When starting to plan your holiday, one of the first questions you might have thought of is: how much money I can spend on this trip? We totally understand that concern, so here are top budget-friendly cities in Vietnam for the most fun at the lowest cost possible.
Budget-friendly Cities in Vietnam – Interesting Places to Explore Without Hurting Your Pocket
According to the Backpacker Index made by Priceoftravel, among 137 top cities for traveling all over the world, Vietnam has three names placed in top 10 most “low-cost” one: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hoi An. With the figures recalculated by daily exchange rates, the costs for a day discovering these cities are, respectively, about US$ 18.25, US$ 19.43, and US$21.16, which helps them rank at 1st, 2nd, and 7th position.
The reason partly comes from living expense. The three cities are all major cities in Vietnam, but the costs of living here are much lower compared to many big ones in the country and around the world.
| New York | London | Seoul | Bangkok | |
| Hanoi | 74.25% | 66.63% | 53.46% | 37.15% |
| Ho Chi Minh | 72.77% | 64.71% | 54.65% | 33.54% |
How lower the costs of living in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – the two biggest cities in Vietnam – are compared to several places in the world (According to Numbeo.com)
Although money is a factor worth serious consideration, traveling is also about experience and exploration. Fortunately, a vacation at these budget-friendly cities in Vietnam has a myriad of other appealing sides besides their affordability.
Ho Chi Minh City – A Metropolitan City That Never Sleeps
Ho Chi Minh City, or formerly known as Saigon, is an open city for everyone. This metropolitan of endless fun caters for both affordable and luxurious experience.
Even in the center like District 1, many hotels cost only from US$10/night for one person. If you are lucky enough, you can find even better deals! Check out our suggestions for Budget Hostels in Ho Chi Minh City to save some money.
This place is also a heaven for food lovers. Not only does it have numerous dishes from almost all provinces of the country, but it also offers them at surprisingly inexpensive prices. Hop on a food tour and you can easily find a Banh Mi (not the one in Subway) at around US$ 1 or a bowl of Pho from US$ 2 – US$ 2.5. A glass of Vietnamese Coffee would cost you about US$ 0.5 – US$ 1.5 depending on where you have it. Overall, a complete meal here is less or almost equal to your cup of Starbucks!
Read also: How Much Money I Need for Ho Chi Minh
Banh Mi – a good choice for an economical trip
There are countless entertaining destinations in Ho Chi Minh City, so you have a long list of Free Things to Do in Saigon to Visit Saigon On A Budget. Famous sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office, or Thien Hau Temple are signature places you can pay a visit without spending a penny for an entrance fee.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Central Post Office
Thien Hau Temple
When the night comes, and you might want to visit the Backpackers’ District to have an unforgettable night, a bottle of beer would take you around US$ 1 only.
Check out our private motorbike tours with professional local guides
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Hanoi – A Place to Slow Down
The capital city of Vietnam is an ideal destination for you to discover layers of Vietnamese history, culture, and cuisine.
The costs in all categories here are not so different from ones of Ho Chi Minh City: from around US$ 10 for a night in a hostel and no more than US$ 5 for a standard meal. Being a motherland of many Vietnamese dishes, Hanoi is where you can try their very original tastes, not to mention that some of these dishes are hardly found anywhere beyond this thousand-year-old land. See more Must-try Specialties in Hanoi.
Bun Dau Mam Tom, a specialty of Hanoi
Hanoi is famous for a large number of historical attractions. Some are free, some cost from US$ 0.5 to less than US$ 2, and all of them carry a great deal of knowledge about Vietnamese ups and downs.
Temple of Literature – one of the oldest historical sites in Hanoi
Hoi An – A City with Some Rural Vibes
In comparison to the two cities above, Hoi An is considerably smaller. Therefore, most tourists choose to travel here from Danang and come back on the same day or stay for one night. Expenses for homestays and hotels here are from US$ 10, very affordable for a tourism city.
The Old Quarter is a destination that everyone stops by when visiting Hoi An. You can enjoy the antique atmosphere here for free, but if you would love to know more about the cultural constructions, you can buy a ticket of VND 120,000 (about US$ 5.2) to explore some of them.
When the sun goes down is also the time for colorful lanterns at Hoi An Old Quarter to light up.
A meal in Hoi An would be less costly than busier cities on average, but around the area of crowder Old Quarter, a serving can still cost up to US$ 3.5.
Summary of Budget-friendly Cities in Vietnam for Traveling
If you take a look at Vietnam Travel Guides, you would see that this is an ideal stop for a cost-effective vacation. Some of the budget-friendly cities in Vietnam are Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Hoi An. They will surprise you with their hidden gem as well as the reasonable expense you need to pay for a wonderful time.
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