Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Aqaba?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Aqaba or Ho Chi Minh City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Aqaba or Ho Chi Minh City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Aqaba or Ho Chi Minh City?
Aqaba
Aqaba is a port city in Jordan, in fact, it is the only port city in the country. This city is located on the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea, which is in the southern part of Jordan. The city is still being developed; many of its facilities and infrastructures are being improved. The population of Aqaba is about 190,000 and the city has been key in developing Jordan's economy via trade and tourism.
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 Luxury Tours to Jordan, The Best Budget Tours to Jordan, The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam.
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Aqaba Prices
Jordan PricesHo Chi Minh City Prices
Vietnam Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAqaba $157Ho Chi Minh City $89
The average daily cost (per person) in Aqaba is $157, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $89. 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 Aqaba and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAqaba $59Ho Chi Minh City $49
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAqaba $118Ho Chi Minh City $98
Compare Hotels in Aqaba and Ho Chi Minh City
Looking for a hotel in Aqaba 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: Aqaba Hotel Prices and Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Aqaba $24Ho Chi Minh City $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aqaba
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aqaba:
- Private Petra Day Trip from Aqaba Port with Return Transfer: $190
- Private Transfer from Aqaba Airport to Dead Sea Hotels: $160
- Transfers , Meet & Assistance at Wadi Araba Crossing Border: $153
- Transfer From Aqaba Airport to Wadi rum: $140
- Aqaba Airport (AQJ) to Petra - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $137
- Private Transfer from Wadi Rum to Amman Airport: $133
- Private Transfers from Wadi Rum Inside Jordan and Vice Versa: $129
- Aqaba Private Transfer from/to Amman, Airport, Dead Sea or K.H.B: $125
- Transfer from Aqaba City Or TalaBay to Wadi rum: $120
- Exclusive, Comfort & Reliable Door-to-Door Transfer Petra ⇆ Aqaba: $115
- From Transfer to Amman Hotels or Amman Airport: $113
- Aqaba or Aqaba Airport Private Transfer To Petra: $105
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$1.35
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Taxi From Airport$7.74
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.55
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- #1 Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh / SGN Airport : Private Luxury Transfer: $145
- Airport Transfer (From Airport - Ho Chi Minh City (Private 16 Seats Car): $70
- Airport Transfer From Hotel in Ho Chi Minh to Airport By 4 Seats Car: $35
- Airport Transfers (Airport - Ho Chi Minh,Private 16 Seats Car): $52
- CONVENIENT AIRPORT TRANSFER by PRIVATE CAR or SCOOTERS | KissTour: $28
- Can Tho: Bus transfer directly to/from Saigon City: $14
- Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Tour with English Guide & Transfers: $42
- From Phu My Port: Ho Chi Minh City Tour and Transfers: $143
- Fusion Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Grand Park Water Park & Rides Ticket with Optional Transfer: $14
- HCMC: Shooting Range Experience with Transfer: $69
- Ho Chi Minh ↔ Mui Ne Daily Transfer: Shared & Private: $24
Is it cheaper to fly into Aqaba or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Aqaba 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 dayAqaba $73Ho Chi Minh City $23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aqaba
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aqaba.
- Traditional Bedouin Cooking Experience in the Desert: $50
- Explore Wadi Rum: Jeep Tour, Bed and Breakfast, and Dinner: $80
- Wadi Rum Full Day Jeep Tour + Overnight in Bedouin Camp & Dinner: $80
- Wadi Rum Full Day Jeep Tour + Overnight & Dinner in Bedouin Camp: $106
- Half Day Sunset Tour + Dinner & overnight stay in luxury tents: $243
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)$4.14
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Pizza$5.03
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Sweet Rice$1.16
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Pork Sandwich$0.58
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.57
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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:
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour with Local LGBT Student Guide: $1.90
- Ho Chi Minh City Local Street Food Tour With Local Students: $7.93
- Ho Chi Minh City Authentic Street Food Tour With Local Students: $7.93
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour & Hidden Local Gems Sightseeing: $9.92
- Mekong With Cai Be Less Tourist - Cooking Class: $14
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Express Cooking Experience: $15
- Mekong Delta 4 Islands, TukTuk, Boat, Try Khot Cake Local Cooking: $16
- Vietnamese Spring Roll Cooking Class: $16
- HCMC: Saigon Food Tour & Chinatown & Local Market on Scooter: $17
- Ho Chi Minh City Cyclo Ride with Lunch or Dinner Experience: $18
- Ho Chi Minh City Michelin & Street Food Tour by Motorbike or Car: $18
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Aqaba $54Ho Chi Minh City $20
Tours and Activities in Aqaba
Here are a few actual costs in Aqaba for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 02 Hrs Jeep tour in Wadi Rum: $52
- 03 Hrs Jeep tour in Wadi Rum: $61
- 04 Hrs Jeep tour in Wadi Rum: $73
- 1 Day & 1 Night | Stay & Jeep + Camel Tour in Wadi Rum | Magic Bedouin Star: $99
- 1 Day Camel tour with lunch: $75
- 2 Days & 1 Night | Jeep & Hike Tour in Wadi Rum Desert | Magic Bedouin Star: $258
- 2 Days 1 Night in Wadi Rum Jeep Tour: $204
- 2 Days Tour | Petra, Wadi Rum, and Dead Sea From Amman.: $190
- 2 Hour Jeep Tour - Wadi Rum Desert & Canyon: $35
- 2 Hours Morning or Sunset Jeep Tour in Wadi Rum Desert Highlights: $30
- 2 To 5 Hours Glass Bottom Boat Private Tour At Read Sea: $90
- 2 hours Jeep tour in Wadi Rum with Bedouin guide (incl. bottled water and tea): $100
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$5.42
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- Highlights & Hidden Gems - Free Walking Tour: $0.62
- Chinatown Hidden Treasures – Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour: $0.62
- Ho Chi Minh City private walking tours with young local volunteers: $1.82
- Ho Chi Minh City Flexible Private Tour with Spa, City Highlights: $1.90
- Tan Lap Floating Village Authentic Mekong Delta Nature Tour: $1.90
- Private Long Tan Battlefield, Nui Dat Base and Vung Tau Day Tour: $1.90
- Vung Tau Beach and Coastal Landmarks Full Day Tour With Students: $1.90
- Ho Chi Minh Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt: $3.57
- Langbiang Nature Park Experience with Tickets: $4.81
- Essential Saigon Walking Tour – The City of Sword and Shield: $5.00
- Ao Dai Experience Vietnamese Culture in Style: $5.00
- Walking Tour: $5.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAqaba $9.07Ho Chi Minh City $7.73
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$0.39
Sample the Local Flavors in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Ho Chi Minh City:
- Rooftops, Hidden Bars & Iconic Pub Crawl: $8.05
- Make Your Own Gin Experience and Saigon Baigur Distillery Tour: $36
- Make-Your-Own Gin Experience & Saigon Baigur Distillery Tour: $36
- Saigon After Dark: Pub Crawl & Party Adventure: $69
- Bike And Craft Beer Brewery Mekong Delta Cycling Tour: $152
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aqaba and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Aqaba is more expensive. And not only is Ho Chi Minh City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Aqaba is in Middle East 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 Aqaba would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Aqaba 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 Aqaba Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Aqaba or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 40 times larger than the population of Aqaba. When comparing the sizes of Aqaba 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.