I Spent $88 for 10 Days in This Very Affordable Country
I’ve been keeping track of how much I spend on my trips for a while now and this is the one place I was the most surprised and proud of spending wise. I first found myself free housing and then kept things simple since it was my second time back in this country. This very affordable breakdown covers how much I spent on accommodation, transportation and food while I traveled around…Vietnam.
The Coast of Accommodation in Vietnam
You’ll be able to find places on a hostel and mid range budget very easily in Vietnam. Hostels usually start at around $4 per night, while mid-range hotels start at around $9 per night.
I was determined to find free housing for this portion of my Asia trip. I ended up finding everything through Couchsurfing. It was the second time I used this resource and was so glad I decided to use it again. For those of you who are unaware of what Couchsurfing is, it is a “hospitality exchange service by which users can request homestays or interact with other people who are interested in travel”. I was able to travel around Vietnam and stay with several families and individuals who were kind enough to open their homes for me. Thanks to them I was able to experience more of Vietnam’s culture through a locals perspective, which is what I am constantly seeking throughout my travels.
My first stay in Vietnam was at an English school in Ho Chi Minh. In exchange for the stay, I had to teach English to kids for a few hours a day. Their rooms were similar to a hostel. I would say this is very unique compared to the other stays. The place was called Jackma Homestay.
After that I went to Can Tho. I stayed with a local family, a daughter about my age and her parents. I met the daughter when I first got there but never saw her or anyone else after that! I even had my own room in their house. I wish I was able to talk more with this family but the daughter said they were going to be very busy during my stay.
After that, I went to Phan Thiet where I stayed with another family, a son about my age and his parents. I was supposed to arrive mid day via bus but ended up not arriving until 2am! The son spoke some English so thankfully I was able to communicate with him about the delay. I kept on texting him to see if he was still awake because I was so nervous that he would fall asleep before I arrived. I remember walking for 30 mins after I arrived, all by myself at 2am, through this random neighborhood in hopes that he would answer when I told him I was at the front door. I was so thankful that he stayed up for me! Even though I was so tired on my first day with them, I had a great chat with the parents thanks to our translator, the son. The mom was so nice and giving. We shared some snacks and then she gave me a Chinese new year letter with money in it for good luck. Little did we know the pandemic was going to affect everyone in less than a few weeks…… Although that was very nice, my favorite part of the stay was when the son offered to show me around their town on his motorbike.
On my final night I went back to Jackma Homestay in Ho Chi Minh.
Chinese New Years Letter from my host mom
The Cost of Transportation in Vietnam
Getting around in Vietnam was fairly easy because I stayed with locals and had them help me figure out how to get to my next destination. I traveled by bus between the larger cities and used the app, Grab, to get motor taxi’s for short rides in the large cities. I would recommend checking online beforehand too. I always read what other current blogs say and double check with the locals, hotel staff, or workers at the bus station. Remember to download google translate and download the countries language ahead of time just in case you have to ask questions.
The fare for short rides in the main area (District 1) are usually less than $1 USD. For bus rides, you can book your ticket online through Baolau or 12go.asia.
The main form of transportation within the country is definitely through motorbike. Instead of waving one down, I would recommend using the app, Grab. This way they are held accountable if they use the wrong route or take you to a different part of town. If you’re skilled enough, you can rent a motorbike yourself for cheap. I met some people who bought one during their stay and easily sold it when they left. Drive safe if you decide to!
The Cost of Food in Vietnam
I think my favorite thing to do in Vietnam was eat. Some of the most popular options to get are Pho, Banh Mi, Bun Bo Nam Bo (Beef on Rice Noodles), and Egg Coffee. During my first trip in Vietnam, there were so many restaurants I wanted to go to but didn’t have enough time so I decided to go to 7 places in a row and get something small at each place. I think I spent less than $10 total for that experience and was so full (and satisfied) that I remember having to go back to my hotel to lay down for a while. I’d 100% recommend doing the same.
The average cost of pho in Vietnam is $1 - $1.65 USD.
Some of my favorite places in Ho Chi Minh:
Little Hanoi Egg Coffee (Yersin)
Bun thit nuong chi tuyen
Bot chien dat thanh
Banh Trang Ton Sach Co Thao
Vit quay Quoc Ky
Some of my favorite places in Hanoi:
Xoi Yen
Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan
Banh Mi 25
Why I Went to These Places in Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh is Vietnam’s largest city. Go there for the food, hustle and bustle, culture shock, and architecture. Can Tho is where you go to see the Mekong Delta. Although I had an Instagram vs reality moment (check out my Instagram why), I still had a great time. Phan Thiet is most famous for its red and white sand dunes. Unfortunately a lot of things started to close when I was there because of the pandemic.
During my first trip to Vietnam, I went to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay.
How Much Does it Cost to Travel in Vietnam
The moment you’ve been waiting for. Below is the breakdown of each day AND how much I spent on accommodation, food and transportation:
Day 1: 12k bus, 6k bus, 7k bus, 40k food = $2.78
Day 2: 7k bus, 70k lunch, 91k coffee, 8k tofu, 30k banh mi, 7k bus = $9.15
Day 3: 40k soup, 40k coffee, 20k coconut, 30k sugar juice, 50k vermicelli, 8k water, 5k bus, 30k smoothie = $9.38
Day 4: 10k ice cream, 6k bus, 29 coffee, 25k salad, 20k fruit, 41k dinner, 24k pork bun, 25k desert = $7.75
Day 5: 20k banh mi, 145k bus, 9k egg tart, 30k soup, 22k motor bike, 6k bread, 8k sugar drink = $10.33
Day 6: 5k breakfast, 15k banh mi, 30k taxi, 13k OJ, 300k bus, 40k taxi, 35k pork rice, 40k pho = $20.58
Day 7: 8k fruit, 25k noodles, 20k smoothie, 54k bakery = $4.60
Day 8: 140k bus, 47k banh mi, 7k bus = $8.35
Day 9: 10k ice cream, 67k soup, 55k egg coffee, 5k bun, $2.70 USD train = $8.58
Day 10: $1.20 USD ice cream, $3.50 USD duck, $2.70 USD train = $7.40
Total for 10 days in Vietnam: $88.90
Breakdown:
Accommodation: $0
Transportation: $18.64
Food: $70.26
Amount spent PER DAY in Vietnam: $8.89
Is Vietnam on your list now? Let me know in the comments below!
