The cheapest meal I ordered during my visit to the McDonald's in Ho Chi Minh City was the fried chicken and rice with a medium Coca-Cola for 84,000 dong, or about $3.60.
It was by no means a bad deal, but Vietnam has a strong street-food culture with many popular choices that cost a fraction of McDonald's prices.
You can find a delicious bánh mì, a Vietnamese sandwich on a baguette, for just 15,000 dong, or about $0.64, from street vendors. They can also make phở in seconds by ladling together noodles, meat, vegetables, herbs, and broth. Usually, the soup costs roughly 20,000 dong, or about $1.
I'd love to see the McDonald's locations in Vietnam feature more options inspired by the country's famous street food, like phở, bánh mì, and bún chả (grilled pork and noodles).
I'll definitely try McDonald's again at my next destination, and I can't wait to see how its menu compares to this one and others around the globe.