Thang, a resident of Hoang Mai Ward in Hanoi, said the pho restaurant near his house used to charge only VND30,000 per bowl, then increased to VND35,000, and recently reached VND40,000. “Within a short period, the price of a bowl of pho has gone up twice. It’s now hard to find an eatery where you can eat pho at just VND30,000,” he said.

The prices are even in the central area of the city, especially Hoan Kiem. Cuong, an office worker, said he has to pay VND45,000 for a bowl of pho, or VND5,000 higher than previously.

At more upscale eateries, when diners sit in air-conditioned rooms and enjoy better services, the price is no less than VND50,000.

Cuong said he is considering reducing how often he eats out and switching to more affordable dishes to save money.

VietNamNet reporters, who conducted a small survey at some eateries in the suburbs and the central area, found that the prices have increased by 15-20 percent compared with the same period last year.

Restaurant owners said the price hike is unavoidable due to rising input costs. They have fallen into a dilemma: they may lose customers if raising selling prices, but their profits would shrink if they don do this.

This reality is reflected in the July 2025 CPI report by the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance. The food and dining services category increased by 0.18 percent, contributing 0.06 percentage points to the overall CPI. Among these, food rose by 0.15 percent, with dining out seeing a notable increase of 0.39 percent.

Lan, who runs a pho shop in Hoang Mai area, said retail premises rent and ingredient costs have gone up about 10 percent compared to the same time last year.

“Beef, bones, spices, and even herbs are more expensive. Plus, taxes, utilities, and other fees have risen. If we keep prices the same, we’ll barely break even, or worse, lose money. But raising prices too quickly could drive away loyal customers,” Lan said.

She added that every price adjustment carries the risk of losing longtime regulars. Her shop raised the pho price from VND30,000 to VND35,000 in mid-June and is now considering another VND5,000 increase if costs keep climbing.

It’s not just bun and pho, but other street foods like banh mi are also seeing price increases. Hung, who owns a banh mi shop in Cau Giay, said his pate sandwich has gone from VND20,000 to VND25,000 due to rising costs for meat, pate, and vegetables.

“We tried to hold off on raising prices for as long as possible, but since mid-June, it became unsustainable,” Hung said. 

Tam An