Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Ankara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ankara or Ho Chi Minh City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Ankara and Ho Chi Minh City. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Ankara or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ankara
Located at the heart of Turkey near Central Anatolia, Ankara is the capital city and second largest city in the country after Istanbul. Formerly known for its long-haired goats and textiles, the city has since developed into a metropolitan mix of modern cultures with historic landmarks.
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam. It previously served as the capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The metropolitan area, including Ho Chi Minh City, Thu Dau Mot, Di An, Bien Hoa, and other surrounding towns, has a population of more than 9 million people and continues to grow.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Turkey, The Best Luxury Tours to Turkey, The Best 2-Week Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Vietnam.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAnkara $110Ho Chi Minh City $83
The average daily cost (per person) in Ankara is $110, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $83. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Ankara and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAnkara $54Ho Chi Minh City $50
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAnkara $108Ho Chi Minh City $100
Compare Hotels in Ankara and Ho Chi Minh City
Looking for a hotel in Ankara or Ho Chi Minh City? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Ankara Hotel Prices and Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ankara $35Ho Chi Minh City $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ankara
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Ankara:
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Metro Ride$0.04
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Short Taxi Ride$0.15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ankara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ankara:
- Ankara - Cappadocia Private Transfer (Mercedes Vito): $373
- Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Gordion Ancient City: $185
- Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Kizilcahamam Town: $185
- Private Transfers Ankara City or Esenboga Airport to/from Beypazari Town: $185
- Ankara Private Transfer from central Ankara hotels to Ankara Airport (ESB): $112
- Private Transfer from Ankara Esenboga Airport (ESB) to Central Ankara: $112
- Ankara Esenboga Airport transfers to Ankara City Center (Cankaya,Kizilay) Hotels: $107
- Ankara City Center (Cankaya,Kizilay) Hotels to Ankara Esenboga Airport transfers: $107
- Ankara Private Departure Transfer from City hotels to Airport: $75
- Private Transfers Between Ankara Esenboga Airport - Ankara City Centre: $75
- Ankara Esenboga Airport to Ankara City Hotels Private Arrival Transfer: $68
- Ankara Esenboğa Airport From/To City Center Private Transfer: $61
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Ho Chi Minh City:
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Short Taxi Ride$1.42
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Taxi From Airport$8.13
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.63
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer (From Airport - Ho Chi Minh City (Private 16 Seats Car): $70
- Airport Transfer (From Hotels in Ho Chi Minh to Airport) Private 4 Seats Car: $38
- Airport Transfer (From Hotels in Ho Chi Minh to Airport) Private 7 Seats Car: $47
- Airport Transfer From Hotel in Ho Chi Minh to Airport By 4 Seats Car: $35
- Airport Transfer From Hotel in Ho Chi Minh to Airport By 7 Seats Car: $41
- Airport Transfers (Airport - Ho Chi Minh,Private 16 Seats Car): $52
- Airport transfer Ho Chi Minh Tan Son Nhat Airport to Mui Ne: $29
- Airport transfer from TAN SON NHAT airport to HO CHI MINH: $23
- CONVENIENT AIRPORT TRANSFER by PRIVATE CAR or SCOOTERS | KissTour: $28
- Can Tho: Bus transfer directly to/from Saigon City: $11
- Da Lat: Bus transfer from/to Sai Gon with FUTA Bus Lines: $14
- Fusion Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
Is it cheaper to fly into Ankara or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Ankara change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAnkara $31Ho Chi Minh City $14
Typical Food Prices in Ankara
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Ankara:
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A Quick Lunch$0.34
Typical Food Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ho Chi Minh City:
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Street Food Dinner (for Two)$4.35
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Pizza$5.28
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Sweet Rice$1.22
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Pork Sandwich$0.61
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.90
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Western Lunch (for Two)$12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ho Chi Minh City
For Ho Chi Minh City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Saigon: Street Food Tour and The Local Life: $4.20
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Saigon tour Walking Chinatown or HCM city walking food tour: $19
- Saigon Unseen & Food Tour By scooter w Student | Saigon Adventure: $20
- Saigon: City Day Sights & Local Food Tour|Opt: Ao Dai Riders: $24
- Saigon: Night Sights & Local Food Tour w Ao Dai Rider Option: $25
- Ho Chi Minh city Street Food Tour By Motorbike/ Car + SAFE + FUN: $26
- Private Walking Food Tour with Local Students : $26
- Ho Chi Minh Food Tour With Saigon Vibes: $27
- Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $27
- Ho Chi Minh Food Tour By Walking With Saigon Vibes: $27
- Saigon: Private Backstreets Walking Food Tour & 12+ Tastings: $27
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ankara $32Ho Chi Minh City $20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ankara
Here are a few typical costs in Ankara for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Underground City$0.23
Tours and Activities in Ankara
Here are a few actual costs in Ankara for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Ankara : Private Walking Tour With A Guide ( Private Tour ) : $34
- Ankara Highlights Walking Tour With A Guide: $32
- Ankara Private Walking Tour: $274
- Ankara Private Walking Tour with a Professional Guide: $225
- Private Tour with a Local: $38
- Private Walking tour With A Guide (Private Tour): $33
- Half Day Private Tour in Ankara: $215
- Istanbul: Golden Horn & Bosphorus Day Cruise: $165
- Istanbul: Half-Day Tour with Topkapi Palace: $145
- Konya and Cappdocia Tour 3 Days-2 Nights from Ankara: $451
- Private Ankara City Tours by an Archaeologist Tour Guide : $280
- Private Tour: Ankara Sightseeing: $235
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
For Ho Chi Minh City, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Massage$5.69
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour: $0.02
- Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour: $0.50
- Explore Mekong Delta Tour With Local Guide: $0.84
- Ho Chi Minh City private walking tours with young local volunteers: $1.91
- Saigon Sites and Stories - Walking Tour: $4.20
- Walking Tour: $5.00
- Ho chi minh: Nguyen's Royal Museum Ticket: $6.26
- Saigon: City Sightseeing 45-Minute Panoramic Night Tour: $7.00
- Saigon: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $7.00
- Panoramic City Bus Tour: $7.00
- Night Bus Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $7.50
- Ho Chi Minh City Tour and Independence Palace Ticket 2 in 1: $8.46
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAnkara $14Ho Chi Minh City $8.12
Typical Alcohol Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Ho Chi Minh City:
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Beer$0.41
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ankara and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Ankara is more expensive. And not only is Ho Chi Minh City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ankara is in Europe and Ho Chi Minh City is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Ho Chi Minh City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ho Chi Minh City and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Ankara would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ankara than you might in Ho Chi Minh City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ankara Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ankara or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ankara has a larger population, and is about 1% larger than the population of Ho Chi Minh City. When comparing the sizes of Ankara and Ho Chi Minh City, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.