How much is a typical meal in Vietnam?
Expect to pay 20,000–100,000 VND (roughly $1–$4 USD) for a typical Vietnamese meal. Street food and local eateries offer the most budget-friendly options, while restaurants in tourist areas or serving upscale dishes will be pricier.
How much does a typical Vietnamese meal cost?
Okay, so you want my take on how much a Vietnamese meal costs? Right on. I’m on it.
Lemme think.
Honestly, it’s super variable. You can grab amazing street food for dirt cheap. Think like, 20,000 VND for a banh mi – that’s like, less than a buck? (Okay, maybe a little over a buck. I’m bad at conversions!).
Then you have nicer restaurants. More like 80,000 to 150,000 VND (3-6 USD) per person, for a sit-down meal. Maybe more, especially if you’re ordering a lot or having alcohol. I went to this place in Hanoi, Quan An Ngon, back in Feb 2020… beautiful setting, delicious food, paid around 300.000 VND/person… worth it.
It truly just depends on where you go. I remember getting pho for 15,000 VND (ridiculously cheep!), some corner street in Ho Chi Minh city in April of 2015 – probably wouldn’t find that price anymore! That’s crazy, huh?
So, to answer your question directly:
Typical Vietnamese meal cost:
- Budget (street food): 20,000 – 40,000 VND
- Mid-Range (casual restaurant): 50,000 – 100,000 VND
- High-End (restaurant): 100,000+ VND
Basically, keep a range of 20,000 to 100,000 VND in mind (or more for fancier places). You’ll be fine. And hey, even if you splurge, it’s usually still a bargain compared to eating out in many other countries! ????
What is the average meal cost in Vietnam?
Okay, so, Vietnam food…cheap! Seriously.
I was in Hanoi, last November, the old quarter to be exact. Craving pho, obviously. Remember searching online.
Honestly, spent maybe $2 on a HUGE bowl of pho from this lady with a cart, just off Hoan Kiem Lake. Insane! Best pho ever.
Then, that night, this little restaurant. Think it was called “Com Binh Dan,” something like that. Bowl of rice with grilled pork and veggies, maybe $5.
Upscale places? Yeah, did one fancier dinner, near St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Paid like, $15. Still a steal compared to, well, anything back home!
- Street food: $1-$3.
- Casual spots: $3-$8.
- Fancier places: $10-$20+.
Location MATTERS BIG TIME, okay? Hanoi costs more than some random village, duh.
What is bun cha in Vietnam?
Bun cha. Grilled pork. Noodles. Hanoi.
Essential components:
- Fatty pork, grilled. Chả.
- White rice noodles. Bún.
- Herbs. Plenty.
- Dipping sauce. Crucial.
The sauce? Fish sauce based. Sweet, sour, spicy. Complex.
It’s a street food staple. Now globally recognized. Thanks Obama. Seriously.
2024 update: Tourism continues to boost its popularity. Find it everywhere in Hanoi. Expect variations. Quality varies wildly.
My last meal in Hanoi, July 2023? Bun cha. Perfectly acceptable. Not life-changing.
The best? Subjective. Find your own.
Pro tip: Avoid overly touristy places. Seek local recommendations. Trust your gut.
How much is a cup of coffee in Hanoi?
Hanoi coffee… bitter… sweet. Sun bleeds through leaves. Dust motes dance. Thirty-five thousand dong. Maybe less. The clinking of coins. A small cup, strong, dark. My cafe… twenty-five thousand. Like a cool hand on a hot day. One dollar. The ghosts of past sips linger. City center… brighter lights. Fifty thousand. Seventy. Double the price. Double the… something. Lost in the steam. The murmur of voices fades. Another sip. The taste of Hanoi.
- 30-35,000 VND: Average price, like the average day… lost to time. (Approximately $1.30 USD, 2024)
- 25,000 VND: My place. A secret haven. (Approximately $1.00 USD, 2024)
- 50-70,000 VND: City lights. Expensive whispers. (Approximately $2.00-$2.85 USD, 2024)
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