Da Nang is one of the cheapest coastal cities in Southeast Asia to spend a week in, and one of the easiest to overspend in, because the two economies sit on top of each other. A bowl of noodles is 35,000₫ on one street and 120,000₫ two blocks east on the beach road, and it is the same bowl.
When budgeting for a trip from abroad, consider whether you want Vietnam eVisa help alongside your transport and accommodation planning.
This page puts real numbers to a day here — not a survey average, but the prices quoted throughout our own guides, gathered into three budgets you can actually plan against.
Quick answer: a genuine backpacker day runs about 500,000–700,000₫ (US$19–27). A comfortable mid-range day is 1,200,000–2,000,000₫ (US$46–76). Above 3,500,000₫ you are into resort territory. Accommodation is the only line that changes dramatically.
Updated August 2026 · 8 min read · Local writer, Da Nang
Three budgets, one day
| Line | Backpacker | Mid-range | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | 150,000–250,000₫ (dorm/basic double) | 500,000–900,000₫ | 1,500,000–3,000,000₫ |
| Breakfast | 25,000–40,000₫ | 40,000–80,000₫ | included |
| Lunch | 30,000–50,000₫ | 60,000–120,000₫ | 150,000–300,000₫ |
| Dinner | 50,000–80,000₫ | 150,000–300,000₫ | 400,000–800,000₫ |
| Coffee ×2 | 40,000–70,000₫ | 70,000–130,000₫ | 130,000₫+ |
| Transport | 0–60,000₫ (walk/scooter share) | 100,000–250,000₫ (Grab) | 300,000₫+ |
| One activity | 0–40,000₫ | 60,000–300,000₫ | 900,000₫+ (Ba Na Hills) |
| Day total | ~500,000–700,000₫ | ~1,200,000–2,000,000₫ | 3,500,000₫+ |
Where the money actually goes
Accommodation is the whole game
Clean, air-conditioned double rooms start around 227,000₫ a night, and by 500,000₫ you are choosing between a rooftop pool, a beach-block address and breakfast. Above that you are buying finish, not function — the beach is the same beach. The detail is in our guide to cheap hotels in Da Nang, and for stays over a week serviced apartments change the maths again.
Food barely moves the total — unless you let it
Most dishes at Con Market land between 20,000 and 50,000₫. A full seafood dinner with beer at a Tho Quang shop is in the low hundreds of thousands per head. The trap is per-100g seafood pricing on the tourist strip, which is how a modest dinner becomes a two-million-dong bill — we cover exactly how that happens in how not to overpay for seafood.
Coffee
Cà phê sữa đá is 20,000–35,000₫ at a neighbourhood café and 45,000–70,000₫ at a specialty bar. Two a day is a real line in a Vietnamese budget, and the gap between the two is the easiest 100,000₫ a day to save or spend — see the coffee guide.
Getting around
| Route | Time | GrabCar |
|---|---|---|
| An Thuong → Hai Chau centre | 10–15 min | 50,000–80,000₫ |
| An Thuong → Marble Mountains | 10–15 min | 60,000–100,000₫ |
| City → Hoi An | 30–45 min | 250,000–350,000₫ |
| Scooter hire | per day | 150,000–200,000₫ |
Insight: GrabBike is roughly a third of GrabCar and is what most residents use for a short hop. If you are travelling solo and not carrying anything, it halves your transport line without any loss of comfort in the dry season.
What activities cost
| Activity | Price |
|---|---|
| My Khe Beach | Free (sunbed 30,000–50,000₫) |
| Son Tra Peninsula loop | Free |
| Hai Van Pass | Free |
| Marble Mountains | 40,000₫ + 15,000₫ lift each way |
| Am Phu Cave | 20,000₫ |
| Museum of Cham Sculpture | 60,000₫ (students 20,000₫) |
| My Son Sanctuary | 150,000₫ |
| Ba Na Hills cable car | 900,000–1,000,000₫ |
The pattern is worth noticing: almost everything that makes Da Nang distinctive — the beach, the peninsula, the pass, the pagodas — is free. The expensive items are the imported theme-park ones. A week here can be very cheap without feeling cheap.
A realistic week
Seven nights, mid-range, one person, excluding flights: roughly 9,000,000–13,000,000₫ (US$340–500). The same week at backpacker rates lands nearer 4,000,000₫; at resort level, 25,000,000₫ and up.
Common mistake: budgeting for June–July prices and travelling then anyway. Room rates in the December–January low season are close to half the summer peak — see the month-by-month guide before you fix your dates.
Frequently asked questions
Is Da Nang cheaper than Hoi An?
For accommodation and everyday food, yes — Hoi An prices around the Ancient Town are tourist prices. Da Nang has a working-city economy underneath the beach one.
How much cash should I carry?
Grab, hotels and larger restaurants take cards or app payment. Markets, street stalls and small cafés are cash. A few hundred thousand dong on you covers a normal day.
What is the single biggest saving?
Staying two blocks back from the beach instead of on it, and eating where the menu has no English. Together those two habits roughly halve a mid-range day.
Do I need to tip?
Tipping is not expected in local restaurants. Rounding up a Grab fare or leaving small change at a café is normal and appreciated.
The short version
Budget 700,000₫ a day if you are travelling light, 1,500,000₫ if you want a comfortable room and a proper dinner. The city itself is mostly free; what you pay for is where you sleep and how close to the sand you eat.
Part of our guide to where to stay in Da Nang.