What fees and exchange-rate losses should I expect when withdrawing cash or exchanging money in Ho Chi Minh City?

From messages by 4 participants in 1 source · Last activity: 19 days ago

TL;DR

Costs vary by bank and method: ATM-based cash exchange through intermediaries can be about 8–10% worse than the Google rate, while bank charges are often only a few percent. Check your card’s fee-free withdrawal limit before taking out cash.

What the community said

If your bank does not add its own fee, the overall loss is usually only a few percent. Check the terms for your specific card before withdrawing cash.

19 days ago a few percent

Using an intermediary who dispenses cash through an ATM was reported as fast and convenient, but the effective rate was around 8–10% worse than the Google exchange rate.

23 days ago 8–10% below the Google rate

One card tariff applied a fee of about 2% after a RUB 50,000 limit. This shows that a fee-free transaction limit can matter more than the headline exchange rate.

26 days ago RUB 50,000; about 2%

This convenient payment or cash-access method may not work everywhere, and the effective markup can sometimes be roughly 10–13%.

26 days ago 10–13%