{
  "$schema": "https://schema.org/Dataset",
  "name": "The Pho Index 2026",
  "description": "Local-neighborhood and tourist-zone price ranges (VND) for a regular bowl of beef pho across 12 Vietnamese cities — Hanoi, Sapa, Ninh Binh, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and Phu Quoc — with USD conversions at 26,000 VND per dollar, midpoint tourist markups and per-row sources. Hue is benchmarked on bun bo Hue, the city's native bowl.",
  "publisher": "Day Trips Vietnam",
  "publisher_url": "https://daytripsvietnam.com",
  "source_url": "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/pho-index-2026/",
  "methodology_url": "https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/pho-index-2026/#methodology",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "license_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "temporal_coverage": "2026",
  "spatial_coverage": "Hanoi, Sapa, Ninh Binh, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Phu Quoc (Vietnam)",
  "updated": "2026-07-25",
  "version": "2026.1",
  "suggested_citation": "Day Trips Vietnam, \"The Pho Index 2026\" (July 2026), https://daytripsvietnam.com/guides/pho-index-2026/",
  "headline": {
    "local_shop_typical_vnd": "30,000-50,000",
    "local_shop_typical_usd": "1.15-1.95",
    "tourist_zone_typical_multiple": "1.5-3x",
    "cheapest_row": "Can Tho (floating-market and local bowls from about 20,000 VND)",
    "highest_local_baseline": "Ho Chi Minh City (about 40,000-70,000 VND at local shops)",
    "steepest_midpoint_markup": "Da Nang beachfront, about 2.5x the local midpoint",
    "note": "Michelin Bib Gourmand-listed pho in Hanoi starts around 35,000-45,000 VND — still under $2 a bowl at the mid-2026 exchange rate."
  },
  "methodology": {
    "collection_window": "2026-06/2026-07",
    "reference_bowl": "A regular (standard-size) bowl of beef pho — pho bo tai or chin — not special, large or combo bowls. Chicken pho is noted where it anchors a range. Hue is benchmarked on bun bo Hue, the city's everyday bowl; the Quy Nhon range is corroborated against fish-cake noodle soup.",
    "range_types": {
      "local_shop_vnd": "Typical price band at neighborhood shops and street stalls where residents eat, from named-shop menus and dated reporting",
      "tourist_zone_vnd": "Typical price band at eateries in the main visitor concentration (old quarters, beachfronts, night-market strips); null where recent coverage does not support a distinct tourist band"
    },
    "exchange_rate": {
      "vnd_per_usd": 26000,
      "note": "USD conversions use a rounded 26,000 VND = 1 USD. The dong traded around 26,250-26,300 per USD in mid-July 2026 (Trading Economics), so rounded conversions understate dollar prices by about 1%.",
      "source": "https://tradingeconomics.com/vietnam/currency"
    },
    "tourist_markup_midpoint": "Ratio of the tourist-zone range midpoint to the local-shop range midpoint, rounded to one decimal; null for single-range rows",
    "notes": [
      "Ranges, never averages — sources publish menu prices and bands, not distributions, so we do not compute means.",
      "Prefer 2025-2026 sources; every row lists its own sources with the oldest anchor flagged in the row note.",
      "Prices are as published or reported, VAT/service included as menus state them; festival and Tet surcharges excluded.",
      "Hai Phong, Buon Ma Thuot and Vung Tau were researched and dropped: recent coverage prices Hai Phong's banh da cua rather than pho, and the only pho price we found for Buon Ma Thuot was a dated listing. We do not publish rows we cannot source.",
      "Hanoi reporting from August 2025 documents the 30,000-VND local bowl fading (steps to 35,000-45,000), so the Hanoi local band reflects post-increase prices.",
      "Confidence: high = multiple 2025-2026 sources or named-shop menus; medium = fewer or older anchors, flagged in the row note."
    ]
  },
  "cities": [
    {
      "city": "Hanoi",
      "region": "north",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 30000, "max": 45000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": { "min": 60000, "max": 100000 },
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 1.15, "max": 1.73 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": { "min": 2.31, "max": 3.85 },
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": 2.1,
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Pho's birthplace. August 2025 reporting shows neighborhood bowls stepping from 30,000 to 35,000-40,000 VND and central bowls to about 45,000; famous 25,000-VND holdouts persist. Michelin Bib Gourmand shops start around 35,000 (Pho Ga Nguyet) to 45,000 VND (Pho Khoi Hoi); the most expensive Michelin-listed special bowl is 200,000 VND. Old Quarter tourist-facing shops run about 60,000-100,000 VND.",
      "sources": [
        "https://vietnamnet.vn/en/pho-for-vnd30-000-fades-away-as-street-food-prices-climb-in-hanoi-2437708.html",
        "https://asianlinktravel.com/pho-price-in-vietnam/",
        "https://www.vietnam.vn/en/9-quan-pho-ha-noi-duoc-michelin-goi-ten-dat-nhat-200-000-dong-bat",
        "https://vietnamnet.vn/en/michelin-honors-hanoi-s-pho-khoi-hoi-on-bib-gourmand-list-2300221.html",
        "https://www.vietnam.vn/en/bat-pho-25-000-dong-trong-quan-re-nhat-ha-noi-nhieu-nam-khong-tang-gia"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Sapa",
      "region": "north",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo / pho ga",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 40000, "max": 80000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": null,
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 1.54, "max": 3.08 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": null,
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": null,
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "Single range: Sapa town is compact and tourism-dominated, so the local/tourist split blurs. 2026 guides put a good bowl at 40,000-80,000 VND across town; budget chicken pho anchors the bottom at about 40,000 VND (Quyen).",
      "sources": [
        "https://sapanomad.com/best-pho-in-sapa/",
        "https://namastevietnamtours.com/7-must-try-budget-local-food-spots-in-sapa/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Ninh Binh",
      "region": "north",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo (goat and chicken pho common)",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 40000, "max": 50000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": { "min": 50000, "max": 70000 },
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 1.54, "max": 1.92 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": { "min": 1.92, "max": 2.69 },
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": 1.3,
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "Standard bowls 40,000-50,000 VND; chicken pho 55,000-70,000 and goat pho about 50,000 at shops near the Tam Coc/Trang An visitor area, which anchors the tourist band. Gentlest markup in the index — tourism here spreads across the countryside.",
      "sources": [
        "https://pioneersailtravel.com/best-pho-ninh-binh/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Hue",
      "region": "central",
      "benchmark_dish": "bun bo Hue (pho is a minority dish)",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 30000, "max": 40000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": { "min": 40000, "max": 60000 },
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 1.15, "max": 1.54 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": { "min": 1.54, "max": 2.31 },
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": 1.4,
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Priced on bun bo Hue, the city's native bowl — pho shops exist but are not the everyday benchmark. Neighborhood and morning shops charge 30,000-40,000 VND (O Phung 35,000); central and Perfume River-adjacent shops 40,000-60,000 (Ba Tuyet 50,000). Tet-period surcharges of 5,000-10,000 VND excluded.",
      "sources": [
        "https://vietnamnomad.com/eat-drink/bun-bo-hue/",
        "https://culturephamtravel.com/bun-bo-hue/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Da Nang",
      "region": "central",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 25000, "max": 50000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": { "min": 70000, "max": 120000 },
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 0.96, "max": 1.92 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": { "min": 2.69, "max": 4.62 },
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": 2.5,
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Steepest midpoint markup in the index. Local markets and eateries run 25,000-50,000 VND (October 2025 pricing survey); beachfront and tourist cafes 70,000-120,000. A 2026 food guide corroborates a 40,000-80,000 central-region band.",
      "sources": [
        "https://asianlinktravel.com/pho-price-in-vietnam/",
        "https://junglebosstours.com/explorer/tourism-blog/best-vietnam-food"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Hoi An",
      "region": "central",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo / pho ga",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 25000, "max": 50000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": { "min": 50000, "max": 120000 },
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 0.96, "max": 1.92 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": { "min": 1.92, "max": 4.62 },
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": 2.3,
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "February 2026 shop-by-shop survey: Pho Lien 25,000, Pho Thanh 35,000, Pho Nguyen and Pho Lien Nga 40,000, Quan Pho Lucky 50,000 VND. The same source reports Ancient Town restaurants charging double to triple local-stall prices and advises skepticism above 60,000 VND at non-specialist places.",
      "sources": [
        "https://nomadsbeyond.com/best-pho-in-hoi-an/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Quy Nhon",
      "region": "central",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo (fish-cake noodle soup is the everyday bowl)",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 40000, "max": 60000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": null,
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 1.54, "max": 2.31 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": null,
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": null,
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "Single range, oldest anchor in the index: a mid-2024 local guide prices a generous pho bo around 40,000 VND and full-topping versions about 60,000. The city's everyday bowl is banh canh/bun cha ca at 25,000-40,000 VND, which corroborates the floor. Expect the pho band to have drifted up since mid-2024.",
      "sources": [
        "https://gogogovietnam.com/where-what-to-eat-in-quy-nhon/",
        "https://izitour.com/en/blog/quy-nhon-food"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Nha Trang",
      "region": "south-central coast",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 30000, "max": 50000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": { "min": 50000, "max": 75000 },
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 1.15, "max": 1.92 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": { "min": 1.92, "max": 2.88 },
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": 1.6,
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Humble shops and stalls 30,000-50,000 VND; popular and tourist-adjacent restaurants 50,000-75,000, topping out around 75,000 at well-known spots (Pho Phuc Long). 2025 city food guides agree on a 30,000-60,000 core band.",
      "sources": [
        "https://vinpearl.com/en/best-pho-in-nha-trang",
        "https://joytime.vn/en/blog/9765-best-pho-in-nha-trang.html"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Da Lat",
      "region": "central highlands",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 35000, "max": 55000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": { "min": 49000, "max": 99000 },
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 1.35, "max": 2.12 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": { "min": 1.88, "max": 3.81 },
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": 1.6,
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Local picks cluster at 35,000-55,000 VND (Pho Chat 35,000-55,000; Pho Huong 35,000-45,000; Pho Uyen about 50,000). Tourist-oriented specialists reach 49,000-99,000 (Atispho, artichoke-broth bowls). Highland beef towns keep quality high at local prices.",
      "sources": [
        "https://vinpearl.com/en/pho-da-lat",
        "https://vinwonders.com/en/wonderpedia/news/pho-da-lat/"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Ho Chi Minh City",
      "region": "south",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 40000, "max": 70000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": { "min": 80000, "max": 120000 },
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 1.54, "max": 2.69 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": { "min": 3.08, "max": 4.62 },
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": 1.8,
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Highest local baseline in the index: basic bowls 35,000-40,000 exist, but the typical pho bo runs 50,000-75,000 (Pho Le 60,000-70,000; the 2025 Pho Day festival price was 40,000). District 1 tourist spots — Ben Thanh stalls, Pho Hoa Pasteur — run 80,000-120,000. Novelty tops out around 288,000 VND for wagyu pho.",
      "sources": [
        "https://backofthebiketours.com/how-much-does-pho-cost-in-vietnam/",
        "https://asianlinktravel.com/pho-price-in-vietnam/",
        "https://www.vietnam.vn/en/ngay-cua-pho-2025-tai-tphcm-dong-nghit-khach-nhieu-nguoi-hao-huc-dung-an"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Can Tho",
      "region": "Mekong Delta",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho / noodle-soup bowls at floating markets and local eateries",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 20000, "max": 40000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": null,
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 0.77, "max": 1.54 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": null,
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": null,
      "confidence": "medium",
      "note": "Cheapest row in the index. Single range: 2026 travel coverage prices boat-served pho and noodle bowls at the floating markets around 20,000-40,000 VND (Phong Dien bowls about 20,000); recent English coverage does not support a distinct tourist band on land.",
      "sources": [
        "https://vinpearl.com/en/can-tho-vietnam-the-ultimate-travel-guide",
        "https://vinpearl.com/en/phong-dien-floating-market-can-tho"
      ]
    },
    {
      "city": "Phu Quoc",
      "region": "south (island)",
      "benchmark_dish": "pho bo",
      "local_shop_vnd": { "min": 25000, "max": 60000 },
      "tourist_zone_vnd": { "min": 50000, "max": 80000 },
      "local_shop_usd": { "min": 0.96, "max": 2.31 },
      "tourist_zone_usd": { "min": 1.92, "max": 3.08 },
      "tourist_markup_midpoint": 1.5,
      "confidence": "high",
      "note": "Island premium is modest at pho shops: local spots run 25,000-60,000 VND (Phat Dat Quan 25,000-35,000; Pho Saigon 30,000-60,000; a 2026 cost guide says 45,000-65,000 at local spots), while shops on the tourist circuit charge 50,000-80,000. Resort-restaurant bowls exceed this band.",
      "sources": [
        "https://rootytrip.com/en/pho-restaurants-in-phu-quoc/",
        "https://fasttrack-vietnam.com/blog/phu-quoc-travel-cost-plan-how-much-youll-spend-on-food-hotels-and-transport/"
      ]
    }
  ]
}