Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City: Markets, Malls, Tailors and Fair Prices
Saigon sells almost everything, from a 120,000 VND T-shirt to a made-to-measure suit. The hard part is knowing where to go for what, and what a fair price looks like. This guide sorts the city by what you want to buy. The prices, the tax refund rules and the traps we warn our own guests about.
- Ben Thanh has a day market and night stalls; Saigon Square sells clothes and bags under air conditioning.
- Binh Tay is the wholesale market locals use, 6:00 to 18:00.
- T-shirts cost 120,000 to 300,000 VND at Saigon Square.
- A tailored suit starts around 4,900,000 VND and takes 2 to 3 weeks.
- VAT refund from 2,000,000 VND spent in one shop on one day.
- Fakes are sold openly. Customs at home can seize them.
Where to Shop in Ho Chi Minh City, by What You Want
There is no single best place to shop in Saigon. There is a best place for each thing on your list. Start from what you want to bring home, then pick the address.
| You want | Go to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap clothes, bags, backpacks | Saigon Square, 77-89 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia | Air-conditioned, about 9:00 to 21:00 |
| Local fashion labels | 26 Ly Tu Trong, Nguyen Trai, Tran Quang Dieu | Vietnamese brands, not copies |
| Souvenirs and a first look | Ben Thanh Market | Day market, then night stalls |
| Wholesale prices | Binh Tay Market | 600+ stalls over 2 floors |
| Fabric and jewellery | An Dong Market | 2,702 stalls |
| Vintage | Ba Chieu Market, Binh Thanh | Night market from 19:00 |
| Lacquerware | Phuong Nam Lacquerware, 19 Vo Van Tan | 900 m² showroom, open since 1996 |
| A suit or a dress made for you | A tailor, chosen with care | From about 4,900,000 VND for a suit |
| Silk scarves | Ben Thanh Market, south gate | 40,000 to 300,000 VND a scarf |
| Coffee to take home | Ben Thanh Market, east gate | 60,000 to 120,000 VND per 500 g |
| An ao dai | Fabric at Ben Thanh or Tan Dinh market, then a tailor | Custom ao dai from about 300,000 VND |
Since July 2025 Ho Chi Minh City has no administrative districts, only wards. Everyone still says District 1 or District 3, and so do we.
Crafts and antiques: buy the maker, not the story
For lacquerware, a workshop showroom beats a market stall. Phuong Nam Lacquerware, at 19 Vo Van Tan, has sold since 1996 from a 900 m² showroom, so you can compare finishes side by side.
Minh Phuong Lacquer-Ware Gallery is a second lacquer address. Check its location before you go.
Antiques are a different matter. On Le Cong Kieu, the antiques street, most pieces are reproductions, and prices are quoted in US dollars. Buy one because you like it, never because you are told it is old.
Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh is where most visitors start. It works in two shifts: a day market inside the hall, and night stalls on the streets around it once evening comes.
It is also where first prices to visitors run highest, often 2 to 3 times the local rate. Know your numbers before you go in. Our Ben Thanh Market guide covers the four gates, reference prices and how to bargain.
Treat it as a place to see and compare. For clothes, the addresses in the next section usually serve you better.
Ben Thanh also fits easily into a day of sightseeing in the centre. Our list of things to do in Ho Chi Minh City groups the nearby sights by area.
Saigon Square and the Clothing Streets
Saigon Square, at 77-89 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, is an indoor market of small clothing and bag stalls. It opens around 9:00 and closes around 21:00, and it is air-conditioned, which counts in the afternoon heat.
If you want clothes made by Vietnamese brands rather than copies, walk to these streets instead:
- Nguyen Trai. Local chains such as GUMAC and IVY moda, with prices around 300,000 to 900,000 VND.
- 26 Ly Tu Trong. One building with 20+ local brands, and The New Playground in the basement.
- Tran Quang Dieu, District 3. Local youth brands such as Libe Workshop, Rechic, Hades and Degrey. Worth the detour if you are staying in District 3.
- 42 Nguyen Hue. The Cafe Apartment, nine floors with 30+ cafes and boutiques. The small lift costs 3,000 to 5,000 VND, usually refunded when you order.
Several of these addresses are also worth an evening walk. Our guide to Saigon at night suggests what to pair them with.
The Markets Locals Use: Binh Tay, An Dong, Ba Chieu, Hanh Thong Tay
Few visitors reach these markets, and that is their appeal. They serve residents and traders, so the goods are everyday and the rhythm follows the clock.
- 16:00 to 18:00
Binh Tay Market
Two floors and more than 600 stalls, mostly wholesale.
- 27:00 to 18:00
An Dong Market
2,702 stalls, known for fabric and jewellery. Few tourists.
- 3From 18:00
Hanh Thong Tay Market
An evening market that runs until 23:00 or midnight.
- 4From 19:00
Ba Chieu Market, Binh Thanh
The night market for vintage clothes.
- 50:00 to 3:00
Ho Thi Ky flower market
Flowers traded in the small hours.
Bring cash. These markets work in cash, so withdraw before you go.
At Binh Tay, wholesalers sell by the dozen, and the wholesale rush runs from 6:00 to 9:00. Come from about 7:00 if you are buying for yourself.
These markets are spread across the city, and the night ones close late. If you would rather go with someone who knows the stalls and the prices, our Saigon Shopping Tour runs 3.5 hours. Departures at 9 AM or 2 PM, $37.
Shopping Malls in Ho Chi Minh City
Many travellers search for a mall when what they want is simple: shopping indoors, out of the heat. The centre has four main malls, and malls take Visa and Mastercard.
| Mall | Address | Hours | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vincom Center Dong Khoi | 72 Le Thanh Ton | 10:00 to 22:00 | Zara, H&M, Apple Store, Louis Vuitton, Gucci |
| Saigon Centre / Takashimaya | 65 Le Loi | 9:30 to 21:30 weekdays, to 22:00 at weekends | |
| Diamond Plaza | 34 Le Duan | 9:00 to 22:00 | Cosmetics |
| Union Square | 171 Dong Khoi | 10:00 to 21:00 | Dior, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany |
Tailors and Custom Clothes
Having clothes made is one of the best purchases in Saigon, if you give it time. A two-piece suit starts around 4,900,000 VND, a three-piece around 6,500,000 VND. Across tailors, the range runs wide, from about $250 to $700.
Count 2 to 3 weeks for a normal order. Some tailors offer an express service in 3 days for short stays.
Worth it for
- You have 2 to 3 weeks in the city
- You can put every detail in writing
- You chose the tailor yourself
Skip it if
- You leave in less than 3 days
- Someone at a stall walks you to "their" tailor
- The price is only spoken, never written
Skip the tailors inside Ben Thanh Market. They are overpriced, and the sales pitch is hard. Buy your fabric there if you like, then take it to a tailor you chose.
What Things Cost: A Price Table
These are the reference prices we check an offer against. No stall posts them. If a first price sits far above the range, answer it calmly with a lower offer.
| Item | Price, 2026 | Where |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirt | 120,000 to 300,000 VND (about $4.60 to $11.60) | Saigon Square |
| Shirt or dress | 180,000 to 500,000 VND (about $6.90 to $19.30) | Saigon Square |
| Bag | 200,000 to 800,000 VND (about $7.70 to $30.80) | Saigon Square |
| Backpack | 350,000 to 1,500,000 VND (about $13.50 to $57.80) | Saigon Square |
| Local-brand clothing | 300,000 to 900,000 VND (about $11.60 to $34.70) | IVY moda, Nguyen Trai |
| Silk scarf | 40,000 to 300,000 VND (about $1.50 to $11.60) | Ben Thanh Market |
| Lacquerware | 50,000 to 500,000 VND (about $1.90 to $19.30) | Ben Thanh Market |
| Coffee, 500 g | 60,000 to 120,000 VND (about $2.30 to $4.60) | Ben Thanh Market |
| Ao dai fabric, per metre | 200,000 to 800,000 VND (about $7.70 to $30.80) | Ben Thanh Market |
| Custom ao dai | From about 300,000 VND | Tailor |
| Two-piece suit | From about 4,900,000 VND (about $189) | Tailor |
| Three-piece suit | From about 6,500,000 VND (about $251) | Tailor |
| Shipping box home | $80 to $300 | DHL, FedEx or EMS |
Dollar amounts use the September 2026 rate of 25,936 VND to the dollar.
Bought too much? DHL and FedEx deliver in 2 to 5 days, EMS in 7 to 14 days.
Use the table as a yardstick. A T-shirt offered at 600,000 VND is double the top of the Saigon Square range: that is an opening price, not the real one. Counter with a figure inside the range, and walk away if nothing moves.
Markets work in cash. VPBank ATMs let you withdraw without fees. MoMo and ZaloPay, the local payment apps, need a Vietnamese bank account, so they rarely help a visitor. More money habits are in our Ho Chi Minh City travel tips.
VAT Refunds for Shoppers (2026 Rules)
Since Decree 181/2025, visitors with a foreign passport can claim back part of the VAT. The threshold is 2,000,000 VND in one shop on one day, and only shops that issue a QR-code e-invoice qualify.
- 1In the shop
Buy and get the QR invoice
Show your passport and ask for the e-invoice before you pay.
- 2Before check-in
Customs counter
Show the goods and the invoice. They must leave Vietnam within 60 days of purchase.
- 3Airside
Refund counter
After passport control, go to the refund counter to file the claim.
- 47 to 15 days later
Money back
The refund lands on your card.
You get 85% of the VAT. With VAT at 8% until 31 December 2026, that is about 6.8% of the price.
In practice, a purchase of exactly 2,000,000 VND brings back about 136,000 VND. The refund pays off on larger purchases in one shop, such as a tailored suit. It is not worth chasing across a string of small buys from different stalls.
Services, consumables, jewellery, antiques and art are excluded.
Fakes, Raids and Customs: The Risk You Take Home
Counterfeits are on open sale in Saigon, and inspections stepped up in 2025 and 2026. For sellers, trading fakes worth more than 200,000,000 VND is a criminal offence.
Six tricks catch shoppers most often:
- The note swap. 20,000 and 500,000 VND notes look alike. Keep large and small notes apart, and count your change.
- The visitor markup. A first price 2 to 3 times the local rate. The price table above is your answer.
- Fake civet coffee. Sold as a rarity you cannot check at the stall. Buy ordinary coffee instead.
- Fake antiques. On Le Cong Kieu, most pieces are reproductions priced in dollars.
- The tailor lure. A stranger's bargain that ends at a tailor. Choose your tailor yourself.
- The fruit pole photo. A picture with a carrying pole, then a bill. Decline with a smile.
For the rest of your trip, read our honest safety guide.
Questions we get on the bike
At Saigon Square, 120,000 to 300,000 VND. Local brands on Nguyen Trai sell clothing at around 300,000 to 900,000 VND.
In markets, yes: first prices to visitors often run 2 to 3 times the local rate. Know the reference price before you ask.
Markets work in cash. MoMo and ZaloPay need a Vietnamese bank account. VPBank ATMs let you withdraw without fees.
Yes. A box costs about $80 to $300. DHL and FedEx take 2 to 5 days, EMS 7 to 14 days.
Two to three weeks for a normal order, or 3 days with an express service. Agree everything in writing before you pay.
Visitors with a foreign passport who spend at least 2,000,000 VND in one shop on one day, with a QR-code invoice. You get back 85% of the VAT.
Clara grew up just outside Saigon and moved to the city five years ago to study. She has been riding its streets ever since. Most evenings you’ll find her leading our night rides, usually with a bowl of snails waiting at the end. Everything in this guide is what she tells her own guests before the first stop.
Shop Saigon with a local woman guide
Three and a half hours, 9 AM or 2 PM, hotel pickup in former Districts 1, 2 and 3. Free cancellation up to 24 hours, no deposit, pay on the day.
