How much cash do I need for a week in Vietnam?

Is 1000 USD enough for a Vietnam trip?

Dusty streets. Hanoi heat. A thousand dollars. Melting like ice. Sun bleeds gold. A month unwinding. Slow. Like river silt. Pho for breakfast. Cents on the dollar. Street vendors smile. Bia Hoi clinking. Motorbike symphony. A thousand dollars. Dust motes dancing. Ancient temples whisper. Ha Long Bay emerald. Sapa rice terraces. Green. Green. Green. A month of whispers. Echoes. Lost in time. A thousand dollars. Enough. More than enough. If you listen. To the wind. The whispers. A thousand dollars. Gone. Like dust.

• Accommodation: Hostels, homestays. Dollars stretch. Like shadows.
• Food: Street food. A symphony of flavors. Pennies.
• Transportation: Motorbikes. Train journeys. North to south. A thousand dollars.
• Experiences: Sunrise over rice paddies. Sunset on the beach. Priceless.

My last trip, 2023. Spent less. Saw more. Hoi An lanterns. Burning bright. A thousand dollars. A memory. A dream. Fading. Like the sun.

How much USD for 2 weeks in Vietnam?

Seven hundred dollars. That’s what it said. For two weeks. Seems low, doesn’t it? Ha.

It felt… more.

Accommodation was a killer. Especially in Hoi An. Those little boutique hotels… beautiful, but pricey.

Food… well, street food is cheap, but I craved Pho every other day. That adds up. Quickly.

Transportation? Motorbikes. Risky, exhilarating, cheap. Yet…I spent more on unexpected repairs than I anticipated.

Activities… I overdid it. Ha Long Bay. Sapa. Those weren’t cheap. Those were beautiful though. Worth it.

Airfare. That’s the big one, right? My flight from San Francisco in 2024 cost $1200 alone.

• Flights (2024): $1200 – $1500 (depending on the time of booking, of course)
• Accommodation (mid-range): $35/night minimum
• Food (mix of street food and sit-down meals): $20-$30/day I ate a lot.
• Activities: $50-$100/day, depending. Easily.
• Transportation: $10-$20/day. At least. Stupid motorbike repairs!

$1700 – $2500? Yeah, maybe if you’re really careful. I blew past that. Easily. I regret nothing. Except maybe all that damn Pho.

Can I live in Vietnam on $1000 a month?

$1000/month in Vietnam? Feasible. But, budgeting is crucial.

• Rent: $300-$500. Depends on location, luxury preference. Hanoi cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City. My friend paid $400 for a nice apartment in Da Nang in 2023.

• Food: $200-$400. Street food is cheap. Restaurants vary wildly. Cooking at home saves money. I spent $250 last month.

• Transportation: $50-$100. Motorbikes are common. Grab app convenient. Public transport exists, but less efficient.

• Activities/Entertainment: Variable. $100-$300. Temples are inexpensive. Nightlife? Expensive if you go crazy.

• Healthcare: $50-$100. Consider travel insurance. Vietnamese healthcare is affordable, but quality can fluctuate.

It’s doable. But don’t be naive. Tight budget. Priorities. Live simply. Or spend more. Your choice. It’s your life, after all. A simple life is surprisingly fulfilling. Or maybe not. Depends on you. Money isn’t everything. But it helps.

Living frugally unlocks experiences. Or, conversely, it limits them. The irony, isn’t it? Life is a trade-off. Always.

Is it cheaper to live in Vietnam or Thailand?

It’s late. Yeah, Vietnam… cheaper. It is, I think. Or was.

Maybe.

Food, especially. Pho cost me next to nothing, felt like stealing. In Bangkok, Pad Thai was…more.

• Vietnam is cheaper, usually.
• Food, that’s the big one. Street food in Hanoi… unreal, and so cheap.
• Accommodation too? Probably. Guesthouses felt cheaper in Hoi An.

Thailand’s not expensive. It’s just… different. Worth it, maybe. Still think about that Mango Sticky Rice.

Things I noticed:

• Motorbike rentals: Seemed cheaper in Vietnam.
• Coffee: Stronger and cheaper in Vietnam, that robusta kick.
• Beaches: Thailand, for me. I prefer the islands. That’s where the money went.

Memories blurring. Hanoi rain. Bangkok heat. Both worth it, you know? Even if one cost a little more.