How much money do I need per day in Saigon?
Budget travelers (hostel dorm, street food, public transport) spend 400,000–650,000 VND per day. Mid-range (private guesthouse, sit-down meals, Grab) runs 1,000,000–1,800,000 VND. A comfortable day with a good hotel, restaurants, and activities costs 2,500,000–4,000,000 VND. Saigon is significantly cheaper than Bangkok at comparable comfort levels.
Saigon is affordable by international standards and genuinely cheap if you eat where locals eat. The range between a bare-bones budget day and a comfortable mid-range day is wide — but predictable once you understand where the costs sit.
Budget breakdown by tier (per person, per day)
| Category | Budget | Mid-range | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | 150–250k (dorm) | 400–700k (private room) | 1–1.8M (3-star hotel) |
| Food (3 meals) | 80–150k | 250–500k | 600k–1.2M |
| Transport (Grab/xe ôm) | 40–80k | 150–300k | 300–600k |
| Drinks/coffee | 30–60k | 80–150k | 150–400k |
| Activities/entry | 0–40k | 40–150k | 100–400k |
| Daily total | 400–600k VND | 1–1.8M VND | 2.5–4M VND |
| In USD | $16–24 | $40–72 | $100–160 |
What each tier looks like in practice
Budget (400,000–650,000 VND): Hostel dorm bed, street food for every meal (phở, bún bò, bánh mì), GrabBike for transport, free or low-cost sights (walking Nguyễn Huệ, sitting in parks). Realistic for solo travelers who are comfortable with street food and shared bathrooms.
Mid-range (1,000,000–1,800,000 VND): Private room in a guesthouse or budget hotel, mix of street food and sit-down local restaurants, GrabCar for most transport, one museum or activity per day. This is the standard for most independent travelers.
Comfortable (2,500,000–4,000,000 VND): 3-star hotel with breakfast, meals at proper restaurants (not tourist pricing), GrabCar, at least one paid activity daily, and regular coffee shop visits. Not luxury — just comfortable without counting.
Where Saigon is expensive
Premium accommodation jumps significantly at the 4–5 star level — Sofitel, Park Hyatt, and similar properties start at 3,500,000 VND per night.
Alcohol in tourist bars is proportionally expensive relative to everything else. A cocktail on Bùi Viện costs 80,000–150,000 VND; imported beer 60,000–100,000 VND. Vietnamese beer (bia hơi, Saigon lager) at local spots is 15,000–25,000 VND.
Day trip tours are the largest single-day costs. A Cu Chi day tour (400,000–700,000 VND) or Mekong Delta tour (500,000–1,800,000 VND) meaningfully shifts a day’s budget upward.
Useful daily cost benchmarks (2026)
- Grab within District 1: 25,000–55,000 VND
- Local lunch (cơm tấm or bún bò): 40,000–55,000 VND
- Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá): 25,000–40,000 VND
- Beer at a local quán: 15,000–25,000 VND
- 1.5L water bottle: 10,000–15,000 VND
For cash and ATM strategy, see should I use cash or credit cards in Vietnam? and are ATMs safe to use in Saigon? For food costs specifically, see how much should I budget for food in Saigon?.