How much does seafood cost at Nha Trang's market?

Chợ Đầm (Nha Trang Market) is where locals buy seafood — and where tourists get nervous about being overcharged. With the right knowledge, you’ll eat like a king for half the restaurant price.

Current seafood prices (per kg)

Lobster (tôm hùm):

• Small (300–400g): 800,000–900,000 VND/kg
• Medium (500–600g): 1,000,000–1,100,000 VND/kg
• Large (700g+): 1,200,000+ VND/kg

Shrimp:

• Tiger shrimp (tôm sú, 10–15/kg): 250,000–350,000 VND/kg
• King prawn (tôm hùm đất): 150,000–200,000 VND/kg
• White shrimp (tôm thẻ): 120,000–180,000 VND/kg

Crab:

• Mud crab (cua đồng): 300,000–400,000 VND/kg
• Blue crab (cua biển): 400,000–500,000 VND/kg
• Soft-shell crab (cua lột): 500,000–600,000 VND/kg

Squid & Octopus:

• Fresh squid (mực tươi): 150,000–200,000 VND/kg
• Cuttlefish (mực ống): 180,000–250,000 VND/kg
• Octopus (bạch tuộc): 200,000–300,000 VND/kg

Shellfish:

• Clams (nghêu): 50,000–80,000 VND/kg
• Oysters (hàu): 100,000–150,000 VND/kg
• Mussels (hến): 60,000–90,000 VND/kg
• Scallops (sò điệp): 200,000–300,000 VND/kg

Fish (cá biển):

• Mackerel (cá thu): 80,000–120,000 VND/kg
• Grouper (cá mú): 150,000–250,000 VND/kg
• Snapper (cá hồng): 120,000–180,000 VND/kg
• Pomfret (cá chim): 200,000–350,000 VND/kg

How Chợ Đầm works

Ground floor: Fresh seafood vendors. You select, they weigh, you pay cash. Most vendors speak minimal English — learn numbers or use a calculator.

Upper floor: Restaurants that cook your purchase. Choose your preparation method, pay the cooking fee, wait 15–30 minutes.

The process:

1. Walk the ground floor, compare prices (don’t buy at the first stall)
2. Select your seafood, confirm price per kg
3. Watch them weigh (some vendors add hidden weight)
4. Pay and get a receipt
5. Take seafood upstairs to a restaurant
6. Choose cooking method and confirm fee
7. Wait for your food
8. Pay cooking fee + any extra dishes (rice, vegetables)

Cooking fees (phí chế biến)

By method:

• Steamed with lemongrass/ginger: 50,000 VND/kg
• Grilled with salt/pepper: 70,000 VND/kg
• Grilled with chili butter: 80,000 VND/kg
• Stir-fried with vegetables: 80,000 VND/kg
• Hotpot (lẩu): 100,000 VND/kg
• Tamarind shrimp (tôm rang me): 90,000 VND/kg

By restaurant tier:

• Basic stalls (plastic chairs, no AC): 50,000–70,000 VND/kg
• Mid-range (tables, fans): 70,000–90,000 VND/kg
• Upscale (AC, proper seating): 90,000–120,000 VND/kg

How to avoid being overcharged

Before buying:

• Ask “bao nhiêu một ký?” (how much per kg?) before touching anything
• Compare prices at 3–4 stalls — they’re all within 50 meters
• Learn Vietnamese numbers or use a calculator app
• Avoid vendors who say “market price” — walk away

During weighing:

• Watch the scale closely
• Some vendors press down on the scale or add extra items
• Ask them to re-weigh if suspicious
• Note: 1 kg = 2.2 lbs — don’t confuse units

Cooking upstairs:

• Confirm cooking fee per kg before sitting
• Ask if fee is per kg or per dish
• Some restaurants charge extra for sauces or sides
• Rice is usually 10,000–20,000 VND per bowl

Sample budget for two people

Budget meal:

• 1 kg clams (60,000 VND) + steaming fee (50,000 VND)
• 1 kg squid (180,000 VND) + grilling fee (70,000 VND)
• Rice (20,000 VND)
• Total: 380,000 VND (~$15 USD)

Mid-range meal:

• 1 kg tiger shrimp (300,000 VND) + stir-fry fee (80,000 VND)
• 1 kg crab (400,000 VND) + steaming fee (50,000 VND)
• 0.5 kg lobster (500,000 VND) + grilling fee (40,000 VND)
• Rice, vegetables (50,000 VND)
• Total: 1,420,000 VND (~$57 USD)

Feast:

• 2 kg lobster (2,400,000 VND) + various cooking fees (200,000 VND)
• 1 kg king prawn (200,000 VND) + grilling (70,000 VND)
• 1 kg scallops (250,000 VND) + steaming (50,000 VND)
• Rice, beer, vegetables (150,000 VND)
• Total: 3,320,000 VND (~$133 USD)

When to go

Best time: 7am–9am (freshest catch, best prices) or 4pm–6pm (afternoon catch, locals shopping for dinner).

Avoid: Noon (11am–2pm) — seafood has been sitting in heat, prices are higher.

Days: Daily, but weekends are more crowded. Vendors are less willing to negotiate on weekends.

The verdict

Chợ Đầm is where you eat like a local — cheap, fresh, and authentic. But it requires confidence and basic Vietnamese.

Best for: Adventurous eaters, budget travelers, groups wanting a feast. Skip if: You need English menus, AC comfort, or can’t handle market chaos.