Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Dahab?
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 Dahab 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 Dahab 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: Dahab or Ho Chi Minh City?
Dahab
Dahab is a small town on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It is located about 85 kilometers north of Sharm el-Sheikh and sits on the Gulf of Aqaba. It's a popular destination with divers and backpackers alike, and offers some of the best snorkeling and diving that you'll find in the Red Sea. It's a great alternative to the resort driven Sharm el-Sheikh, and is popular with independent travelers who are looking for affordable accommodation. There are some upmarket options however, predominantly in the Laguna area, but budget facilities are not hard to find.
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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Dahab Prices
Egypt PricesHo Chi Minh City Prices
Vietnam Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDahab $22Ho Chi Minh City $89
The average daily cost (per person) in Dahab is $22, 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 Dahab and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDahab $8.05Ho Chi Minh City $49
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDahab $16Ho Chi Minh City $98
Compare Hotels in Dahab and Ho Chi Minh City
Looking for a hotel in Dahab 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: Dahab Hotel Prices and Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dahab $2.68Ho Chi Minh City $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dahab
Also for Dahab, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Pickup Transfers From Dahab To Cairo: $195
- Private Transfer from Dahab to Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) Airport: $114
- Private Pickup Transfer From Dahab To St. Catherine: $75
- Pickup transfer from Dahab To Sharm El Sheikh airport: $70
- Private Transfer From Dahab To Sharm el Sheikh airport: $65
- Beginner Scuba Dive at Lighthouse w Photos & Transfer: $58
- Blue Hole Snorkeling Tour from Dahab with Lunch & Hotel Transfers: $45
- Private Transfer from Dahab to Sharm El Sheikh Airport (SSH): $34
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:
- Transfer from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Thiet or Mui Ne, Japan Quality: $14
- Tan Son Airport Arrival Private Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City: $40
- Swandor Cam Ranh Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Saigon Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Center Private Transfer: $19
- Sai Gon Airport Departure Private Transfer: $40
- Round-trip Private Transfer Ho Chi Minh - Vung Tau (7 Seats Car): $122
- Round-trip Private Transfer Ho Chi Minh - Vung Tau (16 Seats Car): $141
- Radisson Blu Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Private transfer from Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City: $87
- Private transfer from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne: $89
- Private transfer Tan Son Nhat airport - Hotels in Ho Chi Minh: $12
- Private transfer Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) - Hotels In City: $17
Is it cheaper to fly into Dahab or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Dahab 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 dayDahab $11Ho Chi Minh City $23
Typical Food Prices in Dahab
For Dahab, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Seafood Dinner (for 2)$1.72
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Juice$0.09
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Breakfast for Two$0.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dahab
For Dahab, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Bedouin Dinner in the Mountains In Dahab: $39
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 Authentic Street Food Tour With Local Students: $7.95
- Ho Chi Minh City Local Street Food Tour With Local Students: $7.95
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour & Hidden Local Gems Sightseeing: $9.93
- HCMC: Cu Chi Tunnels & Scooter Food Tour (Up to 12 Tastings): $13
- Mekong With Cai Be Less Tourist - Cooking Class: $14
- Express Cooking Experience: $15
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour with Local LGBT Student Guide: $16
- 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
- Southern Vietnamese Dessert Cooking Class: $17
- Ho Chi Minh City Cyclo Ride with Lunch or Dinner Experience: $18
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dahab $5.67Ho Chi Minh City $20
Tours and Activities in Dahab
For Dahab, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 4x4 Jeep Adventure from Dahab: $41
- Adventure Quad Biking Tour in Dahab: $40
- Adventure Safari By Horse In Dahab At Laguna Beach: $65
- Blue Hole Snorkeling Tour with lunch from Dahab: $43
- Camel Ride + Blue Hole Snorkeling + Quad Bike Tour With Lunch From Dahab: $50
- Camel Trek Desert and Beach Experience Private Tour in Dahab: $140
- Royal Seascope Submarine Guided Boat Tour: $40
- Royal seascope Semi-Submarine Cruise: $33
- luxury Snorkeling cruise with buffet lunch: $41
- Full-Day Hike Tour at St. Catherine's Monastery: $35
- Jerusalem Bethlehem and Dead Sea 1-Day Tour from Dahab: $260
- Mount Sinai & St. Catherine Sunset and Sunrise combined tour from Dahab: $170
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.
- 'Cost-Saving' Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta 1-Day Tour: $59
- 1 Day Small Group Tour in Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta: $91
- 1 Hour Saigon River Tour in Ho Chi Minh: $13
- 1-Day City Tour: Saigon Chinatown, Must-See Icons & Cyclo Ride: $128
- 1-Day Less Touristy Mekong River (Cai Be-Vinh Long) trip: $40
- 1-Day Mekong Delta Tour: Less-Touristy Cai Be & Vinh Long(Max 10): $35
- 1-Day Tour in Vung Tau Beach: $59
- 1-Day Tour of Black Virgin Mountain - Cao Dai Temple - Cu Chi Tunnels from HCMC: $65
- 1-day Ho Chi Minh city and Cu Chi tunnels group tour: $46
- 1-day Mekong Delta Tour: Cai Be Market, Local Island and Cycling: $125
- 1-hour Nhieu Loc boat tour experience: A historic canal: $15
- 2 Day Mekong Delta Adventure and Floating Market Tour: $199
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDahab $3.36Ho 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: $8.09
- 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
- Belgo Brewery Factory Tour & Beer Tasting: $142
- Bike And Craft Beer Brewery Mekong Delta Cycling Tour: $152
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dahab and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City is more expensive. And not only is Dahab much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dahab 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 Dahab would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Dahab 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 Dahab.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Dahab Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Dahab or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 430 times larger than the population of Dahab. When comparing the sizes of Dahab 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.