Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Cairo?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cairo or Ho Chi Minh City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Cairo and Ho Chi Minh City can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Cairo or Ho Chi Minh City?
Cairo
Cairo is the chaotic capital city of Egypt. With a population of more than 16 million, it is one of the largest cities in both Africa and the Middle East. As a traveler, you're likely to arrive and leave from here and you'll get your first orientation to the area during the chaotic and congestion filled taxi ride from the airport.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Egypt, The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCairo $17Ho Chi Minh City $80
The average daily cost (per person) in Cairo is $17, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $80. 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 Cairo and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCairo $9.27Ho Chi Minh City $48
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCairo $19Ho Chi Minh City $96
Compare Hotels in Cairo and Ho Chi Minh City
Looking for a hotel in Cairo 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: Cairo Hotel Prices and Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cairo $2.96Ho Chi Minh City $15
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cairo
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Cairo are as follows:
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Metro Ride$0.08
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Taxi Ride$0.31
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairo
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cairo:
- 3 Private Full-Day Tours to Cairo Top Attractions+One Airport Transfer: $300
- Private Transfer from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh : $290
- Private Transfer Cairo to Hurghada: $290
- Full-Day Private Trip to Fayoum from Cairo, with Transfer: $286
- 2 Days Private Guided Tours of Cairo and Giza with Free Cairo Airport Transfers: $280
- 2-Day-One night Camping Tour in The Bahariya Oasis with Private Transfer: $274
- Private Transfer from El Cairo (CAI) Airport to Hurghada: $268
- Cairo : Marvel the Camping in the White & Black Deserts & Cairo Private Transfer: $250
- Private 3 Days in Giza Cairo and Alexandria including Free airport transfers: $250
- 2-Day Camping Tour in The Bahariya Oasis with Private Transfer: $250
- Private Transfer from El Cairo (CAI) Airport to El Alamein: $238
- Transfer from Hurghada to Cairo by van : $235
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$1.38
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Taxi From Airport$7.87
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.57
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 Hotels in Ho Chi Minh to Airport) Private 4 Seats Car: $38
- Airport Transfer From Hotel in Ho Chi Minh to Airport By 4 Seats Car: $35
- Airport Transfers From Airport to Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City 7 seat Car: $46
- Airport transfer Ho Chi Minh Tan Son Nhat Airport to Mui Ne: $28
- Airport transfer from TAN SON NHAT airport to HO CHI MINH: $23
- Bus transfer between Sai Gon and Da Lat - “City of Flowers”: $27
- CONVENIENT AIRPORT TRANSFER by PRIVATE CAR or SCOOTERS | KissTour: $28
- Can Tho: Bus transfer directly to/from Saigon City: $9.76
- Duyen Ha Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Fusion Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Golden Bridge Trip with guide, lunch &Transfer from Chan May Port: $189
- Golden peak Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
Is it cheaper to fly into Cairo or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Cairo 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 dayCairo $4.70Ho Chi Minh City $14
Typical Food Prices in Cairo
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Cairo:
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Juice$0.04
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairo
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cairo.
- Cairo Dinner Cruise With Belly Dancer Show: $10
- Giza Dinner Cruise With Belly Dancer Show: $10
- Cairo Nile dinner cruise night show with belly dancer: $10
- Dinner Nile Cruise belly dancer open buffer tanora show sailing on Nile: $11
- Food Tour in Local Cairo Life with Egyptian tea: $11
- 2-hours night dinner cruise show : Eat , Dance and Sing : $13
- night-tour Nile dinner cruise with open buffet and belly dancer: $13
- Private "Cairo Sunset Dinner Cruise on the Nile" with Pickup: $13
- Private Cairo food tour and Egyptian tea: $14
- food tour private tour from cairo or giza hotel: $14
- Experience Magic A 4Star Cairo Dinner Cruise with Belly Dancer: $15
- Local Oriental Food Tour from Cairo or Giza hotels: $15
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)$4.21
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Pizza$5.11
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Sweet Rice$1.18
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Pork Sandwich$0.59
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.68
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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: $4.11
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Saigon tour Walking Chinatown or HCM city walking food tour: $19
- Ao Dai Girls Rider: 12 Tasting Food Tour With Beer & Seafood: $21
- Saigon: City Day Sights & Local Food Tour|Opt: Ao Dai Riders: $24
- Saigon: Night Sights & Local Food Tour w Ao Dai Rider Option: $25
- Saigon Food Tour - 10 Tastings With Saigon Vibes: $25
- Saigon Food Tour - 10 Tastings With Local Students: $26
- The Coolest Vegan Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $26
- Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $26
- Saigon Private Walking Food Tour with 13 Tastings: $27
- Saigon: Backstreets Private Walking Food Tour & 13+ Tastings: $27
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cairo $5.69Ho Chi Minh City $20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairo
Here are a few typical costs in Cairo for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entry to Camel Market for Two$0.83
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Egyptian Museum Entry for Two$6.43
Tours and Activities in Cairo
Here are a few actual costs in Cairo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2-Day Cairo Giza Highlights Guided Tour including Camel Ride All inclusive : $40
- 2-Day Tours at Cairo & Giza: $145
- 2-Days tour at Cairo & Giza: $80
- 3-Day Tour at Cairo & Giza : $200
- 3-Days Tour at Cairo (Customized Package): $229
- 3-Days Tour in Siwa Oasis from Cairo : $217
- 8 Hours Private Cairo Tour: A Journey Back in Time: $45
- 8-Hour Private Tour to Giza Pyramids, Memphis and Sakkara: $67
- All Inclusive Private Tour to Giza pyramids With Tickets and Camel Ride : $80
- Antiquities in the Egyptian Museum with Private Guided Tour : $35
- Bedouin Desert Safari Tours By Jeep 4x4 In Hurghada: $55
- Cairo 2-Day Private Tours Pyramids Museum Citadel Khan El Khalili With Lunch: $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$5.51
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- Explore Mekong Delta Tour With Local Guide: $0.82
- Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour: $1.00
- App self-guided: Tour Ho Chi Minh - Vietnam: $2.18
- Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $3.94
- Saigon Sites and Stories - Walking Tour: $4.11
- Walking Tour: $5.00
- Walking tour to Chinatown in Saigon: $5.13
- Saigon: City Sightseeing 45-Minute Panoramic Night Tour: $7.00
- Saigon: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $7.00
- 1 ROUND MIDNIGHT BUS TOUR: $7.20
- 3-Hours Trekking Tour to Hidden Waterfall and Sturgeon Farm: $8.10
- Ho Chi Minh: Fito Museum Admission Ticket: $8.50
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCairo $1.16Ho Chi Minh City $7.86
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
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cairo and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City is more expensive. And not only is Cairo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Cairo is in Africa 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 Cairo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cairo 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 Ho Chi Minh City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ho Chi Minh City than you might in Cairo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Cairo Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Cairo or Ho Chi Minh City?
Cairo has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Ho Chi Minh City. When comparing the sizes of Cairo 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.