Daily costs
| Typical daily cost | US$25-70 |
|---|---|
| Budget level | $ / $$ |
| Trip length | 7 - 14 days recommended |
| Region | Southeast Asia |
What things cost
Illustrative planning allowances for central Vietnam. These are not verified current prices. Replace these allowances with dated quotes before booking. Check whether each price is per person, room or vehicle.
| Guesthouse or homestay (per night, Hoi An) | VND 350,000–700,000 ($14–28) |
| Mid-range hotel or resort (per night) | VND 1,200,000–2,500,000 ($48–100) |
| Cao lau, banh mi, com ga meals | VND 30,000–80,000 ($1.20–3.20) |
| Restaurant dinner | VND 250,000–500,000 ($10–20) |
| Grab bike ride (Da Nang-Hoi An) | VND 150,000–250,000 ($6–10) |
| My Son ruins or Hai Van pass car tour | VND 700,000–1,500,000 ($28–60) |
Daily budget by travel style
| Shoestring — VND 800,000/day ($32) | Homestays, street food, motorbike or Grab, beaches and old town. |
| Comfortable — VND 1,800,000/day ($72) | Boutique hotels, restaurant meals, private drivers, tailoring and spa. |
| Upside — VND 4,000,000+/day ($160) | Beach resorts (Nam Hai-class), private guides, cooking schools, golf days. |
The page-wide figure of US$25-70 per day (at the $ / $$ level) matches the 7 - 14 days recommended. Flights are separate.
How to save money in central Vietnam
- Eat the Hoi An specials where they were invented: cao lau and banh mi at VND 30-50k are the culinary point of the trip.
- Use Grab instead of hotel-arranged cars — the Da Nang airport to Hoi An run prices 30-50% below the front desk.
- Stay in Hoi An old town side streets or An Bang beach instead of the riverfront: identical town, 20-30% less.
- Travel February-May: resort rates sit below the summer peak and the weather is the year's best.
What these figures include — and what they leave out
The daily totals on this page are on-ground costs for one person, built from the walk-up prices in the table above rather than from package quotes or sponsored rates. International flights, travel insurance, visa fees and transfers at home are never part of them, and the travel style you pick moves the answer far more than the destination does.
- Rooms: the guesthouse and hotel figures are per room, per night, in Hoi An. Da Nang prices for the same standard run 15–25% higher, and the beachfront resorts in the upside tier price per room rather than per person.
- Season sets both price and availability. February to May and the Tet week are when the riverfront boutiques sell out; in the remaining months walk-in rates are negotiable, which is where the shoestring tier earns its numbers.
- Currency: dong figures are the source of truth; the dollar conversions are indicative and drift with the exchange rate.
- Transport is cheap but not free: Grab bike rides between Da Nang and Hoi An sit in the VND 150,000–250,000 band, and a car for the Hai Van loop costs materially more — both are why the three tiers diverge faster here than the food prices suggest.
Read the three style rows as three different trips rather than three qualities of the same trip: the shoestring line buys fewer paid experiences and more walking, and the upside line buys the properties and private access that define the price band. Whichever you choose, every figure here is a 2026 planning midpoint, so confirm current prices before booking.
Related guides
Ready-made itinerary · Best time to visit · General budget tips · Full central Vietnam guide
FAQ
Is central Vietnam cheap?
Among the cheapest regions covered on this site: VND 800,000-1,800,000 ($32-72) per day covers everything from homestays to boutique hotels, and the street food is world-class at pocket change.
How much does a Hai Van pass trip cost?
By Grab or private car from Da Nang, VND 700,000-1,500,000 ($28-60) for the loop including Lang Co; motorbike rental (if licensed) runs VND 150,000-250,000 per day.
Do I need to book Hoi An hotels ahead?
February-May and the Tet week, yes. The rest of the year, walk-in rates are negotiable — but the riverfront boutiques sell out first in any season.
How much does a 10-day central Vietnam trip cost?
At the comfortable tier (VND 1,800,000 a day) ten days come to about VND 18 million, or roughly $720 at the conversions used here. The shoestring tier (VND 800,000 a day) brings the same ten days to about VND 8 million (roughly $320). Flights and insurance are excluded from both.
Should I base myself in Hoi An or Da Nang?
Hoi An is the stronger base for food, tailoring and the old town, and it is where the guesthouse prices in the table above come from. Da Nang is better if you want the beach and the airport on your doorstep, but expect to pay more per night for the equivalent standard and to add a transfer for every Hoi An evening.
How to use these budget figures
These amounts are editorial allowances rather than a survey of current prices. Confirm the currency and whether the charge is per person, room, vehicle or group. Replace accommodation and activity figures with quotes for your dates. Flights, insurance and entry costs must be budgeted separately unless explicitly included.