What a Vietnam trip costs from New York
10 days, one person, everything in — round-trip airfare from JFK, the visa fee for a US passport, accommodation, food, local transport and activities. Priced in USD.
Hostel dorms and guesthouses, street food and local canteens, public buses and shared transport.
Private room in a 3-star hotel or good guesthouse, a mix of local and sit-down restaurants, occasional taxis.
4-star hotels or well-reviewed boutique stays, restaurant meals, private transfers and paid tours.
of the mid-range total — $1,250 of $2,190
$94 per day in Vietnam
May–Sep versus Jan–Feb
low season, May–Sep
Flying New York to Vietnam
There is no direct JFK–SGN route, so the fare includes a connection and the journey runs about 21 hours each way. Korean Air, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines serve this route; fares below are the typical round trip across them, not the cheapest seat on the cheapest carrier.
Among the 6 departure cities we price for Vietnam, New York ranks 6, about $900 above Delhi. The booking window matters more than usual on this route: the high fare is roughly 2.0× the low, a spread of about $900.
Airfare is 57% of a mid-range 10-day total from here. The higher that share, the less your travel style changes the final number — and the more the month you travel in does.
Every line, mid-range
| Item | Basis | Confidence | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting there | |||
| Flights | Round trip JFK–SGN, typical fare | estimated | $1,250 |
| Daily costs | |||
| Accommodation | 9 nights | estimated | $310 |
| Food & drink | 10 days | estimated | $200 |
| Local transport | 10 days | estimated | $61 |
| Activities & entry fees | 10 days | estimated | $185 |
| One-off costs | |||
| eSIM / local SIM | Once per trip | estimated | $8 |
| Airport transfers | Both directions | estimated | $20 |
| Internal transport | Typical multi-city route | estimated | $135 |
| Entry | |||
| Visa (e-visa) | US passport, 3–5 working days | estimated | $25 |
| Total per person, 10 days | $2,190 | ||
| Per day | $220 | ||
The same trip at three travel styles
| Line | Backpacker | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights | $1,250 | $1,250 | $1,250 |
| Accommodation | $89 | $310 | $890 |
| Food & drink | $87 | $200 | $455 |
| Local transport | $23 | $61 | $160 |
| Activities & entry fees | $57 | $185 | $420 |
| eSIM / local SIM | $8 | $8 | $8 |
| Airport transfers | $5 | $20 | $53 |
| Internal transport | $65 | $135 | $275 |
| Visa (e-visa) | $25 | $25 | $25 |
| Total | $1,610 | $2,190 | $3,530 |
| Per day | $160 | $220 | $355 |
Airfare is identical across styles — a backpacker and a comfort traveller on the same flight pay the same fare. The spread comes entirely from what happens after landing.
New York compared with other departure cities
Same Vietnam trip, same 10 days, same mid-range style — only the starting airport changes. Departing from Delhi instead would cost about $900 less.
| From | Airfare | Trip total | vs cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi · DEL | $350 | $1,290 | — |
| Bengaluru · BLR | $405 | $1,350 | +$56 |
| Mumbai · BOM | $510 | $1,450 | +$160 |
| Dubai · DXB | $735 | $1,670 | +$385 |
| London · LHR | $935 | $1,850 | +$560 |
| New York · JFK | $1,250 | $2,190 | +$900 |
Normalised to US dollars so the columns are comparable. Rank for New York: 6 of 6.
Costed routes from New York
| Route | Days | Backpacker | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North to south, 14 days Hanoi → Ha Giang → Hoi An → Da Lat → Ho Chi Minh City | 14 | $1,740 | $2,550 | $4,430 |
| Northern Vietnam, 7 days Hanoi → Ha Long Bay → Sapa | 7 | $1,500 | $1,900 | $2,830 |
Flights from JFK and visa included.
When to go, and what it does to the price
Timing moves a Vietnam budget more than travel style does at the margins. The cheapest window is May–Sep.
| Months | Season | Lodging | Flights | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan–Feb | Peak season | +30% | +35% | Lunar New Year closes businesses and spikes domestic fares. |
| Mar–Apr | Shoulder season | +5% | +5% | Dry and mild |
| May–Sep | Low season | -15% | -10% | Central coast sees typhoon risk Aug–Oct. |
| Oct–Nov | Peak season | +20% | +15% | Autumn high season |
| Dec | Shoulder season | +15% | +25% | December |
Entry on a US passport
e-Visa
- Fee
- $25
- Max stay
- 90 days
- Processing
- 3–5 working days
The fee follows your passport, not your departure city: anyone travelling on a US passport pays the same, wherever they fly from. Always confirm against the official source before booking.
Vietnam from New York: questions
How much does a Vietnam trip cost from New York?
A 10-day mid-range trip works out to about $2,190 per person, of which roughly $1,250 is round-trip airfare from JFK. A backpacker version lands near $1,610 and a comfort version near $3,530.
What proportion of the budget is the flight?
About 57% of the total from New York, on a mid-range 10-day trip. That is why the same Vietnam itinerary costs very different amounts depending on where you start, and why a single average figure for "the cost of Vietnam" is not useful.
Do I need a visa for Vietnam on a US passport?
e-Visa, for stays up to 90 days on a US passport. The fee is $25, with processing quoted at 3–5 working days. Confirm against the official source before booking.
When is it cheapest to fly from New York to Vietnam?
May–Sep is the low window (Summer and wet). Travelling then instead of Jan–Feb changes the same trip by roughly $700.
How much does a trip to Vietnam cost?
It depends almost entirely on where you fly from and how long you stay. On-the-ground costs in Vietnam are among the lowest in Southeast Asia, so for most travellers airfare is the single largest line item. The breakdown on this page separates the two so you can see which one you can actually change.
Is Vietnam cheaper than Thailand?
On the ground, generally yes — accommodation and food run lower in Vietnam, particularly outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Total trip cost can still land higher if Vietnam needs a connecting flight from your city while Thailand has a direct one.
Where these numbers come from
This page is not yet verified. 9 of 9 line items are reasoned estimates rather than checked prices. Treat the total as a planning range, not a quote, and confirm current prices before you book.
- Data confidence
- Estimated 0 verified · 0 sampled · 9 estimated
- Oldest figure
- October 2026
- Record last reviewed
- October 2026
- Exchange rates
- October 2026 (Static table — pending live feed)
Sources
- Placeholder estimate — not verified