Price comparison
The same 29 everyday buys in Vietnam and Thailand, from a coffee to an airport taxi: what locals pay, what tourist spots charge, and where your money goes further.
The numbers that decide a trip, in one table. Money in USD, the local price underneath.
What locals pay in Vietnam and Thailand, item by item. Shown in USD at one daily rate so the two sides compare, with the local price underneath. Differences under 3% count as about the same.
25 of the 29 items cost less in Vietnam.
Bottled, convenience store
Vietnam: ≈ $0.19 – $0.39 ₫5,000 – ₫10,000 Thailand: ≈ $0.21 – $0.45 ฿7 – ฿15 Cafe or street vendor
Vietnam: ≈ $0.58 – $2.30 ₫15,000 – ₫60,000 Thailand: ≈ $1.20 – $2.40 ฿40 – ฿80 Draft, at bar or restaurant
Vietnam: ≈ $0.19 – $2.30 ₫5,000 – ₫60,000 Thailand: ≈ $1.80 – $3.60 ฿60 – ฿120 Tourist area, main course
Vietnam: ≈ $3.10 – $9.60 ₫80,000 – ₫250,000 Thailand: ≈ $4.50 – $12 ฿150 – ฿400 Local market or stand
Vietnam: ≈ $0.77 – $3.10 ₫20,000 – ₫80,000 Thailand: ≈ $1.20 – $2.40 ฿40 – ฿80 Mixed drink, bar
Vietnam: ≈ $3.10 – $5.80 ₫80,000 – ₫150,000 Thailand: ≈ $4.50 – $8.90 ฿150 – ฿300 House wine, restaurant
Vietnam: ≈ $6 – $13 ₫150,000 – ₫350,000 Thailand: ≈ $18 – $30 ฿600 – ฿1,000 Cafe or street stall
Vietnam: ≈ $0.39 – $1.90 ₫10,000 – ₫50,000 Thailand: ≈ $1.20 – $2.10 ฿40 – ฿70 Standard route
Vietnam: ≈ $10 – $15 ₫250,000 – ₫400,000 Thailand: ≈ $9 – $15 ฿300 – ฿500 Metered or typical fare
Vietnam: ≈ $0.58 – $1.30 ₫15,000 – ₫35,000 Thailand: ≈ $1 – $1.30 ฿35 – ฿45 Single ride
Vietnam: ≈ $0.27 – $0.46 ₫7,000 – ₫12,000 Thailand: ≈ $0.51 – $1.90 ฿17 – ฿65 Grab / Bolt / Uber
Vietnam: ≈ $1.90 – $3.90 ₫50,000 – ₫100,000 Thailand: ≈ $1.50 – $6 ฿50 – ฿200 Tourist shop
Vietnam: ≈ $0.39 – $1.20 ₫10,000 – ₫30,000 Thailand: ≈ $0.75 – $2.40 ฿25 – ฿80 Tourist shop
Vietnam: ≈ $3.10 – $5.80 ₫80,000 – ₫150,000 Thailand: ≈ $3 – $6 ฿100 – ฿200 Ceramics, textiles, etc.
Vietnam: ≈ $4 – $12 ₫100,000 – ₫300,000 Thailand: ≈ $6 – $15 ฿200 – ฿500 Data package
Vietnam: ≈ $6 – $12 ₫150,000 – ₫300,000 Thailand: ≈ $9 – $21 ฿299 – ฿699 Pharmacy or shop
Vietnam: ≈ $5 – $7.70 ₫130,000 – ₫200,000 Thailand: ≈ $4.50 – $8.90 ฿150 – ฿300 Supermarket
Vietnam: ≈ $0.35 – $0.58 ₫9,000 – ₫15,000 Thailand: ≈ $0.30 – $0.60 ฿10 – ฿20 Pack of 20
Vietnam: ≈ $0.96 – $1.50 ₫25,000 – ₫40,000 Thailand: ≈ $3 – $4.20 ฿100 – ฿140 Pack of 20 tablets
Vietnam: ≈ $0.39 – $1.20 ₫10,000 – ₫30,000 Thailand: ≈ $0.75 – $1.50 ฿25 – ฿50 Spray or lotion
Vietnam: ≈ $1.20 – $3.10 ₫30,000 – ₫80,000 Thailand: ≈ $1 – $4.80 ฿35 – ฿160 Local barbershop
Vietnam: ≈ $1.20 – $2.70 ₫30,000 – ₫70,000 Thailand: ≈ $3 – $6 ฿100 – ฿200 Laundry service
Vietnam: ≈ $0.58 – $1.90 ₫15,000 – ₫50,000 Thailand: ≈ $1.20 – $3 ฿40 – ฿100 Standard full-body massage
Vietnam: ≈ $5.78 – $11.56 ₫150,000 – ₫300,000 Thailand: ≈ $5.96 – $11.92 ฿200 – ฿400 Basic cut, salon
Vietnam: ≈ $3.90 – $9.60 ₫100,000 – ₫250,000 Thailand: ≈ $6 – $12 ฿200 – ฿400 Entrance ticket
Vietnam: ≈ $1.20 – $7.70 ₫30,000 – ₫200,000 Thailand: ≈ $3 – $8.90 ฿100 – ฿300 Organized excursion
Vietnam: ≈ $23 – $39 ₫600,000 – ₫1,000,000 Thailand: ≈ $36 – $75 ฿1,200 – ฿2,500 Organized excursion 6-8h
Vietnam: ≈ $19 – $39 ₫500,000 – ₫1,000,000 Thailand: ≈ $39 – $89 ฿1,300 – ฿3,000 Local cuisine cooking class
Vietnam: ≈ $15 – $31 ₫400,000 – ₫800,000 Thailand: ≈ $27 – $48 ฿900 – ฿1,600 Tourist prices are about 3.1× the fair price in Vietnam and 3.0× in Thailand, close to even.
Vietnam 11th highest of 60
Thailand 15th highest of 60
What is expected in each country, so you neither stiff anyone nor overpay.
Vietnam Tipping is not obligatory but increasingly expected in tourist areas, leave 20,000-50,000 VND at restaurants. Motorbike taxi (xe om) and cyclo drivers appreciate rounding up the fare.
Thailand Round up the bill or leave 20-50 THB in restaurants. Massage therapists expect 50-100 THB tip.
No. In Vietnam you pay about 33% less than in Thailand at fair prices. TruePrice Index: Vietnam 47, Thailand 70 (100 is the median of the 60 countries I track). 25 of the 29 items cost less in Vietnam.
A week is cheaper in Vietnam: about $92 at fair prices, against $130 in Thailand. That covers two meals, a coffee, water, a beer, two transit rides and a short taxi ride a day. Flights and accommodation are not included. At tourist-trap prices the same week runs about $275 in Vietnam and $535 in Thailand.
In Vietnam: food and drinks cost about 31% less there on average. A restaurant meal costs $3.10 – $9.60 in Vietnam and $4.50 – $12 in Thailand, street food $0.77 – $3.10 and $1.20 – $2.40.
Tourist prices are about 3.1× the fair price in Vietnam and 3.0× in Thailand, close to even. The biggest gaps in Vietnam: fridge magnet (5.3×), painkillers (5.3×), and local handcraft (5.0×). The biggest gaps in Thailand: restaurant meal (5.6×), city taxi 1 km (5.6×), and laundry (5.4×).
Where these numbers come from, and how the comparison works.
How to cite
TruePrice, Vietnam vs Thailand, October 2026, truepriceapp.com/en/compare/vietnam-vs-thailand/
Spotted a price that looks off? Email me at [email protected] and I will check it.
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