Money & Currency
The Vietnamese dong, cards vs cash, ATMs and fees, Wise/Revolut, exchanging money and a daily budget. Updated for 2026.
Updated: March 2026
Key numbers
The money basics in Vietnam: the dong, the rate, the fees, and what a day costs.
25,000 ₫ ≈ $1Approx. dong-to-dollar rate (floating)
500,000 ₫Largest banknote (~$20)
~1.1–3.3%Typical bank-ATM withdrawal fee
$30–70 / dayTypical mid-range daily budget
Vietnamese dong banknotes
Six main polymer notes are in circulation, and every one carries Ho Chi Minh’s portrait.
| Denomination | Colour | ≈ in USD |
|---|---|---|
| 500,000 ₫ | Blue | ~$20 |
| 200,000 ₫ | Brown | ~$8 |
| 100,000 ₫ | Green | ~$4 |
| 50,000 ₫ | Pink | ~$2 |
| 20,000 ₫ | Blue | ~$0.80 |
| 10,000 ₫ | Brown | ~$0.40 |
Mental-math tip
Drop 3 zeros from a dong amount and multiply by ~0.04 to get the rough price in USD. Example: 150,000 ₫ → 150 × 0.04 = ~$6. Or just remember 25,000 ₫ ≈ $1. Watch the blue 20,000 and 500,000 notes — they look alike, so check the number.Where to change money
Exchange options ranked from best to worst. The gap between first and last can be up to 9% lost to fees and rates.
1
Wise / RevolutNear-interbank FX, popular with travellers
~0%2
Banks (Vietcombank, BIDV)Best cash rate, passport required
−0.1–0.3%3
Bank ATMs (VND withdrawal)Convenient, but ATM fee + home-bank fee
−1.1–3.3%4
Licensed exchange officesHandy, rate slightly below banks
−0.4%5
Hotels & guesthousesConvenient, but poor rate
−3.5%6
Airport countersWorst rate, only in a pinch
−4–9%Decree 340/2025
Since February 2026, exchanging currency at jewellery shops is banned. Fines run 10–20,000,000 VND. Change money only at banks and licensed exchange offices.How to pay
The four ways you’ll actually pay in Vietnam, from tap-to-pay to a cash backup.
Cards — Visa & Mastercard
- 1Contactless Visa/Mastercard is accepted in malls, mid- and upper-range restaurants, and hotels.
- 2Many small vendors, markets and street-food stalls are cash only — always keep VND on you.
- 3At the terminal, always choose to be charged in VND, not your home currency (see the DCC trap below).
- 4Amex is rarely accepted — bring a Visa or Mastercard as your main card.
ATMs — withdrawing VND
- 1Use bank ATMs: Vietcombank, BIDV, ACB, Techcombank.
- 2Expect a local ATM fee of roughly 1.1–3.3%, plus any foreign-transaction fee from your home bank.
- 3Withdrawal limits are often low (2–3,000,000 VND); TPBank and some others allow higher amounts.
- 4Always pick “charged in VND” — declining the ATM’s own currency conversion saves 3–7%.
Multi-currency cards — Wise & Revolut
- 1Both give near-interbank exchange rates and are popular with travellers.
- 2Top up in your home currency, then spend or withdraw in VND.
- 3Great for card payments; still carry cash for street vendors.
- 4Check each card’s monthly fee-free ATM allowance before you rely on it.
Cash USD
- 1Bring some clean, undamaged USD — $50 and $100 notes get the best rate.
- 2Exchange at a bank (Vietcombank, BIDV) — best rate, passport required.
- 3Small notes ($1–20) are exchanged at a slightly worse rate.
- 4Gold- and jewellery-shop exchange is being restricted (Feb 2026) — use banks and licensed offices.
Daily budget
Three spending tiers, from hostels and street food up to air-conditioned comfort.
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | $5–12 | $20–40 | $60–120 |
| Food | $6–10 | $12–25 | $30–60 |
| Transport | $1–4 | $4–8 | $8–20 |
| Activities | $0–4 | $4–12 | $12–35 |
| Total per day | ~$20 | ~$60 | ~$150 |
Typical prices
Ballpark prices in dong, so you know what things actually cost here.
Food
Pho (soup)40,000–70,000 ₫
Banh mi (sandwich)20,000–45,000 ₫
Iced coffee20,000–35,000 ₫
Beer (bottle)15,000–25,000 ₫
Restaurant dinner150,000–300,000 ₫
Transport
Grab bike (5 km)15,000–25,000 ₫
Grab car (5 km)30,000–50,000 ₫
Motorbike rental / day100,000–150,000 ₫
Services
Massage (60 min)150,000–300,000 ₫
SIM card100,000–200,000 ₫
Laundry (1 kg)20,000–30,000 ₫
Money mistakes
Five common mistakes that cost travellers money in Vietnam.
Relying on a single card
- 1ATMs go offline and cards get blocked for “suspicious” foreign use.
- 2Carry at least two cards from different networks or banks.
- 3Keep some cash — both USD and VND — as a backup.
Accepting dynamic currency conversion (DCC)
- 1At terminals and ATMs you’ll be offered to pay in your home currency — decline it.
- 2DCC bakes in a poor exchange rate and costs 3–7%.
- 3Always choose to be charged in VND.
Using airport exchange counters
- 1Airport rates are 4–9% worse than banks in town.
- 2Change only a small amount ($20–50) for a taxi and SIM, then do the rest in the city.
- 3Better still, pay by card or withdraw VND from an ATM in the terminal.
Not carrying enough cash for street vendors
- 1Markets, street food and small cafes are cash only.
- 2Keep small VND notes (10k–50k) for everyday spending.
- 3Break large 500k notes at supermarkets or chains — vendors rarely have change.
Confusing the 20K and 500K notes
- 1Both are blue polymer notes — the 500,000 is darker.
- 2Check the denomination whenever you get change.
- 3Sort notes by value into different wallet slots.
Currency import & export rules
Vietnam’s customs rules on carrying cash in and out.
The rules
- Foreign currency — no limit on how much you can bring in
- A declaration is required for $5,000 or more
- VND — up to 15,000,000 ₫ can be brought in
- Taking VND out — declare amounts over 15,000,000 ₫
- Keep your declaration to take the currency back out