Is 500 USD enough in Vietnam?

How much USD is enough for a Vietnam trip?

$100-$150 daily for two in Vietnam? That’s doable, but depends heavily on your lifestyle. Luxury? Forget it. Budget backpacking? Easily achievable. Think carefully about your priorities.

Accommodation: A decent hotel room outside major cities runs $20-$40/night. Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City? Double that. Hostels offer significantly cheaper options. Consider Airbnb for unique stays. My friend, Sarah, found a stunning villa near Hoi An for under $50 a night last year! Go figure.

Food: Street food is ridiculously cheap and delicious. Expect to spend $5-$15 a day per person. Fancier restaurants, obviously, cost more. Remember those delicious banh mi sandwiches? I loved them!

Activities: Entrance fees to temples, pagodas, and other sights average $2-$10 each. Internal flights and train tickets are a major expense; budget accordingly. I personally found many free and amazing things to do: wandering the markets, people-watching in cafes!

Transportation: Grab (Southeast Asia’s Uber) is convenient. Local buses are cheap. Motorbike taxis (xe ôm) are adventurous but can be risky if you’re not careful. My cousin got ripped off once, using one.

Total Daily Budget: A realistic budget for two is $100-$150/day, excluding flights. This accounts for mid-range accommodations, a mix of street food and sit-down meals, and moderate sightseeing. It’s a solid starting point, but your actual expenses will vary wildly. A luxurious trip would require significantly more. The real question: how much luxury do you crave? Isn’t that the most important question?

Tips for Saving Money:

• Travel during the shoulder season (avoid peak tourist times).
• Negotiate prices, especially in markets.
• Take advantage of free activities.
• Utilize local transportation.
• Learn basic Vietnamese phrases – it’ll enhance your experience.

Is $100 USD a lot in Vietnam?

Seriously, $100 USD in Vietnam? You’re practically ballin’. Feels like winning the lottery, kinda. Like finding a twenty in your old jeans… except times five.

Think of it this way:

• Street food heaven: You could eat pho every day for a month. Every single day!
• Accommodation superstar: Forget hostels; you’re living the hotel life. Okay, maybe not the Ritz, but still nice.
• Transportation tycoon: Taxis? Motorbike rentals? You’re the boss. Vroom vroom.
• Shopping spree extraordinaire: Souvenirs galore! Buy all the conical hats!

My grandpa once told me “$100 is only $100.” He also thought the earth was flat. $100 buys happiness, especially when traveling in SE Asia. Now, if you wanna live like a king, you’ll need more. Obvi.

How long will $100 last in Vietnam?

Your hundred bucks in Vietnam? Think of it as a tiny, surprisingly potent magic bean. It’s not going to buy you a Vietnamese fairy tale castle, but it can certainly buy you a few chapters.

• Budget backpacking: $25 a day buys you street food adventures—think pho so delicious it’ll make you weep—and surprisingly comfy hostels. You’ll be sleeping like a baby…or maybe a slightly grubby, but happy, baby.

• Mid-range magic: $35-$65? You’re talking delicious restaurant meals, the exhilarating chaos of motorbike taxis, and hotels that feel like a small slice of paradise (minus the mythical palm trees, unless you’re lucky). This is where your money really shines.

A hundred dollars is approximately 2,350,000 Vietnamese Dong (using the exchange rate as of October 26, 2023). That’s a lot of delicious Banh Mi. Seriously, a lot. I once spent a week in Hoi An living like a king on less, eating enough fresh spring rolls to build a small dam.

I’m telling you, it stretches further than you might think. It’s like trying to fit an elephant into a VW Beetle – you’d be surprised how much fits, if you’re clever about it. But don’t expect to buy a motorbike. Or a diamond. Or even a really nice silk scarf. Probably.

Don’t forget to factor in internal flights if you plan on exploring more of the country, though. Those can really eat into your budget faster than a swarm of hungry mosquitos on a humid night. Been there. Wore the mosquito bites as battle scars. They looked surprisingly chic, though. Until they got infected.

How far does a US dollar go in Vietnam?

Night. Empty. Thinking about Vietnam again. 25,000 dong. For one dollar. Crazy.

Remember that banh mi on the street. Spicy. So good. Less than a dollar. Maybe 7,000 dong. Back home… ten dollars easy. For a sandwich not even that good.

A bottle of water. Cold. Few thousand dong. Hot day. Dust everywhere. That water… life saver. Here? Two dollars. At least. Airport, five. Highway robbery.

Bia Hoi. Cheap beer. Street corner. Plastic stools. Loud. Happy. 6,000 dong. Unreal. Can’t even… imagine that here.

• 25,000 dong to the dollar. That’s the number stuck in my head.
• Street food. Banh mi, pho, spring rolls… all under a dollar. Sometimes way under.
• Drinks. Water, local beer, iced coffee. Pennies. Literally.
• Transportation. Short motorbike taxi ride. Negotiate. Maybe a dollar. Bus even cheaper.

Just… different there. Everything cheaper. Dollar goes so far. Miss it. A lot. Can’t sleep.

How strong is the US dollar in Vietnam?

Okay, Vietnam… Dong to dollar… hmmm.

Last year, yeah, USD to VND was like, 23000 to 23400. Fluctuating, up and down. I remember seeing it online.

Is the dollar worth more? Duh, obviously. My sister went there in February ’24, she said everything was cheap.

• It fluctuates.
• Dollars are better, I guess?
• Exchange rates matter.

Is $100 a lot? For a tourist, yeah, I bet. Enough for meals for a couple days, probably. Wait, is that right? Thinking about pho now.

• 1 USD = 23121 VND (roughly).
• Tourists should use dollars? Maybe.
• Pho is awesome, and cheap.

Ugh, currency stuff gives me a headache. Just wanna travel.

Should I carry USD or dong to Vietnam?

Vietnamese Dong (VND) is the way to go for daily transactions. Bringing USD is…a bit much, tbh, outside of visa needs.

Think of it this way:

• VND simplifies smaller purchases, street food, souvenirs. USD for pho? Nah.
• USD conversion is necessary for entry fees—visa on arrival is a notable example.
• Exchanging USD? Banks and gold shops generally provide better rates compared to hotels, which are more like a convenience, not a deal.

Freshness matters; you want pristine USD bills. Think no creases, marks, or signs of wear. Banks dislike accepting flawed bills. I mean, who doesn’t, right?

USD can be exchanged, so it’s a backup, not the main financial strategy. It’s like bringing a spare tire. I mean, I’m bad at car maintenance, but you get the point.

Oh, and fun fact, I heard that Vietnam’s currency is made of polymer—very cool, kinda like futuristic money if you ask me. And you are asking me.

Where is the best place to buy VND?

Three AM. The clock glows sickly green. Ugh. VND. Right.

Online currency exchanges are best. Hands down. Avoid those airport rip-offs. Seriously, those kiosks at JFK were highway robbery. I learned that the hard way, 2023. Expensive lesson.

Traditional banks? Slow, inefficient. My local branch, Chase, is awful. The fees… forget it. Waste of time.

ATMs? Maybe okay, in a pinch. But the exchange rates are brutal. I needed cash in Hanoi last year. Ruined my budget.

Travel money cards seem decent, but I prefer the direct exchange. More control that way. I’m not a fan of pre-loaded cards. Seems risky.

Money changer kiosks are a gamble. You’ll find better deals online, trust me. I checked.

In short: Online’s your best bet. It’s the most convenient and often cheapest. Learned that the painful way. Sleeping is hard.