Here’s a price comparison on similar goods from the US and Vietnam. I chose this array of items for their common, everyday nature. In some cases, I couldn’t find the exact same product, so I went with what was closest. I tried to convert the metric amounts to whatever US unit we use as well. Hopefully I got everything correct. Math is not my strong suit.
*The US prices are based on a Ralph’s in San Diego, CA. Amounts may vary slightly depending on where you call home. Same with exchange rates.
ESSENTIALS
| Item | US Price | VN Price (Converted to USD) |
| Milk | $3.49 (1 Gallon) | $6.32 (~1 Gallon) |
| Water | $2.99 (Total = 405 fl oz) | $3.59 (Total = 405 fl oz) |
| Bananas | 59¢/lb | 91¢/lb |
| Generic Loaf of Bread | $1.19 | 54¢ |
Notes: The measurements lined up pretty closely. Just about exact for once. I’m not sure how popular the milk brand is; the water brand is definitely one of the cheapest.
Observations: Milk does not seem like a popular beverage here so I guess that explains it being expensive. I’m surprised by water being more costly. Also wouldn’t have expected bananas to be more. Although, that’s in line with some of their other fruits. Apples are super expensive because they’re all imported. When they say “bread” they’re referring to a banh mi, which is obviously a sandwich with ingredients. It’s rarely eaten outside of that delivery system. Sometimes to dip into soup, but that’s all I’ve come across outside of a hotel’s continental breakfast aka accommodating western travelers. Cheese though. My god. Where is it?? Practically no options at the super market. There is a Pizza Hut down the road, so it exists somewhere, but I haven’t been that desperate yet.
EXTRAS
| Item | US Price | VN Price (Converted to USD) |
| Bottle of Coke | $1.99 (20 fl oz) | 32¢ (20.29 fl oz) |
| Tub of Coffee Ground | $4.99 (11.3 oz) | $4.21 (7.05 oz) |
| My Expensive Deodorant | $9.99 | $2.11 (Not the same) |
| 6 pack of Beer | $9.99 (72 fl oz) | $4.35 (66.95 fl oz) |
Notes: The deodorant was not a proper match in type or application (again). It’s about time for me to re-up, so I’ll be saving some scratch. The beer is mostly sold by individual can.
Observations: It’s interesting — they have cans of Coke, Coke Light aka Diet and Coke Zero., but you can only get regular Coke in single-serving bottles. Budweiser is a mid-tier beer based on price, yet it’s still half the price here. Crazy. Get crunk. I’ve definitely adapted to those prices for alcohol. You can get bia hoi (“fresh,” unfiltered draft beer) on the street for 20¢, while bottles or cans in many restaurants are around 65¢-85¢. Any time I see a more expensive price I get bitter. In that case, I just go to the convenient store and stock up there.
Based on these comparisons, it seems like certain products are wildly cheaper, while others aren’t at all. That type of analysis could be made for any place I bet. I will say that a standard banh mi off the street will run you about 86¢. Eat a double dose and you’re hunger is pretty satisfied. A basic bowl of pho is $1.70; maybe twice that in a big city. Still incredibly cheap for a meal. So, prices for street food (squat gang) are super affordable. Restaurant dishes are definitely marked up, but depending on where you are and what you’re ordering, it might only be end up costing another 25¢. Who doesn’t have a few spare quarters lying around in cup holder somewhere?