Where to exchange money in Ho Chi Minh City: the best rates in District 1

The short answer: where to change money in District 1

• Best cash rate: the licensed gold shops and exchange counters facing Ben Thanh market's west and north gates, on Nguyen An Ninh, Phan Boi Chau and Le Thanh Ton.
• Evenings and Sundays: the bank-run exchange counters on Dong Khoi and the long-hours changers on Mac Thi Buoi.
• Large sums or rarer currencies: a bank branch.
• Most travellers: card payments plus one or two exchanges in the city.

Option	Typical rate vs bank cash-buy	Fees	Hours	Receipt	Risk	Best for
Ben Thanh gold shops and agents	At or slightly above	None	Daily, roughly 8:00-19:00	On request	Low at licensed counters	Best rate on USD and EUR
Bank-run counters on Dong Khoi	At or near bank board	None	Until about 22:00	Yes	Very low	Evenings, receipt needed
Bank branches	Reference rate	None	Weekdays, some Saturday mornings	Yes	Very low	Large sums, rare currencies
Tan Son Nhat airport counters	1-10% below city	None	24 hours	Yes	Very low	First taxi fare only
Hotel reception	2-5% below city	Sometimes	24 hours	Yes	Low	Small urgent amounts
ATMs	Wholesale plus fee	VND 20,000-110,000 per withdrawal	24 hours	No	Medium (skimming)	Arrival, no cash
Card payment	Wholesale	Possible foreign fee 1-3%	Shop hours	Yes	Low	Hotels, malls, chains
Street touts	Quoted high, delivered short	Hidden	Daytime	No	High	Nobody

For country-wide context, Hanoi and other cities, see the general guide on exchanging money in Vietnam.

A note on addresses after the 2025 ward reform

Since 1 July 2025, Vietnam has abolished district-level units and merged wards, and Ho Chi Minh City absorbed Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Three practical points follow.

Street names and house numbers are unchanged. A shop at 2 Nguyen An Ninh is still at 2 Nguyen An Ninh.

Maps and receipts may now say "Phường Bến Thành" or "Phường Sài Gòn" instead of "Quận 1". If a Grab driver cannot find the address, the old district name usually resolves it.

Locals, taxi drivers and shop signage still say "District 1". Use that in conversation. Check current ward names for each address below on Google Maps before relying on them.

Before you fly: which cash to bring

Cash in good condition is the single biggest factor in the rate received. A crisp USD 100 note and a folded one with a pen mark are not the same product at the counter.

Which notes get the best rate

USD 100 and 50 notes in the current series get the top rate: the 2013 USD 100 with the blue 3D ribbon, and the post-2004 USD 50.

USD 20, 10 and 5 notes are typically quoted lower, and USD 1-2 notes much lower. Some guides report gaps of 1% to 5% between the top tier and small notes. Check the live board at the counter to see the actual spread on the day.

Notes with ink marks, stamps, tears, folds or a missing corner may be refused or discounted. Banks sometimes apply a handling fee on worn notes, cited at about 2% by one source. Older USD series, such as "small head" pre-1996 notes, are often refused outright.

Sort your notes before you travel. Put clean, unmarked 100s in one envelope and everything else in another. You will get the top rate on the first envelope and can spend the second on the departure leg.

Which currencies are accepted

USD gets the tightest spread. EUR, GBP, AUD, JPY, KRW, SGD and THB are widely accepted at the bigger shops, with wider spreads. Less common currencies such as NZD, CHF or SEK may be accepted only at banks. If your home currency is obscure, bring USD or EUR.

Customs declaration

Cash over USD 5,000 (or the equivalent in other currencies) or over VND 15 million must be declared on arrival. Several guides blur this threshold with exchange limits. It applies to carrying cash into the country, not to exchanging it. Check the current State Bank of Vietnam circular before you fly.

Should you buy dong at home?

Usually no. Rates abroad are poor because VND is thinly traded outside Vietnam, and many banks abroad do not stock it at all. Arrive with USD or EUR and change in the city.

The Ben Thanh cluster: Nguyen An Ninh, Phan Boi Chau and Le Thanh Ton

This is the heart of the matter: a few blocks around the market's west and north gates where the queues form. The shops here watch each other's boards, so differences are usually tiny, tens of dong per USD rather than hundreds.

Ha Tam (2 Nguyen An Ninh)

Facing the west gate of Ben Thanh market. It is the most cited shop in the cluster, with frequent queues of locals and visitors. Published hours disagree: some guides say 8:00-19:00 daily, others say shorter weekend hours around 8:00-16:30. Confirm on site or by phone before making a special trip.

Expect a ticket system at busy times, a rate board visible from the street, and staff who handle foreign cash all day. Ask for a receipt if you need one for reconverting later.

Mai Van and the neighbouring counters on Nguyen An Ninh

Mentioned in traveller forums as a rate match for Ha Tam on the same block. Confirm the exact street number in person, since signage on this short street is not always clear from the pavement. The practical point is that the whole street is competitive, so there is no need to queue at one counter if the board next door is the same.

Ben Thanh Money Changer (30-36 Phan Boi Chau)

A few steps from the west gate, on the street that runs along the market's southern edge. Convenient if you are coming from the Pham Ngu Lao side.

Le Thanh Ton jewellers: Hoang Thu (178), Ben Thanh Jewelry (166) and neighbours

Across from the north gate. Ben Thanh Jewelry is listed as 7:30-20:30 daily. Verify before relying on it, especially at weekends.

Kim Mai (84C Cong Quynh)

For the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker area, a 10-15 minute walk from the market. Listed as 8:00-20:00 daily.

Three things to check at any counter before handing over notes: whether the shop displays a foreign currency exchange agent certificate, whether it issues a receipt, and its current hours. Do not assume any one shop always has the best rate. Read the board, compare with the neighbour, then decide.

Is exchanging at a gold shop legal?

Vietnamese law allows foreign currency exchange only at credit institutions (banks) and authorised exchange agents (đại lý đổi ngoại tệ) contracted to a bank. Agents must display a certificate. The words "đại lý đổi ngoại tệ" appear on it, along with the contracting bank. Many established jewellers near Ben Thanh operate as licensed agents, which is why they can post a board and hand you a receipt.

Unlicensed exchange is a different matter. Administrative fines apply to both the shop and the customer when exchange happens at an unauthorised place. A widely reported 2019 case in Can Tho saw a man fined VND 90 million for changing USD 100 at an unlicensed gold shop; the fine was later reviewed after public outcry. Check the sanctions decree in force at the time you travel, including the fine bands, since the rules have been amended more than once.

The realistic picture: enforcement against tourists at licensed counters is not a practical concern. Unlicensed back-room or street exchange carries legal risk, counterfeit risk and no recourse if you are short-changed.

Rule of thumb: look for the certificate, a printed or electronic rate board, and a receipt. If a counter has none of the three, walk on.

Other District 1 options: Dong Khoi, Mac Thi Buoi and the riverside

These are the alternatives when the Ben Thanh queue is long, it is evening, or you are staying near Nguyen Hue.

• Hung Long Money Changer, 86 Mac Thi Buoi: near the Sheraton, indoors with a security guard. Listed as 7:00-21:45 daily.
• Eximbank exchange counter, 135 Dong Khoi: a bank-run counter listed as 7:00-22:00 daily, which makes it one of the few late-evening options with a bank receipt.
• Minh Thu: published sources disagree on the address (22 Nguyen Thai Binh versus 12 Le Loi). Confirm before walking there.
• Small counters near Bitexco on Ho Tung Mau: a category worth knowing about rather than a single address. Verify hours and certificates on site.

The trade-off in one line: tourist-street counters along Dong Khoi often post rates 0.5% to 1% below the Ben Thanh cluster, so check the board against the benchmark method below before committing.

Banks in District 1: when they are the better choice

When a bank wins

Exchanging large sums. Needing a receipt, for example to reconvert dong later. Changing a less common currency. Wanting zero counterfeit risk.

Branches near Ben Thanh and Nguyen Hue

Branches listed by published sources include Vietcombank on Le Thanh Ton and Ham Nghi, VietinBank at 13 Phan Chu Trinh, BIDV at 38 Pham Hong Thai, Vietcombank at 102 Nguyen Hue, and HSBC near the cathedral at 235 Dong Khoi. Verify every address before travelling.

Older guides list Citibank ATMs and branches. Citibank's consumer business in Vietnam passed to UOB in 2023, so those listings are out of date.

What to expect at the counter

Bring your passport. Take a queue ticket and allow 15-40 minutes. Typical hours are Monday to Friday about 8:00-11:30 and 13:00-16:30. Some branches open Saturday morning. Most are closed on Sunday.

Rate difference

Bank cash-buy rates are usually a little below the Ben Thanh shops. One source cites VND 100-300 per USD. On a USD 300 exchange that is about VND 30,000-90,000 (USD 1-3.50), small enough that convenience and a receipt can reasonably win.

Tan Son Nhat airport versus the city: how much to change on arrival

Where the counters are

In the international terminal (T2), bank-branded counters (VietinBank, BIDV and others) sit in the arrivals hall after customs. The domestic terminal (T3, opened in 2025) has counters and ATMs. Confirm current counter brands, and check whether any international flights have moved to Long Thanh airport, before you rely on a specific counter.

The real cost

Published estimates of the airport gap range from about 1% to 10% below city rates. Record the actual boards on the day you travel rather than trusting a guide.

Method on USD 300	Rate used	VND received	Difference vs best
Ben Thanh licensed shop	26,250	7,875,000	Reference
Bank branch	26,100	7,830,000	-45,000 (USD 1.70)
Airport counter, 2% gap	25,725	7,717,500	-157,500 (USD 6)
Airport counter, 5% gap	24,937	7,481,100	-393,900 (USD 15)
ATM, VND 50,000 fee plus 2% home fee	effective 25,725	about 7,717,500	-157,500 (USD 6)

A 2% gap at about VND 26,000 per USD costs roughly VND 156,000 (USD 6) on USD 300. A 5% gap costs about VND 390,000 (USD 15). Neither is catastrophic, but the airport is never the better rate.

Recommended strategy

Change USD 20-50, or withdraw once at an airport ATM. Or skip exchange entirely: Grab and Be accept foreign cards for the airport-to-District 1 ride, which costs about VND 120,000-200,000 (USD 4.60-7.70) by car, depending on traffic. Bus 109 is an alternative at about VND 20,000 (USD 0.75), cash only.

Departure hall

Options for reconverting leftover dong are limited and the spread is wide. Keep receipts from your exchanges if you plan to convert back.

ATMs: fees, limits and the conversion trap

What a withdrawal costs

There are two layers of cost: the Vietnamese bank's fee for foreign cards, typically about VND 20,000-110,000 (USD 0.75-4.20) per withdrawal, and your home bank's foreign transaction fee, often 1% to 3%.

Withdrawal limits

Per-transaction caps vary by bank, often VND 2-10 million (USD 75-380). This makes fees proportionally higher on small withdrawals. Take the maximum each time rather than withdrawing twice.

Which ATMs to use

Some guides name TPBank or VPBank as fee-free. Fee policies change, so test or confirm current fees and caps on at least four or five banks in District 1 before relying on a list. Prefer ATMs inside bank lobbies or malls, which carry a lower skimming risk. Avoid machines that dispense only VND 500,000 notes if you need small change.

Bank	Fee for foreign cards	Max per withdrawal	Notes dispensed	Date checked
Vietcombank	Verify on site	Verify on site	Mixed	2026
HSBC	Verify on site	Verify on site	Mixed	2026
TPBank	Verify on site	Verify on site	Mixed	2026
VPBank	Verify on site	Verify on site	Mixed	2026
Techcombank	Verify on site	Verify on site	Mixed	2026

Fees and caps change without notice. Test one withdrawal, check the receipt, then decide which bank to use for the rest of the trip.

Dynamic currency conversion: always decline

When an ATM or card terminal offers to charge in your home currency, decline and choose VND. DCC markups commonly add 3% to 8%, more than any ATM fee. On a VND 5 million withdrawal, a 5% DCC markup costs about VND 250,000 (USD 9.50), roughly double a typical ATM fee.

Cards that cut costs

Fee-free travel cards and multi-currency accounts reduce the home-bank side of the cost. Check the foreign transaction fee before you leave home; a card with no fee beats hunting for a fee-free ATM.

How to read a rate board and check a quote

Reading the board

"Mua" (buy) is the rate the shop pays you for your foreign cash. This is the column that matters when you are selling dollars. "Bán" (sell) is the rate the shop charges to sell foreign currency, relevant if you are buying dollars with dong.

Some boards split rates by denomination, for example "USD 50-100" versus "USD 5-20". Read the row that matches the notes in your hand, not the headline rate. Bank boards distinguish "tiền mặt" (cash) from "chuyển khoản" (transfer); the cash column is the one that applies to you.

Benchmarking a quote

The mid-market rate on currency apps is not achievable in cash. The realistic benchmark is a major bank's published cash-buy rate, such as the Vietcombank website board, checked the same morning. A good shop quote is at or slightly above the bank cash-buy rate. A quote more than about 1% below it deserves a walk to the next shop.

A 10-second calculation

USD 300 × 26,250 = VND 7,875,000. Confirm the total on your phone calculator before handing over notes. Ask "100 đô bao nhiêu?" ("How much for 100 dollars?") and write the total down, or show the calculator screen to the cashier.

Rates move daily. Check the Vietcombank board on the morning you exchange and note the date. A quote that looked good last week may be ordinary today.

Counting the notes and spotting short-changing tricks

Know the notes

Vietnam's polymer notes run from 10,000 to 500,000 dong; coins are no longer in everyday use. The confusable pairs matter:

Note	Colour	Easily confused with	Quick check
20,000	Blue	500,000	Size and the number of zeros
500,000	Blue-cyan	20,000	Much larger, different portrait panel
10,000	Brown-yellow	200,000	Size and colour depth
200,000	Red-brown	10,000	Red tone, larger
100,000	Green	10,000	Size and the transparent window

The "k" shorthand on price tags means thousand: 50k is VND 50,000.

Common tricks and how each one works

The fold or double-count: notes folded so one is counted twice during a fast counter-side count.

Bait rate, then a "commission": a good rate on the board, with a fee added at the end.

Rate switch on small notes: the top rate quoted, then a lower small-note rate applied after the notes are handed over.

The recount swap: the cashier takes the stack back "to recount" after you have counted, and returns it short.

Street touts near the market gates: better rates offered, counterfeit or short stacks handed over.

Change swaps later in the day: a 20,000 note handed back where a 500,000 was given, at stalls or with drivers.

A counting protocol

1. Agree the total in writing, or on a calculator screen.
2. Hand over your notes only after seeing the VND stack.
3. Count it yourself, at the counter, by denomination.
4. Never let the stack leave your sight once counted.
5. Ask for a receipt.

Checking that notes are genuine

Check the transparent window and the watermark portrait. Scrunch the note: genuine polymer springs back.

Which notes to ask for

Ask for a mix: some VND 200,000 and 100,000 for daily use, and VND 50,000 or smaller for street food and drinks, rather than a single brick of 500,000 notes.

Timing: opening hours, Sundays, Tet and holidays

Weekly patterns

Gold shops open daily, often with shorter Sunday hours. Banks are mostly closed at weekends. The best times are mid-morning on weekdays. Queues at Ha Tam peak late afternoon and at weekends.

Tet

Most banks close for the official holiday of about 7-9 days, and many gold shops close for several days. Tet falls in late January or February, on the first day of the first lunar month. Exchange enough cash a few days before the holiday.

God of Wealth day

On Vía Thần Tài, the 10th day of the first lunar month, gold shops are extremely crowded with locals buying gold. Avoid the gold shops that day and use a bank counter instead.

Other public holidays

Banks close on 1 January, Hung Kings Commemoration Day (10th day of the 3rd lunar month), 30 April, 1 May and 2 September. Plan exchanges around them.

Cards, e-wallets and leftover dong

How much cash you really need

Cards are widely accepted in District 1 hotels, malls, chain cafés, convenience stores, and through Grab and Be. Cash is still needed for street food, markets (including Ben Thanh market stalls), small cafés and tips. Vietnamese QR payments (VietQR) mostly need a local bank account; check whether any tourist-accessible QR schemes are operating when you travel.

Leftover dong

Converting VND back to USD is difficult. Banks may ask for your original exchange receipt, and gold shops buy back at a wide spread. Exchange in stages, USD 100-200 at a time, and spend down before departure.

Two habits save the most money on this trip: decline dynamic currency conversion every time, and exchange in the city rather than at the airport. Everything else is a rounding error by comparison.

FAQ

Q: What currency does Vietnam use? The Vietnamese dong (VND), issued in its unified form since 1978. It replaced earlier currencies, including the French Indochina piastre and the South Vietnamese dong. Today's notes run from VND 1,000 to 500,000, with polymer for 10,000 and above, and coins are no longer in everyday use. US dollars are sometimes accepted in tourist businesses, but at poor rates, so paying in dong is cheaper.

Q: How much is VND 50,000,000 in US dollars? At about VND 26,300 per USD, roughly USD 1,900. The real amount depends on whether you are buying or selling and where, so check the board on the day.

Q: Is USD 100 a lot of money in Vietnam? USD 100 converts to roughly VND 2.6 million. In Saigon that covers about one comfortable day for a mid-range traveller, excluding hotel. Price anchors: a bowl of pho at about VND 50,000-80,000 (USD 2-3), a local coffee at VND 25,000-60,000 (USD 1-2.30), a Grab bike ride within District 1 at VND 15,000-35,000 (USD 0.60-1.35), and a one-hour massage at VND 300,000-500,000 (USD 11-19).

Q: Can a US citizen open a bank account in Vietnam? Generally only with a valid visa or temporary residence card of sufficient length, plus a passport and a local address. Short-stay tourists on e-visas usually cannot. For a trip, foreign cards, ATMs and cash exchange are the practical route.

Q: Is it better to exchange money at the airport or in District 1? District 1 is usually better. The Ben Thanh cluster beats airport counters by a margin that published sources put between about 1% and 10%. Change only USD 20-50 at the airport, or pay the ride into town by card through a ride-hailing app.

Q: Do gold shops in Saigon give fake or short money? Established, licensed shops near Ben Thanh rarely do. The risks are concentrated in street touts and unlicensed back rooms. Count by denomination at the counter, check the polymer window, and never hand the stack back once counted.

Q: Which ATM in Ho Chi Minh City has the lowest fees? Fees change, so test one withdrawal and check the receipt before committing. Declining dynamic currency conversion matters more than the choice of machine, since DCC markups of 3% to 8% dwarf a typical VND 20,000-110,000 ATM fee.

Q: Can leftover dong be changed back to dollars? It is possible but awkward. Banks may want your exchange receipt, and gold shops buy back at a wide spread. Exchanging in stages and spending down before departure avoids the problem.