — several shared dishes, local beer or Vietnamese coffee, dessert — comes to $15–30 total. A full-day cooking class in Hoi An (market visit included) costs $25–40 per person. Cycling tours around the Hoi An countryside run $12–20. A motorbiking day trip to the Hai Van Pass or My Son Sanctuary from Da Nang costs $15–25. Boat tours on the Thu Bon River cost $8–15.
Tip: Budget an internal flight from Hanoi to Da Nang ($30–60 on VietJet or Bamboo). It saves 18 hours of bus travel and is one of the best value per-hour decisions in travel.
Vietnam’s top boutique hotels offer extraordinary value compared to Western equivalents. The Nam Hai in Hoi An — consistently rated among Asia’s best resorts — starts at $350–600/night. Hoi An has a strong cluster of design-led boutique hotels at $90–180 that feel genuinely luxurious. In Hanoi, Capella Hanoi and Sofitel Legend Metropole start at $200–350 and deliver five-star experiences at prices that would buy a 3-star room in London or Paris.
A tasting menu at a top Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City restaurant runs $50–100 per person. A private overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay on a well-reviewed junk boat costs $150–300 per person including all meals. Private day tours with an English-speaking driver cost $60–100 for a full day. Helicopter transfers between cities exist for those on unlimited budgets.
Where to Book: Hotels & Tours
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Hidden Costs People Forget
Vietnam has fewer surprise fees than many Asian destinations, but these still catch travelers off guard.
- $25 E-visa (90-day single entry) — available to most nationalities online at evisa.gov.vn. Processing takes 3 business days. Valid for 90 days, single entry. A 90-day multiple-entry e-visa costs $25 as well — choose the latter if you plan to cross into Laos or Cambodia and return.
- $15–25 Airport transfer (Hanoi or HCMC) — Grab car from Noi Bai to Hanoi Old Quarter costs $10–14 and takes 40–50 min. From Tan Son Nhat to central Ho Chi Minh City: $5–8 by Grab, 20–30 min. Avoid unmarked taxis outside arrivals — they often don’t use meters.
- $1–3 ATM fees per withdrawal — Techcombank and Vietcombank have the lowest foreign card fees. Withdraw larger amounts (2–3M VND) less frequently. Some ATMs cap withdrawals at 3M VND (~$120) per transaction.
- $5–15/day Motorbike hire — essential outside cities and highly recommended in Hoi An, Da Lat, and the central highlands. Semi-automatic bikes run $5–10/day. Automatics cost $8–15. International driving licence required in theory; carry it and your home licence.
- $30–60 Internal flight (one way) — Hanoi to Da Nang or Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City on VietJet, Bamboo or Vietnam Airlines. Book 4–6 weeks ahead for the best fares. Avoids 15–30 hours of overnight bus travel and is the single best time-money trade on a north–south itinerary.
Vietnam Tours Worth Booking
Some of Vietnam’s best experiences are significantly better with a knowledgeable local guide. These consistently earn top ratings on GetYourGuide:
- Ha Long Bay overnight cruise — $120–200/person on a 2-day/1-night junk boat. Includes kayaking, cave visits, all meals, and one of the most photogenic settings on earth
- Hoi An lantern-making & cooking class — $25–40/person. Market visit at dawn, hands-on cooking lesson, full lunch. The definitive Hoi An experience
- Hanoi street food walking tour — $18–30/person. Evening walk through the Old Quarter covering pho, bun cha, banh cuon, bia hoi and egg coffee
- Mekong Delta full-day tour from HCMC — $25–45/person. Boat through river canals, rice-paper factory visit, coconut-candy workshop, fresh tropical fruit lunch
Browse all Vietnam tours on GetYourGuide ↗ — most include free cancellation up to 24 hours before.