Out of the 66 countries we have traveled so far, nowhere has our money gone as far as it has in Vietnam! If you stay here too long it would be easy to pack on the pounds because food and drink are about as cheap as it gets, and good too!
Here is my Vietnam fatten you up diet plan:
Breakfast:
Bowl of Chicken Pho – $.50 (10,000 Dong) A common Vietnamese breakfast is a chicken and noodle based soup, topped with fresh herbs and vegetables. You can find a bowl of this Vietnamese classic street side or at a local place for less than a coffee at home.
Fresh donut – $.25 (5,000 Dong) nice little ladies will fry you up a fresh pastry street side, topped with sugar, coconut, or banana.
Lunch:
Banh Mi sandwich: $1 (20,000 Dong) this Vietnamese classic has a unique twist in every city you visit in Hoi An the fluffy baguettes were filled with pork pate, a fried egg, cilantro, basil, mint, pickled vegetables, and topped off with a chili BBQ dressing that work incredibly well together.
Related Article: Things to do in Hanoi
Mid-afternoon second lunch: $1.25 a plate full of white rose, the Hoi An specialty soft rice flour wrapper stuffed with pork, onions, and spices.
Happy hour:
(yes, in this diet plan happy hour is considered a meal)
5 Bai Hoi – Vietnamese beers: $0.50 (10,000 Dong) yes 5 beers, why? Well, why not when they are $.10 each! Locally brewed and to be enjoyed with food, the golden beer has a flavor of its own, and I actually preferred it to most bottles beers in the country. It’s likely done in a lager style, without a lot of hops, however, the yeast gives a nice hint of warm fruity flavors (coming from the yeast) similar to some German or Belgian beers. Now I am not saying it will stack up against beers from these countries, but it wasn’t bad for the price.
Related Post: Things To Do In Hoi An
Dinner:
A big bowl of Cao Lau: $1 (20,000 dong) this dish is specific to Hoi An and the noodles are the star of this soup. The wide and thick cut wheat based noodles are cooked to where they are still slightly chewy and are reason alone for some to head to Hoi An. Alongside the noodles sits pork, crispy fried pork skins, traditional Vietnamese herbs like cilantro, basil, and mint. Everything comes to your bowl separate and you can mix it to your taste, it’s technically a soup but is generally served with less than a quarter of a bowlful of broth (it’s mostly about the noodles!)
Related Article: The Best Vietnam Destinations
Second Happy hour:
5 more beers $0.50 (10,000 Dong) yes, 5 more beers you can’t go to bed on an empty stomach!
There are a few things we don’t miss about Vietnam, but the food is one of the things we will really miss!
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Sounds so appealing! I went on a 2-week Vietnam Food Tour last summer and it was amazing. The food is insanely cheap, right? Back in the States, with $5, you could only go to Mc Donalds 😂. During my trip, I also tried many kinds of their rolls. Healthier options and still taste absolutely delicious. Besides, every kind of Vietnamese noodles (Pho, Bun, Mien) definitely worth a try. Oh gosh, I want to come back to Vietnam so bad.
I usually drank fresh beer in Vietnam for 3000 to 5000 dong and ate banh mis for 10,000 dong 😉
That all sounds so amazing right now!
Great post!! The Pho was simply the best. Do you guys have a post on anything about living in Vietnam, more specifically on accommodation??Awesome site!!
Keep up the good work
Sorry we don’t we never lived in Vietnam, we spent a month traveling around Vietnam. We booked all of our hotels online while we were in the country. Let us know if you have any other questions. Safe travels.
I like that diet plan! It looks delicious!
It was VERY delicious!
Wow. We haven’t even tried Vietnamese sweet donut holes. Who knew?! Fried dough is probably everywhere though.
Really never heard of them? Fried dough is everywhere you are right!
Oh I just love Vietnamese food, especially pho! Even more so, I love cheap food! Looks like I need to be visiting Vietnam ASAP!!
Cheers,
Lexie
Vietnam is home to the best CHEAP food you can find. Get to Vietnam ASAP!
Anyone who considers beer a meal is worth listening to. 😉 Although I’m not quite sure about that combination in the Banh Mi sandwich!
Love it! I wasn’t a fan of the pate on the Banh me I preferred the shredded chicken version at the expensive cafe but it still was only $1.50 so a steal to me!
Whoa chicken pho for 50 cents?! I’m so there! Looks so yum
AMAZING, and 50 cents you have to have 2 bowls!
Yes! The food was so amazing in Vietnam, and such wonderful fresh flavours. Probably one of my favourite countries for food. And that bia hoi was fantastic, and so so ridiculously cheap.
I would say the food in Southern Vietnam is pretty close to my love for Thai food but then I keep thinking about Mexican food. I think I just love food! Cheap food is even better
I can’t get over how delicious and cheap the food in Vietnam is. Seriously, Cao Lau is one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. And Bia Hoi? Tasty and CHEAP. If this post doesn’t convince people to go to Vietnam, I don’t know what will! 🙂
I’ve always wanted to visit Vietnam as I love the vietnamese food here in the States, but this makes me want to visit even more!
Rob the Vietnamese food in the states is pretty tasty BUT nothing compared to having it in Vietnam. You must come try it here for yourself, trust me!
We couldn’t stop eating in Vietnam because everything was so cheap and tasty! The bia hoi you can’t say no to, it just keeps flowing there.
That is some cheap food and beers. 😀 . The cheapest country I have been to so far is probably right now, where we are in Guatemala. But it’s not that cheap.
My girlfriend and I are going home to Europe and after that we are planning to travel to Asia or South America. The costs of living is a huge plus for us in Asia. 😀
Guatemala, jealous! Guatemala is cheap and is #1 or 2 favorite countries for us. We are headed to Europe this summer,not looking forward to the expense of eating out there… Asia is super cheap, and tasty!