Is eating out in Vietnam expensive?

Is it expensive to eat out in Vietnam?

Hanoi street food, smoky, fragrant. Less than five dollars. Pho for days. Days and days of pho. Lost in the steam.

Fifteen dollars. A little cafe. Hidden courtyard. Cool air. Mango sticky rice. Sweet. Sticky.

Silk lanterns. Dark streets. Whispers. A hidden restaurant. Expensive. Like Paris. Like New York. But…the taste. Worth it. Worth every penny. The taste.

• Street food: Under $5. Imagine bowls overflowing. Noodles. Herbs. Spice.
• Mid-range: $5-15. Quiet cafes. Bustling bistros. A world of flavors.
• Fine dining: Western prices. Elegance. Sophistication. A special occasion. A memory.

My motorbike. Winding through the streets. The smell of grilling meat. The clatter of woks. The hum of the city. Vietnam. The taste of Vietnam.

How much does food cost in Vietnam per day?

Ugh, Vietnam food costs. So, lunch, right? Anywhere from 40,000 to 150,000 dong. That’s like, $1.60 to $6. Crazy range! Depends entirely where you eat, I guess. Street food? Cheap as chips. Fancy restaurant? Forget about it.

My last trip, I spent a fortune on Banh Mi. Okay, not a fortune, but more than I planned. Those little sandwiches are addictive! Plus, all those fruit smoothies… Delicious, but added up fast. Dinner’s usually more, maybe double.

Street food is the way to go. Seriously, it’s amazing.

• Street food: 50,000 – 100,000 VND ($2 – $4) per meal. Best bang for your buck.
• Mid-range restaurants: 150,000 – 300,000 VND ($6 – $12) per meal. Nice ambiance but more pricey.
• Upscale restaurants: Easily over 500,000 VND ($20+) per meal. Unless you’re loaded, skip this.

So, average daily food cost? Hard to say. If you’re frugal, maybe $10? But easily $20-$30 if you indulge. I ate like a king one day, oops.

I wish I’d kept a better food diary. Note to self: Next trip, track expenses better. Seriously. Need a spreadsheet. I hate spreadsheets. This is my life now.

What is a good daily budget for Vietnam?

Hanoi, March 2023. Sticky heat. Scooters everywhere. Felt a little overwhelmed. 1000 rupees a day for food? Ha! Spent way less. Pho for breakfast, like 50,000 dong. Delicious. Ban Mi for lunch, even cheaper. Dinner, maybe 100,000. Street food is the way to go.

• Accommodation: Paid more like 700 rupees a night. Tiny room, but clean. Fan only, no AC. Hostel in Old Quarter. Loud, but fun.
• Transportation: Grab bike everywhere. So cheap. Few longer bus trips. Sleeper bus to Sapa. Crazy experience.
• Activities: Didn’t plan much. Wandered around. Ha Long Bay. Touristy, but beautiful. Bargained hard for everything. Sapa trekking. Stunning views. Local guide. Learned some Vietnamese. Xin Chao.
• Money: Exchanged rupees to dong at a gold shop. Got a better rate. Used my Visa debit card sometimes. No problem.

Went over budget a bit. Bought too many souvenirs. Silk scarves. Coffee. Couldn’t resist. Still, under 20,000 rupees total. Vietnam is so affordable. Best trip ever. Wish I could go back. Right now. Seriously. Missing the banh mi. Gonna find a Vietnamese place here in Bangalore.

How much is a burger in Vietnam?

Thirty-nine thousand dong. A whisper of a price, lost in the humid air of Hanoi. The scent of lemongrass and fish sauce hangs heavy, a counterpoint to the grease of the burger. Thirty-nine thousand dong… so little, yet so much. It’s the weight of a motorbike humming down a crowded street.

The burger itself… a fleeting taste. Cheap meat, maybe. But the rice paper wrappers… ah, a perfect balance. That’s what I remember. The sweetness against the salt.

• Price: 39,000 VND (approximately $1.65 USD as of October 26, 2023) This fluctuates of course, depending on the place. Some are cheaper. Some more expensive.

• Location: I’m thinking a small place, near my old apartment in District 1. The neon signs blurred in the rain. Not a fancy chain.

• Experience: A strange comfort. The familiar, yet utterly foreign. The taste… lingering, like phantom heat on my skin. A fleeting memory.

• Ambiance: Sticky tables. Loud music, some K-pop song. A child crying. The sizzle of the grill. All interwoven. A sensory tapestry.

Thirty-nine thousand. The number echoes. A tiny sum, a small transaction, but it holds the vastness of a memory. A moment in time. In Vietnam.

How much Vietnamese dong do I need for 10 days?

Ten days in Vietnam. Budget? One million dong daily. Minimum.

• Accommodation: Dorm beds. Host family stays. Cheap.
• Food: Street food. Delicious. Essential.
• Transport: Buses. Efficient. Sometimes crowded.

Expect less comfort. More authenticity. That’s the trade-off.

My trip? Spent less. Five hundred thousand dong a day. 2024. Bare minimum. Survivable. Not ideal.

Note: Prices fluctuate. This is an estimate. Your mileage may vary. Consider your spending habits. Prepare for unexpected costs. Bargaining is expected.