Plan Money and exchange
Money and currency exchange in Nha Trang
Quick answer
Banks give the safest rate and the gold shops on the streets behind the beach are quicker and usually competitive. The airport counters are the worst. Never change money with someone who approaches you.
Where to change money in Nha Trang, what the gold shops and banks pay against the official rate, which ATMs charge what, and how the dong works.
Where To Change
| Gold Shop Cluster Streets |
|
|---|---|
| Banks |
|
| Airport | Exchange counters exist in both terminals at Cam Ranh; Korean guides report the city gold shops beat the airport rate by a wide margin |
| Id Required | Passport or ID may be requested even at gold shops |
Gold Shops
| Name | Address | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kim Chung | 51 Ngo Gia Tu, Tan Tien, Nha Trang | Widely named by Korean-language guides as the main Nha Trang exchange spot; Kim Binh is described as facing it across the street |
| Ngoc Mai (Tiem Vang Ngoc Mai) | 69 Phan Boi Chau, Van Thanh, Nha Trang | |
| Sang Kim Vinh | A4 Chung cu Cho Dam, Phan Boi Chau, Xuong Huan, Nha Trang | |
| PNJ | 25-27 Ly Thanh Ton, Loc Tho, 72 Thai Nguyen, Phuong Sai, Vincom Plaza, 78-80 Tran Phu, 1st floor |
Spread Vs Official Rate
Gold Shop Vs Bank (%)
| Up To | 3 |
|---|---|
| Note | Gold shops can give up to about 3% more than banks and charge no commission; the rate displayed is the rate paid |
Gold Shop Vs Airport (%)
| Reported | 15 |
|---|---|
| Note | Korean-language guide reports Kim Chung's rate about 15% better than the airport, with no fee |
Korean Visitor Spots
| Search Term | 나트랑 환전소 |
|---|---|
| Named In Korean Guides |
|
ATMs
| Networks |
|
|---|---|
| Fee Free For Foreign Cards |
|
Withdrawal Fee (VND)
| Vietcombank | 50,000 |
|---|---|
| Note | Range 0-55,000 VND depending on bank |
Typical Range
| Min | 30,000 |
|---|---|
| Max | 55,000 |
Most Expensive
| Bank | TPBank |
|---|---|
| Fee (%) | 3.3 |
| Date Seen | 2025-10 |
Per Withdrawal Limit (VND)
| Min | 3,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Max | 5,000,000 |
| Date Seen | 2026-07-16 |
USD Reference Rate
| VND Per (USD) | 26,000 |
|---|---|
| Date Seen | 2026-07-16 |
Currency
| Name | Vietnamese dong |
|---|---|
| Iso Code | VND |
| Symbol | d |
| Polymer Banknotes (VND) |
|
| Paper Banknotes (VND) |
|
| Paper Note | Small cotton/paper notes are rare in daily use |
| Coins (VND) |
|
| Coins Note | Legal tender but effectively out of circulation |
| Highest Note | 500,000 VND, dark blue polymer |
Exchange Rate
| Pair | USD to VND |
|---|---|
| Observed On | 2026-09-12 |
| Practical Summary | About 25,800-25,950 VND per USD mid-market as of 11-12 September 2026. Travel pricing articles from mid-2026 round to 26,000 VND = 1 USD. |
| Mental Math Tip | Drop three zeros and divide by 26 |
Observations
| Rate | Type | Quoted As Of | Daily Change | Monthly Change (%) | Yearly Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25,804.43 | mid-market | 20:23 UTC, no calendar date printed | |||
| 25,922.5 | market quote | 2026-09-11 | -2.00 (-0.01%) | -0.51 | -1.75 |
| 25,920 | mid-market |
ATMs
| Typical Fee (VND) | 22,000-66,000 per withdrawal; most common band 50,000-60,000 at the big state banks |
|---|---|
| Fee Structure | Two layers - the Vietnamese ATM operator fee plus your home bank's foreign-ATM fee and an FX margin of roughly 1-3% |
| Dcc Warning | Always choose to be charged in Vietnamese dong and decline the ATM's own conversion offer; its rate is almost always worse. |
| Daily Limits | Your home bank may impose a separate daily ceiling above the machine's per-transaction limit |
By Bank
| Bank | Max Per Transaction (VND) | Fee (VND) | Conflict | Note | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietcombank | 2,000,000-3,000,000 (one source says up to 5,000,000) | 50,000-66,000 | |||
| BIDV | 2,000,000-5,000,000 | 50,000-60,000 | |||
| Agribank | 2,000,000-3,000,000 | 22,000-55,000 | |||
| Techcombank | 3,000,000-5,000,000 | 22,000-60,000 | |||
| TPBank | 2,000,000-5,000,000 | 22,000-55,000 | A second source says TPBank moved to about 3.3% of the amount from June 2025 (about 66,000 VND on a 2 million VND withdrawal). Sources conflict. | ||
| VPBank | 10,000,000 | 0 | Highest per-transaction cap found and reported fee-free for foreign cards | ||
| Eximbank | 3,000,000-5,000,000 | often free, up to 22,000 | Most-cited low-fee option | ||
| ACB | 3,000,000 | ||||
| OCB | 2,000,000-5,000,000 | 22,000-55,000 | |||
| Sacombank | 2,000,000-5,000,000 | 30,000-55,000 | |||
| HSBC | Issuer-side fee of about SGD 8 per overseas ATM withdrawal plus 1.5% FX; HSBC Premier may be fee-free | ||||
| Citibank |
At Cam Ranh Airport
| Limit (VND) | 3,000,000-5,000,000 per transaction |
|---|---|
| Fee (VND) | 50,000-80,000 |
| Note | ATMs in both terminals' arrival and departure halls, Visa and Mastercard accepted, UnionPay at some machines |
Card Acceptance
| Networks | Visa and Mastercard are the safe assumptions. American Express acceptance is spotty; where accepted, merchants usually add about 4%. |
|---|---|
| Works At |
|
| Cash Only |
|
| Card Surcharge | About 3% at some smaller hotels, boutiques and restaurants; large chains and supermarkets usually absorb it |
| Qr Payments | MoMo, ZaloPay and VietQR require a Vietnamese bank account and are effectively closed to tourists despite QR codes being everywhere. Apple Pay and Google Pay work on contactless Visa/Mastercard terminals in cities. |
| Daily Cash Recommendation (VND) | 500,000-1,500,000 (about USD 20-60) for the cash-only layer |
| Summary | Vietnam in 2026 is cash-forward rather than cash-only |
Tipping
| General | Not obligatory and not a traditional Vietnamese custom - most locals do not tip - but increasingly common in tourist-facing service. Never refused. 10% is considered generous. |
|---|---|
| Restaurants Midrange Upscale | 5-10% of the bill if no service charge is already applied; check the bill first |
| Restaurants Street Local | Not necessary |
| Bellhop Porter (VND) | 20,000-50,000 |
| Housekeeping VND Per Day | 20,000-50,000 |
| Concierge (VND) | 100,000-200,000 for going above and beyond |
| Tour Guides Drivers VND Per Day Per Guest | 100,000-300,000 (about USD 4-12) |
| Source Caveat | Tipping figures come from search snippets of daytripsvietnam.com, junglebosstours.com and asiapioneertravel.com rather than a full page fetch. |
Typical Prices
| Rate Used By Sources | 26,000 VND = 1 USD (mid-2026) |
|---|
Items
| Item | VND | USD | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottled water 0.5 L | 5,000-6,000 | 0.20-0.25 | |
| Bottled water 1.5 L | 8,000-13,000 | 0.30-0.50 | |
| Vietnamese filter coffee | 15,000-25,000 | 0.60-1.00 | |
| Ca phe sua da (iced milk coffee) | 25,000 | 1.00 | |
| Cappuccino in a cafe | 25,000-75,000 | 1-3 | |
| Banh mi | 20,000-40,000 | 0.80-1.60 | |
| Bowl of pho (bo or ga) | 45,000-60,000 | 1.80-2.40 | |
| Bia Saigon 0.33 L bottle (shop) | 12,000-15,000 | 0.50-0.60 | |
| Bia Saigon / 333 bottle in a cafe | 25,000-40,000 | 1-1.60 | |
| Draught beer 0.5 L | 15,000-40,000 | 0.60-1.60 | |
| Bia hoi | 5,000-10,000 | 0.20-0.40 | Nationwide/Hanoi figure - bia hoi is much less common in Nha Trang |
| Grab car, per km | about 20,000+ | about 0.80+ | |
| Grab car, 5 km ride | 50,000-120,000 | 2-4.80 | |
| Grab car, 10 km ride | about 150,000-250,000 | about 6-10 | EXTRAPOLATED from the per-km and 5 km figures - not directly sourced |
| Taxi flag drop | 10,000-20,000 | 0.40-0.80 | |
| Taxi per km | from 15,000 | from 0.60 | |
| Mid-range hotel night, Nha Trang | 728,000-1,456,000 | 28-61 | |
| Mid-range hotel night, nationwide | 20-40 (4-star 30-70) | ||
| Seafood / resort dinner for two | 400,000-800,000 | 16-32 | A five-star resort dinner on the Bai Dai / Cam Ranh strip will exceed this substantially |
| Comfortable mid-range day, all in | about 40 |
Where To Exchange
| Gold Shops | Tiem Vang gold shops act as informal exchange bureaus - cash for cash, no passport, no forms. Typically 0.5-1.5% better than bank counters and 2-4% better than the airport. In Nha Trang there are many around Dam Market. |
|---|---|
| Airport | Exchange counters in Terminal 2 handle USD and euros but rates are about 3-5% worse than downtown |
| Hotels | Hotel rates are now roughly level with banks - convenient, small loss |
| Banks | Middle option; worse than gold shops, better than the airport |
| What To Bring | USD gets the best rates. Bring crisp, clean, undamaged notes - creases, stains or marks mean refusal or a worse rate. USD 100 bills get the best rate. |
| Strategy | Change a small amount at the airport to get moving, then use a downtown gold shop for the bulk |
Scams
| Name | Detail | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Rigged taxi meter | Meters run 3-5x fast; a USD 5 ride bills as USD 25. Also 'broken meter' plus a high fixed price. | Use Grab, or stick to Mai Linh (green) and Vinasun (white) |
| Fake or imitation taxi companies | Cars painted and branded to resemble Mai Linh and Vinasun; also app-driver impersonators at airports and stations. | Match the plate number in the app and check the company name spelling |
| Banknote switch, 500k for 20k | The classic Vietnam scam - the 500,000 and 20,000 VND notes are both blue-toned polymer. A driver or vendor palms your 500k and produces a 20k, insisting that is what you handed over. Also reported with 500k swapped for 50k. | Carry small notes, say the amount out loud as you hand it over, and check any note handed back |
| Torn-note refusal | Vendor refuses your 500,000 note claiming a tear, then helpfully swaps it for a smaller note while pocketing yours | |
| Cyclo and xe om price ambiguity | An agreed price of '100' is later claimed to mean USD 100 rather than 100,000 VND | Agree the price in writing with all the zeros, and say 'nghin dong' |
| Fast-count money changer | The changer counts quickly, folds the stack and pockets one to three large bills. | Count it yourself, slowly, before leaving |
| Menu without prices | Menus lacking prices or showing different prices to foreigners; live seafood weighed at inflated amounts. Nha Trang is named as a hotspot for this in seafront seafood restaurants. | Confirm the price per kg and watch the weighing |
| Unrequested side dishes | Peanuts, wet tissues and similar placed on the table then billed | |
| Shoeshine scam | Vendor claims your shoe is damaged, removes it without consent and demands USD 20 instead of the promised USD 2 | |
| Coconut yoke photo trap | A vendor places the bamboo yoke and conical hat on you for a photo, then charges about USD 10 per coconut | |
| Bar girl drink scam | Invitation to buy drinks, a USD 300-600 bill, bouncers blocking the exit | |
| Fake monks | Requesting a large cash donation | |
| ATM skimming | Skimming devices reported on freestanding ATMs in tourist areas as recently as 2024. | Use ATMs attached to bank branches |
| Bag snatching from motorbikes | Cited specifically for Nha Trang alongside taxi scams and seafront overcharging | |
| Unofficial exchange kiosks | Poor rates or counterfeit notes |
Questions people ask
Where is the best place to change money in Nha Trang?
Banks give the safest rate and the gold shops on the streets behind the beach are quicker and usually competitive. The airport counters are the worst. Never change money with someone who approaches you.
Should I bring cash or use cards in Nha Trang?
Both. Hotels, malls and larger restaurants take cards. Markets, street food, boats, mud baths and many taxis do not. Carry dong for anything under a few hundred thousand.
Are ATMs in Nha Trang free for foreign cards?
No. Vietnamese banks charge a withdrawal fee on foreign cards and cap the amount per transaction, and your own bank may add a fee. Withdrawing a larger amount less often is cheaper.
Sources
19Every figure on this page comes from one of these pages, fetched on the date shown, or is computed from coordinates.