How much do you spend on food per day in Vietnam?
Food costs in Vietnam vary widely. Budget travelers can eat delicious meals for $5-10 per day. Mid-range dining experiences cost around $10-20 daily. For those seeking luxury, expect to spend $20+ per day. These estimates include street food, local restaurants, and some Western options.
Daily Food Budget in Vietnam: How Much?
Okay, so you want to know about daily food budgets in Vietnam? Man, that’s tough. It depends wildly.
I was in Hoi An last October, ate street food mostly, maybe 100,000 VND a day ($4ish USD). Pho, banh mi, fresh fruit – delicious and cheap!
Hanoi was a little more, closer to 150,000 VND. More choices, fancier places, you know? Still pretty affordable though.
Saigon? That was a whole different ballgame. Easily double, maybe triple what I spent in Hoi An depending on where you eat.
So yeah, no fixed answer. It’s all over the place. Budget at least $5-10 USD a day, maybe more if you crave fancier things. My personal experience puts it solidly in that range.
How much to pay for food in Vietnam?
Pho for 30,000 dong. Hanoi, Old Quarter. Hot, sticky July 2023. Slurping noodles, sweat dripping. So good.
Banh mi from a street vendor. 15,000 dong. Crispy bread. Spicy. Lunch near Hoan Kiem Lake. People watching.
Fancy dinner. Hoi An. Mango Rooms. 300,000 dong. Worth it. River view. Delicious.
- Street food: 15,000 – 50,000 dong
- Local restaurants: 50,000 – 150,000 dong
- Touristy places: 150,000+ dong. Easily.
Beer. Bia Hoi. Cheap. 5,000 dong sometimes. Plastic stools. Street corner. Hanoi again. Crazy traffic.
Didn’t change much money. Used my card a lot. More convenient. But cash is king, really. Especially small places. Bargaining. Markets.
Fruit. So cheap. Mountains of mango. Dragonfruit. Lychees. Durian. Ugh. Smelled awful. Tasted…interesting. Ben Thanh Market, Saigon. Crowded.
Sapa. Trekking. Noodles again. Home-cooked meal with a family. Best food ever. Priceless. View of the rice terraces. Unforgettable.
Is food expensive in Vietnam to eat out?
Cheap. Dirt cheap. Street food: $1-4. Done. 23,000-92,000 VND. Location matters. Obviously.
- Street food: $1-4 USD (23,000-92,000 VND)
- Mid-range restaurants: $5-15 USD per person
- High-end dining: $20+ USD, easily. Sky’s the limit. My last meal at Cuc Gach Quan, broke the bank. But worth it.
- Beer: Saigon Special. $1 in a shop. $3 in a tourist trap. Know your spots. Bui Vien, District 1. Expect higher prices.
- Coffee: Cà phê sữa đá. Strong. Sweet. $1-2. Highlands Coffee, more.
Hanoi. Different story. Still cheap. But not Saigon cheap. Phở. Expect $2-3. Banh Mi. $1-2. Tourist areas? Inflated.
What is the average food cost per day in Vietnam?
The average daily food cost in Vietnam hovers around $10-15. It allows one to savor the country’s renowned street food. Think pho, banh mi—oh boy!
This budget accommodates small restaurants and street-side vendors. I recall paying even less at a Hanoi night market near Hoan Kiem Lake. Food adventures galore, definitely.
A week’s worth of culinary exploration will be approximately $70-105. Travel costs are what they are these days. It does make you wonder where all your money actually goes, huh?
- Drinks included. That’s fresh coconut water or bia hoi (local draft beer).
- Regional variations matter. Expect higher costs in tourist hotspots.
- Self-catering reduces expenses. Groceries are cheap, though the appeal kinda disappears.
Some travelers manage to spend less. Others splurge on fancy meals. Choice is up to you; you can find anything there. What you eat says a lot.
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