Vietnam is an ideal destination for foreigner travelers because of the unique attractions of the country in terms of nature, history, culture, gastronomy and cheap tourism services. With the mid-range tourism services, the amount of money on average that tourist has to pay is around USD 50-70, including fees: meal, standard accommodation, transportations, etc. Normally the price in the North of Vietnam is more expensive than the South, and the expense is significantly diverse among different tourist, attractive destinations,… The tips and estimates below are for travelers to enjoy a trip in Vietnam with a tight budget.
For food: In Vietnam, the fee for a meal in local restaurant with common Vietnamese dishes is pretty low at around USD 1.5-6.0 per dish, for the special foods and places maybe the price will be higher, based on the rareness and availability of the dish. In general, the average expense for breakfast at around USD 2.0-5.0 per person, main meals (lunch and dinner) is roughly USD 8.0-15.0 per person.
For accommodation: In general, the price for Hotel room fluctuates around USD 20 – 35 per night, if you choose luxurious hotel the price may be higher than USD 60 per night. The best choice for backpackers or any tourists would like to save money is live at motels or guest house, the price is much cheaper, roughly USD 15 – 25 per night. Read Why many people choose to travel as backpackers.
For transportation: A lot of ways to travel around and between destinations in Vietnam. The first way is for foreigner tourists is taxi, price about USD 0.45-0.6 per km (VND 9,000-12,000 per km). The second way is to use a motorbike taxi (called “Xe Om“) with a price around USD 0.3-0.4 per km (make sure that you know how to bargain and get the deal). For the long way travelling (interprovincial), you can choose Air, Railway or Bus. The price for the bus is about USD4.5-5.5, railway: USD 6.0-70 and air: USD 50-150. Read more here: http://vietnamsurprise.com/transportation/
Other expenses: Includes: ticket, souvenir and other extra costs. It is truly difficult to estimate the amount of money to spend on this dimension.
To sum up: For traveling in Vietnam you must pay USD 25 per day for basic eating and living. A minimum suggested budget for a 10 day trip to Vietnam (not including return air ticket) is $700.
