Backpacking Vietnam budget daily | Is 20 USD a day enough?

Backpacking Vietnam budget usually ranges from 15 to 40 USD per day, depending on travel style. This covers hostel, street food, transport, sightseeing, and more.

According to my practical experience, backpacking in Vietnam is not difficult because the traffic is convenient and the people are very friendly. In particular, the cost here is extremely cheap, I only spent a very small amount to comfortably take care of the entire package from food, transportation, to accommodation.

How much money did I spend per day when traveling to Vietnam?

As a foreign tourist travel for Vietnam, I am impressed because this country is very cheap and safe for backpacking.

I spent 29 days traveling from North to South through Hanoi, Ha Giang, Sapa, Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Phong Nha, Hoi An, Da Lat, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City, with the most memorable experience being the Ha Giang Loop and the trans-Vietnam train.

My total backpacking Vietnam budget is about 1,202 USD (~31,000,000 VND), an average of 41 USD/day (~1,050,000 VND). My average daily spending is very reasonably allocated to the following items:

• Accommodation (5 USD/day): I slept in dorm beds at hostels for only 3 – 7 USD/night.
• Food and drink (3 USD/day): mainly eat street food with pho or broken rice for less than 1.5 USD/meal, combined with drinking beer on the sidewalk for less than 1 USD.
• Transportation (5 USD/day): motorbike rental is about 4 – 6 USD/day, take a Grab bike and save on room fees by taking a sleeper bus or train between provinces.
• Activities and tours (7 USD/day): the biggest expense but completely worth it for big tours like Ha Giang Loop or cave trekking in Phong Nha.

With 41 USD/day (~1,050,000 VND), I had a very comfortable and full-experience journey when exploring backpacking Vietnam budget. If you travel more economically, just eat street food and explore on your own, a daily budget Vietnam backpacking of about 15 – 20 USD (~375,000 – 500,000 VND) is enough for a basic trip.

Living costs and experiences when backpacking in Vietnam

I spent about 29 days backpacking across Vietnam, going from Hanoi – Ninh Binh – Phong Nha – Hue – Hoi An – Da Nang – Nha Trang – Da Lat – Ho Chi Minh City. Each expense is very different depending on where I live, how I travel, and the number of tours I participate in.

#1. Accommodation costs when backpacking in Vietnam

During the journey, I mainly stayed in hostel dorms and occasionally in private rooms when I needed to rest. The average price I encountered in Vietnam is about 4 – 7 USD/night (about ~100,000 – 180,000 VND) for dorms and 10 – 20 USD/night for private rooms (~250,000 – 500,000 VND).

I personally often stay in dorms in big cities like Hanoi (Old Quarter) or Hoi An, the price is about 5 – 6 USD/night (~ 130,000 – 150,000 VND). The room is quite clean, has air conditioning, and many places also include a simple breakfast.

In Nha Trang, I once switched to a private room for only about 7.5 USD/night (~ 190,000 VND), with a balcony and a small kitchen. The price was so cheap that I was quite surprised.

Many other backpackers I met on the road also shared that their backpacking Vietnam budget is almost under 10 USD/night for accommodation, unless traveling during the peak season.

#2. Food costs in Vietnam

Eating and drinking in Vietnam is the part that gives me a “slight shock” because it’s so cheap and delicious. On average, a street food meal is only about 1 – 3 USD (~25,000 – 75,000 VND), while a full day of eating is about 5 – 10 USD/day (~125,000 – 250,000 VND/day).

I often eat pho, bun cha, broken rice or bread, almost every meal is under 2 USD (~50,000 VND). There are days in Hanoi or Hue, I only need about 6 – 7 USD (~ 150,000 – 180,000 VND) to eat 3 meals + coffee.

Some other backpackers I met also said that they could eat even cheaper if they only focused on street food. The question mark “how much money do you need to travel to Vietnam” is actually very flexible. But I often add coffee, especially iced milk coffee and egg coffee, so the cost is a bit higher, about an extra 1 – 2 USD (~25,000 – 50,000 VND)/day.

#3. Transportation costs when backpacking in Vietnam

Transportation is a pretty big part of my expenses because I travel across Vietnam. I often use sleeper buses and sometimes trains to travel between cities. The average price is about 5 – 20 USD/trip (~125,000 – 500,000 VND/trip), depending on the distance. Specifically:

• Hanoi – Phong Nha: about 10 – 15 USD (~250,000 – 375,000 VND)
• Hue – Hoi An (via Da Nang): about 5 – 8 USD (~ 125,000 – 200,000 VND)
• Nha Trang – Da Lat: about 6 – 10 USD (~150,000 – 250,000 VND)

In the city, I mainly use Grab, each trip only costs about 1 – 3 USD (~ 25,000 – 75,000 VND), very cheap and convenient. In Hoi An, I also rented a motorbike for about 5 USD/day (~125,000 VND/day) to go through Hai Van Pass, an extremely memorable experience.

#4. Operational costs and experience tours

This is the part that took the most money out of my entire trip and is also the reason why my total Vietnam backpacking budget increased quite significantly. In fact, although Vietnam is very cheap for daily living, large-scale experience tours are the most “significant” expense that almost everyone will have to consider if they want to fully explore this country.

I participated in many outstanding activities such as the Ha Giang Loop, Phong Nha cave tour, and Ha Long cruise. The average prices I encountered ranged as follows:

• Ha Giang Loop (3-4 days): about 180 – 250 USD (~4.5 – 6.2 million VND)
• Phong Nha cave tour: about 25 – 40 USD (~600,000 – 1.0 million VND)
• Ha Long Bay cruise (2 days 1 night): about 60 – 120 USD (~1.5 – 3.0 million VND)

Ha Giang Loop alone is the most expensive but also the most valuable experience of my entire trip. I joined a 4-day tour, including motorbike, gasoline, food, homestay, and tour guide, for a total cost of about 200 USD (~5 million VND).

What I realized is that with just a few more tours like that, daily budget Vietnam backpacking can double, but in return are experiences that are almost impossible to have if just traveling on your own.

#5. Hidden costs when traveling to Vietnam

In addition to main expenses such as food, accommodation, or experience tours, my backpacking Vietnam budget also recognizes that there are many small costs that add up quite significantly over time, especially when traveling for a long time, like 3-4 weeks.

Some of the most common ones I’ve come across include:

• SIM/eSIM: about 5 – 15 USD (120,000 – 375,000 VND), I usually buy it as soon as I arrive in Vietnam to use Google Maps, Grab, and book a car, almost mandatory for every trip.
• Laundry: about 1 – 3 USD/time (25,000 – 75,000 VND), because when backpacking, you have to do laundry quite often, calculating the whole month into a significant amount.
• Visa (if needed): about 25 USD (600,000 VND), depending on nationality, you can apply for an e-visa online quite simply, but it is a mandatory cost.
• Coffee, drinks, snacks: about 1 – 5 USD/day (25,000 – 125,000 VND), this is the “hidden” amount I spend the most because I drink coffee almost every day and buy drinks on the go.

These amounts don’t look like much at first glance, but if calculated over nearly a month, they can amount to 50 – 150 USD (~1.2 – 3.7 million VND). This is also the reason why many backpackers “slightly broke their budget” even though their main expenses are still cheap. Vietnam mainly uses cash, cards are only used in large places.

Many tourists also often ask if can I use my visa debit card in Vietnam, the answer is yes, but it is not always as convenient as cash.

Is Vietnam backpacking budget really cheap?

After my trip through Vietnam, I found Vietnam to be one of the cheapest destinations for backpackers. On average, I spend about 20 – 40 USD/day (500,000 – 1,000,000 VND), some days it’s only 15 USD but some days it’s 50+ USD if I go on tour.

If you only ask how much budget for vietnam trip, the answer is that 20 USD a day is enough, but quite economical. How much budget for Vietnam trip depends on the schedule, but this amount is enough to stay at a hostel, eat street food, take a Grab or bus, and drink simple coffee. However, if you go to Ha Giang Loop or Ha Long, it will exceed your budget quite quickly.

From my experience and the backpackers I met along the way:

• 15 – 25 USD/day (about 375,000 – 625,000 VND): super economical, stay in a dorm, eat street food, basic transportation, almost don’t go on many tours
• 25 – 50 USD/day (about 625,000 – 1,250,000 VND): the most “comfortable” level, with better accommodation and the ability to participate in tours and fully experience
• 50+ USD/day (1,250,000 VND or more): flashpacker style, lots of tours, private room, more comfortable travel

In fact, I find that most international backpackers I meet with backpacking Vietnam budgets are around 25 – 40 USD/day, which is the most reasonable to have fun and not stretch the budget too much. And most importantly, Vietnam is not only cheap but also one of the countries that offers the most experiences for backpackers, from mountains, forests, beaches, caves, to culture and street food.

Conclusion

Vietnam is one of the most affordable backpacking destinations, where you can completely experience it with a backpacking Vietnam budget of only 20-30 USD/day. The most important thing is not how much you spend, but how you choose to experience your journey in this country.