March 25th, 2010 
cbrodzky Just about everything in Vietnam is really cheap: food, clothes, drinks, doctor and dentist visits, and hookers (not that I would know). Here is what my spending habits for a typical day in Vietnam looks like.
MORNING:
Egg sandwich – $5,000 VND = about $.25 USD
Coffee – $4,000 VND = about $.20 USD
AFTERNOON:
Vegetarian food with rice or noodles – $9,000 VND = about $.50 USD
Yogurt – $18,000 VND = about $1.00 USD
EVENING:
Fried chicken, rice, vegetables, and tofu – $50,000 VND = about $2.50 USD
Chocolate drink and another coffee – $40,000 VND = about $2.00 USD
OTHER INCIDENTAL COSTS:
Bus to Saigon – $80,000 = about $5.00 USD
Hour-long massage – $325,000 = about $10.00 USD
GRAND TOTAL: approximately $10.00 USD a day is needed to live in Vietnam. This cost will of course rise if you decide to eat at the tourist spots downtown or drink excessively, which does happen on occasion. This cost also doesn’t include traveling costs such as airfare, hotel and local attractions.
