“Vietnam is one of the cheapest destinations in Asia,” writes Will Hatton at The Broke Backpacker. But be careful: it’s possible to go a little out of control, “especially when the currency makes you feel like a millionaire.” As a general rule, says Travel Happy, “you’ll be able to travel around Vietnam as a backpacker on a budget of $40 to $50 per day,” and for “a comfortable mid-range experience,” budget $60-$100 per day -- “this gives you enough to pay for a comfortable three to four star hotel room, eat in mid-range to high-end restaurants and visit most activities and attractions.”
Getting around is incredibly inexpensive. “Renting a bike is ludicrously cheap (bike rental in Hoi An costs just $1 a day!),” says Amy Woodyatt at the Budget Traveller, and local buses between cities and towns “cost next to nothing, although don’t expect the journey to be comfortable.” The national bus service -- sometimes known as the “chicken bus” -- has great links throughout Vietnam, even into some of the more remote areas. “For as little as $1 a ticket, I’d happily sit next to a chicken for a few hours,” Will Hatton at The Broke Backpacker. And a lot of Vietnamese cities are also “very walkable” (Hanoi in particular), notes Woodyat.
Entrance fees to museums and historical sites are very reasonable, “since they need to be affordable for locals as well,” explains Matthew Pike at The Culture Trip. “You can get into the most popular spots in the country -- Imperial City in Hue, Temple of Literature in Hanoi, War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City -- for just a few dollars.”