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Saigon food, shopping and prices — the quick planner for 2026

A quick-answer hub: what a day costs, what to eat first and where, and which market and mall to pick. Fast answers here, with each topic covered in depth in its own guide.

Updated 16 July 20264 min read

Night street-food market at Ben Thanh in Ho Chi Minh City — street eats and the Saigon vibe — The night street-food market by Ben Thanh — Vietnamese cuisine at its evening-Saigon best

This is an overview hub. Short answers to "what to eat, where to shop, what it costs" live here. Each topic goes deep in its own guide: food and restaurants, shopping, prices. For the city itself — districts, transport, sights — see the full Ho Chi Minh City guide.

In short: what a day costs

Ho Chi Minh City is one of the priciest cities in Vietnam, yet still cheap by world standards. A bowl of pho at a street café runs about $2, a metro ride $0.30–0.80, a coffee $1.20. Stick to street food and buses and a day fits into $20–25; mid-range comfort lands around $50–80.

Quick reference

Prices in the city, 2026

Pho at a street café — 50,000 VND (~$2)

Coffee — 30,000 VND (~$1.20)

Beer at a bar — 40,000 VND (~$1.60)

Metro ride — 7,000–20,000 VND (~$0.30–0.80), by distance

3★ hotel per night — 500,000 VND (~$20)

Prices below are in dong — roughly 26,000 VND = $1, so knock off three zeros and divide by 26 for a quick estimate. The full cost breakdown, with trip and monthly budgets, is in the Ho Chi Minh City prices guide.

Cash vs card: markets and street stalls are cash-only, so keep small VND notes for bargaining. Malls and mid-range restaurants take Visa and Mastercard, though a foreign card may add a fee. ATM withdrawal limits and per-withdrawal fees vary by bank, so check them before you take out cash.

A green boulevard in Ho Chi Minh City — a Vinasun taxi, motorbikes and shops under the trees — An ordinary Saigon street: a Vinasun taxi, a flow of motorbikes and shops in the shade

Food: three dishes to start, and where

Ho Chi Minh City puts the whole country on one plate: northern pho, central bun bo hue, southern com tam, French-legacy banh mi and coffee. If you don't have time to eat your way through the menu, start with three dishes.

Where to start

Three Saigon dishes

Pho — rice-noodle soup with beef, 50,000–80,000 VND (~$2–3)

Banh mi — a crusty stuffed baguette, 30,000–50,000 VND (~$1.20–2)

Com tam — Saigon's signature broken rice with pork ribs, 50,000–100,000 VND (~$2–4)

A few reliable addresses to save you the research: for banh mi, Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa (there's always a queue, but it moves fast); for pho, Pho Phuong; for every region at once, Quan An Ngon. And order your coffee cà phê sữa đá — iced, with condensed milk, brewed through a phin filter.

The full picture — the top dishes, street food by district, restaurants from Michelin to home cooking, coffee culture and a food budget — is in the food and restaurants guide.

Vietnamese chicken pho ga — rice noodles with herbs, bean sprouts and chilli — Pho — the dish most people start their Vietnamese food journey with

Getting set up in Vietnam?

Visa fast-track, housing rentals, tours — our manager sorts it out for you, in English.

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A row of split banh mi baguettes with cilantro, pickled carrot and red onion — Banh mi is built to order: baguette, pâté, cold cuts, pickled carrot and cilantro

Shopping: one market, one mall

For shopping, Ho Chi Minh City is the best in the country: street markets where you bargain for everything sit next to luxury malls. To keep it simple, remember one landmark for each format.

Where to go

Your default market and mall

Ben Thanh — the landmark market for souvenirs and atmosphere. Bargain: prices run 2–3× high

Binh Tay in Chinatown — fair prices, no tourist markup

Saigon Centre (Takashimaya) for luxury; AEON Mall for mass-market

The usual things to take home are coffee (from 50,000 VND / ~$2), spices, silk and a custom-tailored ao dai. The full rundown — every market and mall, what to buy, how to bargain and how to claim the VAT refund — is in the shopping guide.

The clock tower of Ben Thanh Market with its Chợ Bến Thành sign — Ben Thanh — the market that symbolises the city, in its current building since 1914. Photo: Terrazzo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Our serviceAbout the service

Fast Track — no queue at the border

5–10 minutes instead of an hour in the immigration queue

AirportsNha Trang · Da Nang · Hanoi · Ho Chi Minh · Phu Quoc

from$11per passenger

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A sample daily budget

Three scenarios for one person, from counting every dong to not counting at all. Lodging, food, transport and the small stuff are already included.

BudgetHostel, street food, buses$20–25

Mid-range3★ hotel, cafés and restaurants, Grab$50–80

Comfortable4–5★ hotel, restaurants, tours$100–150

From here, go by topic: food and restaurants, shopping, and the full price breakdown with trip and monthly budgets.

Before you go: visas depend on your passport. Citizens of the UK, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea and 18 EU countries get 45 days visa-free. Most others, including US, Australian and Canadian travellers, apply for the e-visa at the official evisa.gov.vn (up to 90 days, $25 single entry or $50 multiple entry). Full rules — visa guide. Grab a local SIM or eSIM on arrival at the airport; bring your passport to register it (SIM and eSIM guide).

Saigon food, shopping and prices — the quick planner for 2026

In short: what a day costs

Food: three dishes to start, and where

Getting set up in Vietnam?

Shopping: one market, one mall

Fast Track — no queue at the border

A sample daily budget

Ho Chi Minh City Prices 2026: How Much a Trip Costs

Ho Chi Minh City Reviews 2026: Is Saigon Worth It?

Ho Chi Minh City Transport 2026: Getting Around