Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Haifa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Haifa 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 Haifa 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: Haifa or Ho Chi Minh City?
Haifa
Located on the northern Mediterranean coast of Israel, Haifa is Israel's third largest city. It is also a beautiful and strategically located city near the border with Lebanon. The population of Haifa, which is approximately 300,000, is surprisingly diverse. There are Jews, Muslim, and Christian Arabs throughout the city. While Haifa is an industrial city with a strong work ethic and a good job base, it is also a beautiful city with many gardens and a stunning coastline. Today the job base has increasingly become technology based with some large companies such as Google and Microsoft offering employment in the area. Haifa University is also the country's top technology university.
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 Sightseeing Tours in Israel, The Best Cultural Tours in Israel, The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHaifa $123Ho Chi Minh City $81
The average daily cost (per person) in Haifa is $123, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $81. 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 Haifa and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHaifa $74Ho Chi Minh City $49
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHaifa $148Ho Chi Minh City $98
Compare Hotels in Haifa and Ho Chi Minh City
Looking for a hotel in Haifa 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: Haifa Hotel Prices and Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Haifa $4.93Ho Chi Minh City $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Haifa
Also for Haifa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Transfers all over the Holyland: Haifa, TLV, Airport, JLM, Jordan: $195
- Private Transfer from Haifa Cruise Port to Tel Aviv Airport (TLV): $171
- Private Transfer from Haifa Cruise Port to Tel Aviv City: $171
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$1.40
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Taxi From Airport$7.99
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Vinpearl Resort & Spa Long Beach to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cam Ranh HTL-APT (CXR): $18
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Ho Chi Minh HTL-APT (SGN): $19
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Ho Chi Minh APT-HTL (SGN): $13
- Transfer from Ho Chi Minh to Airport Tan Sơn Nhat: $16
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport Transfer: $23
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport Private Transfer: $18
- Tan Son Nhat Airport: Private Transfer to/from Ho Chi Minh: $22
- Tan Son Airport Arrival Private Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City: $32
- Shared Arrival Transfer - Hanoi Airport to Sapa Hotel: $71
- Saigon Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Center Private Transfer: $21
- SGN Airport: the private transfer to Center (District 1 & 3): $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Haifa or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Haifa 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 dayHaifa $44Ho Chi Minh City $14
Typical Food Prices in Haifa
For Haifa, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner$27
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)$4.27
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Pizza$5.19
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Sweet Rice$1.20
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Pork Sandwich$0.60
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.78
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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 Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour by Motorbike/ Car with Student : $19
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour By Motorbike +Sightseeing SAFE & FUN: $25
- Private Saigon Street Food Tour On SCOOTER OR WALKING TOUR: $26
- Private Walking Food Tour with Local Students : $26
- Saigon: Backstreets Private Walking Food Tour & 10 Tastings: $27
- Food Tour by Scooter with Eleven Tastings: $27
- Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $28
- Ho Chi Minh: Thirteen-Tastings Private Walking Food Tour: $28
- Saigon Private Eleven-Tastings Food Tour by Scooter: $28
- Ho Chi Minh: Original Walking Street Food Tour With Local: $29
- Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students: $29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Haifa $5.68Ho Chi Minh City $20
Tours and Activities in Haifa
For Haifa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Romantic Walking Tour In Haifa for Couples: $287
- Caesarea, Haifa, Acre, Rosh Hanikra Private Day Tour: $698
- Christianity Day Tour: Haifa Port to Nazareth and Sea of Galilee : $295
- From Tel Aviv: Caesarea, Haifa & Akko Guided Tour: $1,300
- From Tel Aviv: Northern Israel Coast Private Tour: $999
- Full Day Tour to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee: $290
- Haifa Port Shore Excursion: Nazareth and Sea of Galilee Day Tour from Haifa Port: $120
- Haifa Port: Full-Day Christianity Cruise to Galilee: $395
- Haifa Private Tour: $160
- Haifa, Acre & Rosh Anikra Grottos Haifa Port FullDay Shared Tour: $231
- Haifa, Acre and Rosh Anikra for Cruises with Licensed Guide: $412
- Jerusalem & Bethlehem Tour from Haifa Port 2024 - Small Group: $255
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$5.59
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- From Ho Chi Minh to Mui Ne 3 Days Tour | 4 Star Beach Resort : $170
- Half Day Private Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $70
- Mekong Delta Discovery Day Tour - My Tho - Ben Tre: $46
- Mekong Vespa Tour 5 hours: $92
- Mui Ne,Fairy Spring, Sand dunes, Fishing Village, Private Tour: $290
- Private Mekong Delta 1 Day Tour: $65
- Private Tour Water Puppet Show And Cruise Tour On Saigon River : $65
- Saigon Vegetarian Tour by Motorbike and Scooter: $39
- Small Group Tour to Cu Chi Tunnels and cruise Mekong Delta in a day: $48
- Vietnam Classic Day Tour in Ho Chi Minh with Cu Chi Tunnels: $18
- 'Cost-Saving' Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta 1-Day Tour: $54
- 'Cost-Saving' Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta 1-Day Tour: $65
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHaifa $13Ho Chi Minh City $7.98
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$0.40
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Haifa and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Haifa is more expensive. And not only is Ho Chi Minh City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Haifa 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 Haifa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Haifa 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 Haifa Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Haifa or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Haifa. When comparing the sizes of Haifa 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.