Vietnamese spend more on eating out as costs rise: report
Vietnamese consumers are increasingly spending more on meals outside home, with a noticeable shift toward higher price ranges compared with 2024, according to a recent report by iPOS.vn and Nestlé Professional.
For breakfast, the proportion of consumers spending between VND21,000 and VND40,000 (US$0.8–1.6) rose significantly, while those opting for meals priced below VND20,000 ($0.8) declined year on year.
The trend is attributed to rising input costs, which have pushed up food prices, as well as changing consumer preferences that favor quality over low prices.
Notably, the share of consumers spending over VND40,000 ($1.6) on breakfast edged up from 8.2 percent to 9.78 percent—a level comparable to a typical bowl of phở, a Vietnamese noodle soup made with broth, rice noodles, herbs and usually beef or chicken, or other noodle-based meals that are considered relatively filling.
Despite the shift, the VND21,000–30,000 ($0.8–1.2) range remains the “core price segment” of the breakfast market and is expected to remain the most competitive.
For lunch, the VND31,000–50,000 ($1.2–2) segment continued to dominate but saw its share drop from 60.7 percent in 2024 to 53.05 percent.
Meanwhile, higher spending segments above VND51,000 (over $2) increased from 29.6 percent to 31.79 percent.
At the same time, the proportion of consumers spending less than VND30,000 ($1.2) on lunch also rose sharply, from 9.8 percent to 15.16 percent.
The report attributed this to the growing presence of budget food outlets, the popularity of promotions on food delivery apps, and the expansion of convenience stores.
Dinner spending showed a clearer upward shift. The share of consumers spending under VND30,000 ($1.2) fell to 11.07 percent, while those spending over VND50,000 ($2) increased by five percentage points.
Most notably, the segment spending more than VND100,000 ($3.9) per dinner rose to 14.5 percent, up from 12.4 percent in 2024.
Despite inflationary pressures, higher dinner spending suggests Vietnamese consumers are seeking to maintain their quality of life, the report said.
The findings are based on a 2025 report on Vietnam’s food and beverage market, which surveyed more than 3,000 food and beverage (F&B) business owners and over 3,000 consumers across various age groups and professions.
Rising input costs squeeze F&B profit margins
Rising costs are emerging as a major challenge for food and beverage businesses in Vietnam in 2026, putting pressure on profit margins, according to the report.
About 69.38 percent of surveyed businesses identified surging raw material prices as the biggest obstacle, alongside increasing requirements to standardize operations and comply with regulations.
Many business owners described input costs as “skyrocketing,” with some reporting price increases of 30–40 percent this year, particularly for imported ingredients.
Nghi Vu / Tuoi Tre News
Link nội dung: https://news.tuoitre.vn/vietnamese-spend-more-on-eating-out-as-costs-rise-report-103260411104744906.htm