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What is the Vietnamese dong worth?
At the mid-market rate on 3 October 2026, one US dollar was worth about 25,900 dong. On 2 October 2026 Vietcombank, the state bank most travellers use, bought US dollars in cash at 25,760 and sold them at 26,170. Banks and exchange counters buy below the mid-market rate and sell above it, so what you receive for your dollars is the lower of the two.
A quick mental rule: divide by 26,000 to get dollars, so 100,000₫ is about $3.85, and 1,000,000₫ is about $38. In 2008 the rate was around 17,500 to the dollar. The dong has weakened slowly since, and the State Bank of Vietnam sets a daily central rate and lets the market move within a band of 5 per cent either side.
Rates change every day. Use a live converter such as xe.com or Wise for the figure on your travel day, and check the bank’s counter board when you exchange.
Vietnamese banknotes and the two that look alike
Vietnam prints notes from 1,000 to 500,000 dong. The 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 and 500,000 notes are plastic (polymer), carry a portrait of Ho Chi Minh and are the ones you’ll actually use. Paper notes of 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000 are still around for small change. Coins exist but are rarely used.
| Note | Main colour |
|---|---|
| 10,000₫ | Brown and yellow |
| 20,000₫ | Blue |
| 50,000₫ | Pink |
| 100,000₫ | Green |
| 200,000₫ | Red-brown |
| 500,000₫ | Blue-green |
The one to watch is the 20,000 and 500,000 pair. Both are blue, and handing over a 500,000 note when you meant 20,000 is the classic mistake, worth about $18 instead of $0.77. Do the same check with the 10,000 and 200,000 notes in poor light. In a taxi or at a market, read the number in the corner and count the zeros before you hand the note over. Tourists who hand over a note without looking are the ones who lose out.
People often drop the word “thousand” when they speak, so “fifty” means 50,000₫ and “two hundred” means 200,000₫. The phrasebook has the numbers and the “20k” convention.
Handling notes politely
Vietnamese people like crisp, flat, unfolded notes. Torn notes are often refused, though faded or discoloured ones are usually fine. New notes are given as lucky gifts at Tết and weddings, and a crumpled, wet note handed over is poor manners. When you pay, hand the note with both hands and make eye contact. It’s a small courtesy that people notice.
Getting cash: ATMs, exchange and cards
Vietnam has ATMs in every town of any size, and a bank ATM is the simplest way to get dong. Visa and Mastercard are widely supported, and most machines also take Plus. Your own bank will add its foreign withdrawal fee, and many Vietnamese machines add a flat fee on top for foreign cards, so check the screen before you confirm.
Limits are per transaction and depend on the bank. Many machines cap withdrawals at 3 to 5 million dong, and some banks allow 10 million or more, so take out as much as the machine and your own daily limit allow. Use machines inside bank branches or in daylight in busy streets, and cover the keypad.
At the airport, an ATM is usually better value than the exchange kiosks. For exchanging cash, banks give a fair rate and want your passport. If you plan to exchange dollars, bring clean, undamaged notes: torn, marked or older notes can be refused or get a worse rate.
Travellers’ cheques are effectively dead in Vietnam. Don’t take them.
Cards, contactless and prepaid cards
Cards work in hotels, malls, chain restaurants and a growing number of cafés. Contactless Visa and Mastercard are common in Saigon and Hanoi. Markets, street food, small guesthouses, local buses and most drivers don’t take cards. A multi-currency card from your own bank at home avoids the worst fees, and tells you the dong amount at the till, so choose to be charged in dong rather than your home currency.
VietQR and paying by phone
VietQR is the QR standard used on Vietnamese bank apps. You’ll see the black-and-white square on counters at cafés, shops and market stalls, and Vietnamese customers scan it with their bank app to pay instantly. Payment from a foreign bank account or card isn’t normally possible by scanning a VietQR code. A handful of tourist-oriented apps exist to bridge the gap, with their own fees and sign-up. For most travellers, cash plus a card is simpler.
Paying your driver
Cash in dong is the standard. When you book a car with us you pay the driver on the day, in VND cash or by VietQR bank transfer, so keep some dong ready from the airport ATM. The price you agreed when booking is the price you pay. Hand the money over with both hands, as you would anywhere in Vietnam. See our airport transfers for how pickup and payment work.
If you take a metered taxi or hail a ride, agree the destination first, check the meter is running, and have small notes ready. A driver who “has no change” for a 500,000 note is a good reason to carry 20,000s and 50,000s.
How much cash to carry
Carry enough dong for a day or two at a time and keep the rest in a hotel safe. A light spender can manage on 1 to 1.5 million dong a day ($40 to $60) outside accommodation, with street food and local transport. If you plan to eat in restaurants, take taxis and visit paid sights, double it. Bring a copy of your passport, and keep your cards in a different place from your cash.
Prices are open to negotiation in markets and with some street sellers, which is a topic of its own (see how to haggle). One rule holds everywhere: there is little point negotiating over less than a dollar.