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I went to the park yesterday, at the entrance as I walked in the guy pointed to a little notebook in front of him that had 200,000 written on it. I sort of gave him a quizzical look, because the price just seemed absurd. He noticed and looked at the book and sort of apologetically turned the page to a page that said 20,000 on it. $1.20 cents or so seemed like a reasonable price to get into a nice park. I assumed he had left it on the group price page or something.
Only when I left the park through a different entrance did I see a more permanent sign showing the price to be 2,000. Which of course makes much more sense in retrospect.
Now normally, as a westerner awkwardly bumbling through a poor country I don't really mind if I pay 50,000 for my xe om instead of 40,000. Paying 10x though bugs me.
So I thought it might be nice to put together a sort of back of the hand price guide as to what things should cost in Hanoi.
Here's my initial attempt:
Street food, pho or bun: 15,000-25,000 depending on how many goodies
Motobike taxi: 20,000 within one area of town, 30-50,000 across areas.
Street food, from women with baskets: 2,000-10,000 depending on nothing in particular as far as I can tell.
now I haven't even been in town for a week so I'd love to have some folks that actually know what they're talking about weight in.
I am especially curious about how much I should expect to pay for shoes and clothing, tailored or from a shop, as I need to buy some.
Also when you know someones trying to get too much out of you how, how do you prefer to make it clear that you know the score?
shopping buying streetfood bargaining (add tags) Why? Details of tags
answered about 2 months ago by hanoimonkey
I went to Lenin Park once and it was 2,000/entry so you were definitely had! I gave them a 5,000 note and they gave me my ticket and a stick of chewing gum. Hmmm... note to self: have correct change. Clothing-wise, it really varies but at most tailors you can bargain a little. As a rough estimate, I'd pay $10/top (women's), $10-15 for a skirt and about $20-30 for a silk/linen dress (mostly I go to Pho Hang Trong). If you have your own material it's a lot cheaper. I haven't had shoes made/bought in Hanoi and I don't often buy ready-made clothes as they're generally more expensive. If you feel someone's ripping you off, say 'khong duoc' (not ok) and that generally helps. Just laugh as though it's all a big joke but don't get angry or upset. Good luck!
answered about 2 months ago by Stosskraft
The best way to avoid (you can't completely avoid the rip-offs) is to learn some basic Vietnamese. It may seem daunting at first, but it is quite easy to pick up the alphabet, numbers and basic phases with a little work. Being able to speak even a little Vietnamese is a HUGE asset here, when bargaining and having the locals discuss how much they think you can afford right in front of you :) Also, now there are a few markets and stores that have the prices marked and you do the bulk of your shopping there. Until you have an idea for the price of things, have a Vietnamese friend/coworker give you an idea before heading out. Once you build a relationship with the small mom-pop local shop you should be able to pay the normal price, once the owners realize you are living here and not a tourist. Another tip for not getting overcharged: Don't buy anything in the Old Quarter you don't have to. And its NOT OK to get ripped-off because "we"can afford this. This is complete BS and makes it harder for us living here, I tent to put up a big fuss when getting ripped and it seems to set the record straight for the next time, I am not talking about going nuts as this will just make you lose face and the locals will just ignore you...be firm and polite...it helps everyone in the long run. Vietnam is dog-eat-dog place and being meek will get you walked all over...it is fine balancing act...but not as bad as it seem :) Good luck welcome to Nam
answered about 2 months ago by granteralus
Vinataba smokes= 12k dong 555 smokes= 17k for local, 25 for imports Motorbike= $40-$65/month depending on quality Men's tailored suit= $80-$100 (can be found for less, but the quality is sketchy) House rental= $4,000/month (right, agents?) *cough*
answered about 2 months ago by bobthebob01
no, House rental should be between 4 and $6,000/month. Especially if you or your partner works for an Embassy, NGO or a major corporation. Why pay a regular price when you can waste other people's money and help the market prices of housing go up! (sorry preeko,i know it was not the purpose of that question, but i'm hopping the concerned people will read my comment. i just needed to let it out)
answered about 2 months ago by preeko
heh, I understand. I asked about an apartment I saw for rent yesterday. They said $3,000 a month. Maybe I can afford it with all the money I'm going to be saving at the park.
answered about 2 months ago by Cresent
Motorbike taxi: 3k dong each km. Short travels should be a little bit more expensive. Be sure you have agreed on the price before getting on the bike. And be sure the driver has agreed to take you to your very place. My friend was charged 10k more after getting off the bike because he didnt make the driver commit to take him to his hotel not somewhere near Ho Guom. I helped to bargain at the first place but my friend was still ripped off because I couldnt escort him to the very place. About rent. Taxes for renting a house to a foreigner may be a little bit higher than normal. So its reasonable to pay a little bit more than a vietnamese does. But should not be that much. With a nice aprt the price should be 1000 dollars not 3 or even 6. The best way is to ask a vietnamese friend or coworker to do the bargaining first, in the name of her or him. Then you can reveal the real name of the tenant and offer to pay a little bit more for being a foreigner. My friend did this and it helped.
answered about 2 months ago by Shrimp_Whiskers
*xeom- if you go somewhere regularly, i would have someone help you call a metered xeom one time (a trustworthy one) from that place to home (or wherever). note the price and round up (17,000 would be 20,000) for a price to offer non-metered xeom drivers in the future. i don't usually bargain from home to work and back. i just get off, hand them 20,000 dong, and walk away. i finds it lets them know you know the deal. i find that knowing how to say a few key words or phrases gets you far. learn how to pronounce your cross streets and numbers quickly! *housing- i think it's absolutely ridiculous to pay $1,000 or more for an apartment in Hanoi! it would have to be made of gold and clean itself for me to pay that much. i am moving out of a great, big, fully- furnished house in a perfect area for $600. i am moving into a smaller house in the same area, fully-furnished for $450/month. this is more than Vietnamese would pay, but there's not much one can do about that. we get paid a lot more. *i know it sucks, but i don't buy stuff from women with baskets because it totally pisses me off when they overcharge me up the yinyang! but, i think the best thing to do is ask a Vietnamese person at your work and try to bargain that price. get to know the people on your block, try to buy from the same person all the time if you know they are honest. * in the bathrooms at Le Pub, there is a list of prices for some common items. i don't know how old they are, but that may help. read it before you start drinking. i have never been able to remember a word it says! * there's much to be said about not freaking out when someone tries to overcharge you, but i think it's key to let them know you aren't going to take it. i usually look comically/over-dramatically aghast and start walk away. if they offer the right price, take it. now they know you know the score. if they don't, forget about it! don't go back there or trust them again. can't tell you much about clothing prices. from my experiences in Korea, i knew to bring as much as i could cram in my suit case to Vietnam.
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