Vietnam UNFILTERED: The Cost of Everything from Coffee to Scooters!

You've probably heard that Vietnam is a cheap country! It's TRUE, and we're here to prove it in this article!

When we arrived in Da Nang, we were a little disappointed by the prices – we expected lower living costs. This is because prices here are adjusted for tourism, so it's essential to read this article to know where to shop and, even more importantly, where NOT to shop!

In this article, you'll find DETAILED PRICE Boards for basic groceries, rent, SIM cards, taxis, hotels, scooters, and other essentials in various parts of Da Nang, Vietnam. And if you read to the end, we'll reveal a valuable secret!

Be prepared to pay in cash in Vietnam – card payments are only accepted in malls, small supermarkets, and tourist restaurants.

If your expense is under 1,000 VND, kiss it goodbye. Such small change doesn't exist here, so if you're paying 99,850 VND, you'll end up paying 100,000 VND.

Receipts aren't very popular here. You'll only get them in tourist restaurants, supermarkets, or shopping centers.

Vietnam has its own currency – the Vietnamese dong (VND) – 1 € = approx. 27,000 VND. From our own experience, we know that at first, everything might seem expensive.

We tried every way to shop in Vietnam (except for online shopping).

Basic groceries 

Method 1: The largest and most comprehensive selection of products can be found in shopping malls. We go shopping at GO! Da Nang, where there is a huge supermarket with groceries, cosmetics, and other essential household items. A large grocery shopping that lasts us (just the two of us) about 1 week to 1.5 weeks can be done here for around 25€. This is the most comfortable and quickest way to shop (you don't have to negotiate prices). The shopping mall also has ATMs, sports stores, a children's play area, KFC, a tea shop, jewelry stores, etc. 

Method 2: Shopping at markets may not be for everyone; for some, it can be outside their comfort zone. Most things at the markets are at a more advantageous price, but you have to navigate narrow alleys, deal with the offers of sellers trying to sell you their products, and push your way through crowds of people. 

You can find almost everything here; however, we do not recommend buying meat or other products that should be kept cold. We have no personal experience with this, and we also don't have the courage to try it. At the market, you can find various crazy foods, including dried crickets, worms, or crabs. We mainly buy vegetables at the market, as they are very cheap and safe compared to other stores. Besides vegetables, it is also advantageous to buy fruits, rice, or phone covers here. You can also find various household items – mops, pots, rags, towels, or clothing.

Make sure to try various specialties at favorable prices. We have eaten at the market several times and have not experienced any digestive issues. You will likely encounter various unpleasant but harmless animals, such as rats or cockroaches, at the market. They are mainly found near the trash bins. These areas can always be avoided.

As for bargaining, it is very confusing for us. At the largest market in Da Nang - Con Market, we bargained on prices several times; however, at the markets near our apartment, no one wanted to negotiate with us. The best approach is to show the seller that you have no more money, so it is wise to carry different denominations of money and keep them in various places. So far, we have managed to bargain the price of 150,000 (flip-flops) down to 100,000, 60,000 (oysters) down to 50,000, and even negotiated our rent from 5.8 million to 5.2 million, of course, not at the market.

Method 3: Shopping in small shops. Just like in our country, small shops have a much smaller selection, but their advantage is that they are often open 24/7, making them a last rescue.

Let's distinguish between two types of these small shops.

1. There are shops located directly on the ground floor of a residential space, meaning you are shopping directly at someone's home. They have a shop in the front and a bed or kitchen in the back. Here, there is often very little merchandise, but if the seller has the item you need, it will definitely be cheaper than in the second type of shop that we will discuss later. We buy 20 liters of water this way since this shop is just 20 meters from our apartment, and the jerrycan is very heavy. We write more about water in our article: Vietnam - Da Nang and the Crazy Life in Asia! In this shop, we even get a discount! Since this mini-business is aware of the high competition in the immediate vicinity, they regularly give us discounts on their goods.

2. The second type of the small shops are almost everywhere, and many of them are open non-stop. You can find a relatively large amount of merchandise here, but the prices are slightly higher than those at the market or in shopping malls.

Dining out

Regarding dining out, it is much more accessible here than in Slovakia. The cheapest options are, of course, local restaurants run by people in their homes, where you might find yourself sitting on concrete under a makeshift shelter. You will never understand how small the chairs can be until you come to Vietnam. Read more in the article Vietnam - Da Nang and Crazy Life in Asia! 

We recommend eating at such restaurants—the food is delicious, and the service is very friendly. You can find even cheaper food at the markets. We would recommend our favorite dishes, but we usually choose food by pointing to a picture or a name, so the dish we receive is always a surprise. Eating out is not as expensive as in other countries we have visited; it doesn't differ much from the cost of food you prepare at home!

You can easily identify tourist restaurants—they resemble those in Europe. In these establishments, the prices are almost the same as in Europe.

What outraged and annoyed us the most is that many restaurants have two menus with different prices. Everything is much cheaper for locals than for us, which we consider unfair. Why should we pay more for the same food, drink, or service than the locals do? Even in Slovakia, people from countries with much higher wages than ours visit or travel, and we do not charge them more. This also explains our reluctance to negotiate with them.

Other services and products

If you are planning to stay in Da Nang, make sure to find apartment only after your arrival. If you want to know more about searching for a rental, read the article Vietnam - Da Nang and Crazy Life in Asia! or feel free to contact us on our Instagram @duotravel_monkeys.

Public transportation in Da Nang does not operate (very well), so if you don't have a scooter, you should definitely use the Grab app. You can learn more about this form of transportation in the article Vietnam - Da Nang and Crazy Life in Asia!

However, if you are coming here for a longer stay, we recommend renting or buying a bicycle or scooter. Be sure to visit several rental shops. We started with an offer of 2 million VND/month, and at the fifth rental shop we visited, we received an offer of 1 million VND/month. If you need help with renting a scooter, don't hesitate to contact us on our Instagram @duotravel_monkeys. If you are afraid of traffic, we recommend renting a bicycle; if you are not afraid, for renting a scooter, you will need an INTERNATIONAL DRIVER'S LICENSE! A deposit (2 million VND - may vary) is also required when renting, or you can leave them your passport (personally, we did not prefer this option).

If you are buying a scooter, you need to bring your passport, driver's license, and international driver's license with you. Also, ask the seller to change the oil for you, so you don't have to do it yourself, and make sure they give you the blue card because only with it will you be able to sell the scooter. The sale is arranged directly on the spot - definitely try riding the scooter for a while, check if everything works (especially listen to the engine sound). No transfer or anything like that is needed; the oil needs to be changed every two months. In Vietnam, there is zero tolerance for alcohol while driving!

Medications are also relatively cheap and accessible here. There are many medications available that we also know in Europe, so you don't have to worry about packing an enormous amount of medicines. What surprised us the most was the availability of over-the-counter antibiotics in pharmacies.

In laundromats here, they not only wash your clothes but also dry them. This service takes about 3 hours. You bring your clothes there, and three hours later, you pick them up. Laundromats at the price we mentioned are mainly located in smaller alleys, not along main roads. Often, they are once again on the ground floor of residential spaces. Laundromats on main roads may be more expensive.

Surprise at the end !

We discovered a "everything for 15,000 VND" shop, which is only 0.55 €!!!

If you've read this far, we have an amazing offer for you: a shop where you'll find a wide selection of ultra-cheap items. Here, you can buy bowls, mugs, glasses (ceramic and plastic), super glue, clothespins, perfumes, shampoos, soap, toys, lunch boxes, notebooks, cleaning rags, hygiene products, cutlery, chopsticks, and much more!!!! If you'd like to know where this shop is, message us on our Instagram @duotravel_monkeys.

Summary

If you want to save money and experience the real Vietnam and local life, avoid tourist restaurants and bars. Visit local markets, local restaurants, local rentals, local laundromats—basically, everything local!

Where you see locals, you'll experience authenticity, and at the same time, it won't empty your wallet!