Vietnam Travel Cost 2026: A Printable Daily Budget Sheet in VND and USD
This printable Vietnam travel cost sheet for 2026 gives you the fill-in rows, the benchmark VND and USD prices, and a worked 14-day north-to-south example totalling USD 705–885 per person. Print it before booking, price each day, and compare your total against the low, mid, and comfort tiers.
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At a glance
- Best time
- Outside central Vietnam's September to November monsoon; avoid Tet on 17 February 2026, when surcharges run 20–50%
- How long
- 14 days in the worked example; the sheet adds one row per day
- Budget
- USD 705–885 per person for 14 days, excluding flights
- Getting there
- Enter your own flight quote; e-visa at evisa.gov.vn, USD 25 single-entry or USD 50 multiple-entry
- Language
- Vietnamese; the sheet carries VND and USD columns side by side
- Currency
- Vietnamese dong (VND); early 2026 rate about 26,300 VND = USD 1
Before you print: what the Vietnam travel cost sheet needs from you
Four details fix the whole Vietnam travel cost sheet before you print it: your e-visa approval date, the VND rate you will use, the SIM price, and a locked day count. Leave any of them blank and every daily row becomes a guess instead of a price.
Apply for the e-visa at evisa.gov.vn before you fill in a single row, because approval sets the start date of your first daily row. The fee is USD 25 single-entry or USD 50 multiple-entry as of early 2026, and you should check it on the site the day you apply. The fee can change without warning, and a slow approval pushes your whole day count back. The 14-day example excludes flights, which is where vietnam travel cost from your departure country diverges most.
Next, write down the rate you will use. The early 2026 benchmark is 26,300 VND = USD 1, and your bank or card rate will land within a percent or two of it. Copy that number into the box at the top of the sheet, because every vietnam travel cost per day figure in your daily rows comes from it. Buy the SIM before you start filling anything in and record 120,000 to 250,000 VND (USD 5 to 10) under fixed costs, not in a daily row. A SIM is one purchase, not a per-day expense, and putting it in the wrong block inflates your daily average.
Flights, travel insurance, and any pre-booked tours belong in the fixed-cost block too. Pull the confirmation emails together now so you write real numbers rather than estimates, and keep those items out of the daily rows or you will count them twice. Then fix the day count. The worked example uses 14 days north to south along Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City, with internal transport at USD 80 to 120, and every day gets exactly one row. If your trip runs 10 days or 21, change the row count before printing. While filling it in, round each day up to the nearest 50,000 VND so the totals stay clean.
1.Passport and e-visa status
The e-visa costs USD 25 single-entry or USD 50 multiple-entry as of early 2026. Check the fee on evisa.gov.vn on the day you apply, since it is the one line on the sheet that can change without notice.
2.Your bank's VND rate for today
Copy it into the box at the top of the sheet. Every USD figure in your daily rows comes from this number.
3.Flight, insurance, and tour confirmations
These are fixed costs. Keep them out of the daily rows or you will count them twice.
4.A day count and a rough route
The example route runs Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, then Ho Chi Minh City. Change the order if you like; the sheet only needs one row per day.
How to fill the Vietnam travel cost sheet, step by step
Start by writing 26,300 VND = USD 1 on the rate line at the top of the sheet. That early 2026 rate is your baseline; replace it with your bank's rate on the day you fill the sheet. Work top to bottom: exchange rate, fixed costs, daily rows, column totals. Each USD figure depends on the rate above it. If you skip the rate line, you will convert in your head and lose track of what each day costs.
Fill the fixed-cost block first. E-visa fees are USD 25 single-entry or USD 50 multiple-entry, and a SIM costs 120,000 to 250,000 VND. Add insurance, pre-booked tours, and flights if you want them in your total. This takes about ten minutes. The common mistake is including flights here and then comparing your total against the worked example, which excludes flights. Next, give each day its own row: date, city, accommodation, food, transport, activities, notes. Travel days count. For a 14-day trip, expect about 45 minutes at three minutes per row. Bundling two or three days into one row hides where your vietnam travel cost spikes.
Use both the VND and USD columns on every row. Filling only one side hides conversion mistakes. Before you total anything, round each day up to the nearest 50,000 VND. That buffer absorbs the small purchases you forget to log. Finally, total each column and compare against low, mid, and comfort tiers. The example for 14 days north to south shows fixed costs of USD 35 (visa plus SIM), daily budget USD 35 to 45 (USD 490 to 630), internal transport USD 80 to 120, and activities USD 100, for a total of USD 705 to 885 per person excluding flights. Totaling takes five minutes. The error here is mixing rounded and unrounded rows, which makes your total inconsistent. Round every day before you add.
Set the exchange rate line at the top
Write 26,300 VND = USD 1 as your starting point, then replace it with your bank's rate on the day you fill the sheet. This takes two minutes. The common mistake is using an airport counter rate, which pulls every USD figure on the page out of line with what you will actually pay.
Fill the fixed-cost block first
E-visa at USD 25 single-entry or USD 50 multiple-entry, SIM at 120,000 to 250,000 VND, insurance, pre-booked tours, and flights if you are entering your own quote. Budget about ten minutes. If you leave flights out here, do not compare your total against the worked example, which also excludes them.
Write one row per day: date, city, accommodation, food, transport, activities, notes
Roughly three minutes per row, so about 45 minutes for a 14-day trip. The usual error is bundling several days into one row, which hides spikes in your spending. Include travel days. Fill both the VND and USD columns on every row so conversion mistakes show up immediately.
Total each column last
After every row is written and rounded up to the nearest 50,000 VND, add the daily, food, transport, activities, and fixed-cost columns. This takes five minutes. Compare the total against the worked example: fixed costs USD 35, daily USD 490 to 630, internal transport USD 80 to 120, activities USD 100, total USD 705 to 885 per person excluding flights. If you mix rounded and unrounded rows, your total will not match the example.
2026 benchmark prices for Vietnam travel cost per day
Copy the VND column straight into your daily rows and use the USD column only when you total each column at the end. The rate to fix on the sheet is 26,300 VND = USD 1, the early 2026 figure. One rate for the whole trip stops your totals drifting when the bank rate moves mid-route.
Ranges are wide because Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City sit at the top and smaller towns at the bottom. A hostel dorm runs 150,000 to 250,000 VND (USD 6 to 10) a night, a budget hotel 400,000 to 700,000 VND (USD 15 to 27), a midrange hotel 900,000 to 1,500,000 VND (USD 34 to 57). Food and local transport sit in a tighter band: a street meal is 30,000 to 70,000 VND (USD 1.10 to 2.70), a local beer 15,000 to 30,000 VND (USD 0.60 to 1.10), and a short Grab bike trip 15,000 to 30,000 VND (USD 0.60 to 1.10).
For moves between cities, an intercity sleeper bus is 300,000 to 600,000 VND (USD 11 to 23), and a train soft seat from Hanoi to Da Nang is 400,000 to 700,000 VND (USD 15 to 27). Activities are the most flexible line on the sheet: a museum entry is 40,000 to 100,000 VND (USD 1.50 to 4), while a Ha Long day cruise is 600,000 to 1,200,000 VND (USD 23 to 46). Round each day up to the nearest 50,000 VND so small purchases stay inside your vietnam travel cost per day figure instead of pushing past it.
Before you book anything, check the e-visa fee (USD 25 single-entry or USD 50 multiple-entry at evisa.gov.vn), the exchange rate, and operator prices against date-stamped 2026 sources. Tet falls on 17 February 2026, and 20 to 50% surcharges plus transport sellouts land on the same rows you are filling in. If a quote sits well above the range here, ask the operator what changed instead of padding the rest of the sheet to match it.
| Item | VND | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm, per night | 150,000–250,000 | 6–10 |
| Budget hotel, per night | 400,000–700,000 | 15–27 |
| Midrange hotel, per night | 900,000–1,500,000 | 34–57 |
| Street meal | 30,000–70,000 | 1.10–2.70 |
| Local beer | 15,000–30,000 | 0.60–1.10 |
| Grab bike, short trip | 15,000–30,000 | 0.60–1.10 |
| Intercity sleeper bus | 300,000–600,000 | 11–23 |
| Train soft seat, Hanoi to Da Nang | 400,000–700,000 | 15–27 |
| Museum entry | 40,000–100,000 | 1.50–4 |
| Ha Long day cruise | 600,000–1,200,000 | 23–46 |
Worked example: 14-day north-to-south Vietnam travel cost per person
The finished sheet for a 14-day north-to-south run lands at USD 705 to 885 per person, before international flights. That figure splits into four blocks: USD 35 of fixed costs, USD 490 to 630 of daily spending, USD 80 to 120 of internal transport, and about USD 100 of activities. Everything is priced at early 2026 rates, where 26,300 VND equals USD 1.
Fixed costs are the shortest column. A single-entry e-visa is USD 25 and a local SIM runs USD 10, which is 120,000 to 250,000 VND depending on data bundle. Together that is USD 35. The daily rows carry the weight. At USD 35 to 45 per day, 14 days totals USD 490 to 630. That daily rate covers a hostel dorm at 150,000 to 250,000 VND or a budget hotel at 400,000 to 700,000 VND, street meals at 30,000 to 70,000 VND, beer at 15,000 to 30,000 VND, and Grab bike hops at 15,000 to 30,000 VND. Round each day up to the nearest 50,000 VND before you total the column, which absorbs an extra coffee or temple ticket.
Internal transport from Hanoi to Hue to Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City costs USD 80 to 120. Sleeper buses on the individual legs run 300,000 to 600,000 VND, and the train soft seat from Hanoi to Da Nang is 400,000 to 700,000 VND. Activities add roughly USD 100: museum entries at 40,000 to 100,000 VND each, plus one Ha Long day cruise at 600,000 to 1,200,000 VND. A mid-tier boat can take a third of that line on its own.
The total excludes international flights, so airfare sits as a separate row. Booking around Tet on 17 February 2026 means 20 to 50% surcharges and transport sellouts. Central Vietnam's monsoon runs September to November. Confirm the e-visa fee at evisa.gov.vn and check your bank's exchange rate on the day you fill the sheet.
| Category | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| E-visa, single entry | USD 25 | Verify the current fee at evisa.gov.vn |
| SIM card | USD 10 | Local SIMs sell for 120,000–250,000 VND |
| Fixed costs subtotal | USD 35 | |
| Daily budget, 14 days | USD 490–630 | USD 35–45 per day |
| Internal transport, Hanoi–Hue–Hoi An–Ho Chi Minh City | USD 80–120 | Sleeper bus 300,000–600,000 VND; train soft seat Hanoi to Da Nang 400,000–700,000 VND |
| Activities | USD 100 | Museum entries and a Ha Long day cruise, 600,000–1,200,000 VND |
| Total per person | USD 705–885 | Excludes international flights |
Enter the fixed costs
E-visa USD 25 single entry plus SIM USD 10 (120,000–250,000 VND) gives a USD 35 subtotal. Takes about 10 minutes. If the fee has changed, check evisa.gov.vn first; the published fee is what you pay.
Fill 14 daily rows and round up
Budget USD 35–45 per day for accommodation, food, and local transport. Rounding each day to the nearest 50,000 VND takes about 15 minutes and adds a small buffer. Underestimating food in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City is the usual error.
Add internal transport
Allow USD 80–120 for Hanoi–Hue–Hoi An–Ho Chi Minh City using sleeper buses (300,000–600,000 VND) and the train soft seat Hanoi to Da Nang (400,000–700,000 VND). Booking takes 30 minutes; Tet dates sell out.
Add activities and total the sheet
About USD 100 covers museum entries (40,000–100,000 VND) and a Ha Long day cruise (600,000–1,200,000 VND). Total is USD 705–885 per person. International flights are not included, so add airfare as the final row.
Reading your total against low, mid, and comfort tiers
Your Vietnam travel cost tiers describe the same route at three spending levels, not three different trips. Check your daily average against the choices you entered, not against the example total. That example, a 14-day north-to-south run, comes to USD 705 to 885 per person excluding flights: USD 35 fixed costs (USD 25 visa plus USD 10 SIM), a USD 35 to 45 daily budget worth USD 490 to 630 over 14 days, USD 80 to 120 internal transport, USD 100 activities.
Accommodation usually pushes a day into the next tier. A midrange room at 900,000 to 1,500,000 VND is USD 34 to 57 at 26,300 VND = USD 1. One night at the top of that range passes the top of the USD 35 to 45 daily budget before you buy a meal. If most nights on your sheet are midrange, you are pricing a comfort trip, even when breakfast is a 30,000 to 70,000 VND street meal.
Mixing tiers is normal, and the sheet should show it. Budget hotels at 400,000 to 700,000 VND plus one bigger splurge is a common pattern: a Ha Long day cruise at 600,000 to 1,200,000 VND (USD 23 to 46) puts a full day's spending in a single line. Give each expensive day its own row instead of smoothing it across the trip, or the average will hide what you booked.
If your daily average comes out under USD 35, check that you entered accommodation at all. A dorm bed at 150,000 to 250,000 VND, street meals at 30,000 to 70,000 VND and Grab bike hops at 15,000 to 30,000 VND do sit below the bottom of the range, so a low number can be real. A blank accommodation column is the more likely explanation. Round each day up to the nearest 50,000 VND, and add 20 to 50% if your dates cross Tet on 17 February 2026.
1.Low
Dorm bed at 150,000-250,000 VND, street meals at 30,000-70,000 VND, Grab bikes for short hops, sleeper buses between cities. This sits at or below the bottom of the USD 35-45 daily range.
2.Mid
Budget hotel at 400,000-700,000 VND, a mix of street food and restaurants, trains instead of buses on the long legs, one paid activity most days.
3.Comfort
Midrange hotel at 900,000-1,500,000 VND, taxis or private cars instead of Grab bikes, several cruises and guided days. This runs above the USD 45 mark and needs its own daily rate at the top of the sheet.
Timing traps: Tet 2026 and the central Vietnam monsoon
Timing traps: Tet 2026 and the central Vietnam monsoon
Tet 2026 falls on 17 February, and that single date can raise the Vietnam travel cost you penciled in months earlier by 20-50%. Accommodation and transport surcharges run around the holiday, not only on the day itself. If your printable sheet has fixed daily rows, this is the first place it breaks. Whether Tet surcharges have normalised after 2025 is an open question, so build the 20-50% range into your sheet. Mark the date before you print.
Intercity buses and trains sell out over Tet, so the benchmark fares in your table will not be available at short notice. The sleeper bus range of 300,000-600,000 VND (USD 11-23) and the train soft seat Hanoi to Da Nang at 400,000-700,000 VND (USD 15-27) assume advance booking. Leave booking to the same week and you are looking at sold-out services or higher-priced alternatives. Lock any Tet-week transport before you finalize daily rows.
Central Vietnam's monsoon runs September to November. The rain affects what you can do more than what you pay, unless you rebook. A museum entry at 40,000-100,000 VND (USD 1.50-4) may close, or your operator may swap it, and replacement activities can push the day above your planned total. Keep two flexible days in the central leg if you travel in those months. That buffer matters even if your daily row looked balanced before the trip.
Prices also vary sharply between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and smaller towns. A sheet built on capital-city rates overstates a week elsewhere. Build separate rows for big cities and smaller towns, then compare each column against your low, mid, and comfort tiers. A 14-day example total of USD 705-885 per person excluding flights is useful as a baseline, but it assumes no Tet surcharge and no monsoon rebooking. Check both dates before you print.
| Timing trap | Key dates | Effect on your Vietnam travel cost | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tet 2026 | 17 February 2026 | Accommodation and transport surcharges run 20-50%; intercity buses and trains sell out | Lock Tet-week transport and rooms before finalizing daily rows |
| Central Vietnam monsoon | September to November | Affects activities more than prices unless you rebook; replacement activities can push the day above plan | Keep two flexible days in the central leg if travel falls in these months |
| City vs small-town pricing | Any travel date | Capital-city rates overstate a week elsewhere; prices vary sharply between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and smaller towns | Build separate rows for big cities and smaller towns before comparing low, mid, and comfort tiers |
Adjusting Vietnam travel cost from India, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
The printable sheet prices the ground, not the flight, so the fixed-cost block at the top is the only part that changes with your departure city. A street meal costs 30,000 to 70,000 VND (USD 1.10 to 2.70) and a Grab bike short trip 15,000 to 30,000 VND (USD 0.60 to 1.10) whether you land from different departure cities. Vietnam travel cost per day on the ground lands in the same range for every passport, which is why the template keeps its columns in VND.
The e-visa sits in that fixed-cost block at USD 25 single-entry or USD 50 multiple-entry, the same fee regardless of where you fly from. Confirm the fee and your eligibility at evisa.gov.vn before you pay, since that site publishes the current rate. Add your SIM at 120,000 to 250,000 VND (USD 5 to 10), travel insurance, and any pre-booked tours to the same block.
Flights are the largest single variable and the sheet does not estimate them. Enter your own booking quote on the day you buy, in the currency you paid. Then write 26,300 VND = USD 1 at the top of the page
| Cost line | Changes with your origin? | Where to get your number |
|---|---|---|
| E-visa, single-entry | No: USD 25 | evisa.gov.vn |
| E-visa, multiple-entry | No: USD 50 | evisa.gov.vn |
| SIM | No: 120,000–250,000 VND (USD 5–10) | Airport or city carrier shop |
| Accommodation, food, transport, entries | No: VND rates, e.g. budget hotel 400,000–700,000 VND (USD 15–27) | Your own daily rows |
| Flights | Yes: varies by origin | Your own booking quote on the day you buy |
Gather the prerequisites
You need your passport, a screenshot of the current fee at evisa.gov.vn, your flight booking quote, and your bank's VND rate. Costs nothing and takes about 20 minutes. Skip this and you will fill the sheet with stale numbers.
Write the exchange rate line first
Put 26,300 VND = USD 1 at the top of the page, the early 2026 rate. This takes one minute. Using a rate from an older trip throws every VND column off.
Fill the fixed-cost block
E-visa USD 25 single-entry or USD 50 multiple-entry, SIM 120,000–250,000 VND (USD 5–10), travel insurance, and pre-booked tours. Budget 10 minutes. Visa fees and eligibility rules change, so verify at evisa.gov.vn rather than trusting an old blog post.
Enter your flight quote
Write the exact price you paid on the day you bought. Allow five minutes. The sheet never estimates airfare, and any placeholder you guess here will misstate the whole trip.
Fill the daily rows
One row per date with city, accommodation, food, transport, activities, and notes. Round each day up to the nearest 50,000 VND. Ten minutes a day. Underestimating transport is the usual error, since intercity sleeper buses run 300,000–600,000 VND (USD 11–23).
Collapse accommodation rows for a couple
One shared budget hotel room at 400,000–700,000 VND (USD 15–27) covers two people. Double only food, transport, and activities. Two minutes. Duplicating the room charge inflates the total and hides your real per-person figure.
Total each column and compare tiers
Add the columns, then check against the 14-day example: USD 705–885 per person excluding flights. Five minutes. If your total falls outside that band, the gap is almost always flights, Tet surcharges, or a midrange hotel at 900,000–1,500,000 VND (USD 34–57).
Frequently asked questions
That figure covers the e-visa and SIM, USD 35–45 a day, internal transport between Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City, and about USD 100 of activities. It does not include international flights. If you sleep in midrange hotels at 900,000–1,500,000 VND a night, your total will sit above the top of that range.
Keep both. Enter the VND price you were quoted, then convert at your bank's rate. The early 2026 benchmark is 26,300 VND = USD 1, but your card and bank will differ slightly. Filling both columns is how conversion errors show up before you travel.
Tet falls on 17 February 2026. Expect surcharges of 20–50% on accommodation and transport, and expect intercity buses and trains to sell out. Add a surcharge line to the fixed-cost block if any part of your trip overlaps the holiday.
Yes. The sheet treats the e-visa as a fixed line at USD 25 single-entry or USD 50 multiple-entry, which you confirm at evisa.gov.vn, and everything on the ground is quoted in dong and costs the same for every visitor. Your flight price is the one line you enter yourself from your own booking.
Travel details change — opening hours, prices, and schedules can vary by season. Please verify current information on official websites before your visit.
Sources
- vietnamcoracle.com — Primary source
- travelfish.org — From research brief
- thepoortraveler.net — From research brief
- alongdustyroads.com — From research brief
- vietnam.travel — From research brief
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About the author
Đặng Nhật Linh
Travel News & Money Editor
Nhật Linh curates Vietpeep's travel news and money guides — visa changes, transport updates, seasonal events, and how far your money goes. She writes for travelers who want current, practical answers without the fluff.
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