Cash per day in Vietnam?

I planned for 600-900k VND/day depending on the city. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, I spent more on cafes, entrance tickets (like Hoa Lo Prison or War Remnants Museum), and the occasional cocktail. But in places like Ninh Binh or Phong Nha, daily expenses dropped under 500k. Transport is super cheap local buses are 10-30k, Grab rides 20-50k. I tipped hotel staff or tour guides when service was great, usually 50k-100k. I always had 1-1.5 million VND in my day wallet and kept my backup card (Wise Visa) and some USD in my hostel locker just in case.

I traveled solo through Da Nang, Hoi An, and Hue and aimed for 700,000 VND/day ( about $28). That gave me enough flexibility for nicer meals, entry to historical sites like the Imperial City, and transport via Grab or bike rental. Meals ranged from 30k for street food to 150k for a sit-down dinner. I tipped a little at nicer cafes and when taking guided tours (usually 20-50k). I used my Monzo card for accommodation and big payments, and cash for everything else. I usually withdrew about 3 million VND every 4 days and kept only what I needed for that day in my pocket around 600k VND.

I was in Vietnam for 4 weeks and budgeted 800,000 VND (about $32) per day, which covered food, buses, tips, SIM card top-ups, and occasional attractions like entrance to temples or museums. I mostly stayed in hostels and ate local. In rural areas like Ha Giang and the Mekong Delta, I carried slightly more cash since cards were almost useless and even some small towns didn’t have working ATMs. My advice: carry enough for 2-3 days in cash (around 2-2.5 million VND), and hide a backup stash in your luggage. Most locals don’t expect big tips, but rounding up 5-10k for helpful service is appreciated.

I spent a month backpacking from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and found that carrying around 500,000 to 1 million VND per day (roughly $20-$40 USD) in cash was comfortable for food, local transport, tips, and small purchases. Most meals at local spots like bun cha or pho stalls cost 40-60k VND. A GrabBike across town was usually under 25k, and bottled water or iced coffee was under 20k. I kept my Visa card for larger expenses like tours or hotels. I’d withdraw 2-3 million VND every few days from a TPBank ATM (no fee!) and spread the cash across my daypack and wallet.