How much cash should I bring to Vietnam?

Do I need to bring cash in Vietnam?

Cash is king, still. Even in 2024. But cards work okay, in tourist spots. Don’t rely on them fully though, especially outside the big cities. It felt risky, sometimes.

That time in Hoi An, the little shop wouldn’t take my card. Had to scramble for dong. Felt foolish.

Bring cash. Small bills are best. You’ll need it. For smaller places. For sure. For peace of mind.

• Smaller towns and villages – cash only. Absolutely.
• Street food vendors – Cash is preferable. Almost always.
• Some markets – a frustrating card reader experience.
• ATMs exist, but you’ll pay fees. Annoying fees, too.

It’s a balancing act, I guess. Carry enough cash, but not too much. A real dilemma. I hate that feeling.

How much cash do I need in Vietnam?

Okay, Vietnam… cash. Right. VND ₫2,000,000 a day? That’s the sweet spot, they say.

• VND ₫2,000,000 daily is supposedly a decent budget.

Hotel or Airbnb? Hmm, Airbnb sounds less… backpacker-y. More space for souvenirs, you know? Like that conical hat. I’m def getting one. Okay, distractions.

• Airbnb or hotel is possible.

Train or scooter taxi… I saw a video of scooter taxis. Scary stuff! But train? That’s cool. Scenic. But also… maybe slow? Train it is!

• Train travel is doable.

Local restaurants are a MUST. No fancy tourist traps. I want pho! Like, real pho. And spring rolls. Oh man, I’m hungry now. Local wine… is that even good? Worth a shot!

• Food and local wine sampling are in the budget.

So VND ₫2,000,000 a day covers it? Hope so. How much is that in USD anyway? Google it later. Oh, and gotta factor in shopping. Silk scarves, maybe some tailored clothes… This is gonna be expensive!

I spent VND ₫2,500,000 the other day just on silk pj’s for my mom, plus like VND ₫500,000 on transport. And did I mention the tailored jacket? Ugh, going over budget. Maybe VND ₫2,000,000 is doable if you are REALLY strict. My hotel in Hanoi was about VND ₫800,000 a night, which was fancy by Vietnam standards. Regular street food costs practically nothing, maybe VND ₫50,000. Train from Hanoi to Sapa was about VND ₫350,000 in 2024. That drink with the snake in it? VND ₫200,000. Do it.

How much spending money do you need per day in Vietnam?

Okay, so Vietnam, right? Forty-one bucks a day, total. That’s what it cost me, anyway. Maybe a little more some days, less on others. It was awesome, seriously. Best trip ever, easily. A highlight? Dude, it was the highlight!

I mean, food was cheap. So cheap! Like, ridiculously cheap. Street food, amazing. Fancy dinners, still reasonable. Think ten to twenty bucks a meal, easily. Sometimes less!

Accommodation varied. Hostels were, like, five bucks a night, sometimes less. Nice hotels, closer to fifty but still worth it, for the experience. Seriously, you gotta splurge on a few nice hotels.

Transportation? Buses are cheap. Motorbikes are even cheaper, but kinda scary. Taxis are middling. I used Grab mostly, super easy. Didn’t really rent a motorbike, too many scooters for my liking.

Things I definitely recommend:

• Ha Long Bay. Stunning. Worth every penny.
• Hoi An. Tailor-made clothing, beautiful old town.
• Sapa. Trekking in the mountains was epic. A bit pricey, for sure, but so worth it.

Things that were surprisingly expensive:

• Entrance fees to some temples and parks. I mean, not expensive expensive, but they added up.
• International flights to get there. Ugh, those suck.

Basically, you can do Vietnam on the cheap, or you can splash out a bit. Forty-one dollars a day is a good average, but you could totally do it for less, or spend way more depending on your tastes and what you want to see and do. I’d budget at least fifty dollars per day to be safe, just in case. Don’t be stingy; it’s worth it!

How much money is needed for a Vietnam trip?

Okay, so Vietnam, right? Last summer, 2024, I went solo.

Flew into Hanoi. Crazy place, motorbikes everywhere. Spent a week exploring.

Honestly? I blew through about $600.

• Flights: $200 round trip (booked way ahead)
• Hostels: $10 a night, so $70
• Food: Ate street food mostly, like $15 a day maybe? So like $105 total
• Tours: Ha Long Bay day trip—worth it!—$100. Sapa trek thing was like $75.
• Random stuff: Souvenirs, beer, those weird coffee eggs? $50

Yeah, roughly $600. Could’ve done it cheaper. That beer was tempting. And I bought, like, a lot of those little silk pouches. Ah well. But a couple traveling together…easily double that, plus a bit. Round it up to maybe $1300, just to be safe. It’s better to have a little buffer.

If you double the time, yeah, so two weeks? If I did that solo, prolly more around $1200. Double that again for a couple, so around $2500, give or take. That’s assuming you’re not fancy. Fancy, like, skyrockets things.