Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Halong Bay?
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 Halong Bay or Santiago?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Halong Bay and Santiago 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: Halong Bay or Santiago?
Halong Bay
Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the north of Vietnam, near the Chinese border. Known for its thousands of beautiful limestone karsts and stalactite-filled caves, it is one of the most visited destinations in Vietnam. If you appreciate natural scenery and want an adventure at sea, you'll love cruising among more than 1,900 islands in Ha Long Bay.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, The Best 10-Day Tours from Hanoi, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Chile.
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Halong Bay Prices
Vietnam PricesSantiago Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHalong Bay $66Santiago $155
The average daily cost (per person) in Halong Bay is $66, while the average daily cost in Santiago is $155. 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 Halong Bay and Santiago in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHalong Bay $27Santiago $113
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHalong Bay $54Santiago $226
Compare Hotels in Halong Bay and Santiago
Looking for a hotel in Halong Bay or Santiago? 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: Santiago Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Halong Bay $13Santiago $5.56
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Halong Bay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Halong Bay:
- Bus Transfer From Cat Ba Island To Ninh Binh/Ninh binh To Cat Ba: $19
- Transfer Ha Long and Ninh Binh by Limousine Bus: $23
- Halong Bay Full Day Cruise from Hanoi by Transfer Expressway: $42
- Halong Day Tour: Islands, Cave, Kayak. Lunch. Transfers: $45
- Best Seller Halong Full Day Tour All Included Expressway Transfer: $48
- Halong Bay Full Day With Cave, Kayaking,Swimming,Highway Transfer: $49
- Alova Premium Cruise to Halong Bay 1 Day Trip by Highway Transfer: $50
- Private Transfer from Tuan Chau to Haiphong (HPH) Airport: $55
- Halong Bay 06 Hours Dragon King Cruise From Halong with Transfer: $60
- Arcady Premium Cruise Halong Bay Day Tour with Optional Transfer: $60
- Halong Wonder Bay Cruise 1 Day Tour from Hanoi with Limo Transfer: $68
- Private Transfer from Halong Bay Cruise Port to Hanoi city hotels: $75
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
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Metro Ride$1.16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- Airport Transfer and Halfday City tour Santiago de Chile: $362
- Airport Transfer: Santiago Airport SCL to Santiago by Luxury Van: $104
- Airport Transfer: Santiago to Airport SCL by Business Car: $84
- Airport Transfer: Santiago to Santiago Airport SCL by Luxury Van: $104
- City Tour Santiago with Exclusive Guide + Private Transfer: $270
- City tour santiago with excursion to valparaiso and airport transfer: $150
- Clos Apalta Winery - Tour with Private Transfer: $300
- Cruise Ship Transfer to Valparaiso Port with 6 Hour tour + Winery: $89
- Cruise Terminal Transfer from Valparaíso & Wine Tasting: $129
- Departure Transfer Santiago de Chile to Santiago Airport SCL: $82
- Departure Transfer: Santiago to Airport SCL by Luxury Van: $104
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour, Concha y Toro, Private Transfer from Santiago: $262
Is it cheaper to fly into Halong Bay or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago and Halong Bay 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 dayHalong Bay $26Santiago $23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Halong Bay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Halong Bay.
- Sunset and Bioluminescent Kayaking Tour in Lan Ha Bay with Dinner: $37
- Halong Bay Luxury Dinner Cruise - Ambassador: $79
- Best 2D1N Lan Ha Bay Cruise: BBQ dinner, Viet Hai Ancient Village: $200
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada$1.94
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Hamburger$2.57
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Dinner$27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Legacy Family Tour Lunch or Dinner Pairing 4 Strokes: $40
- Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $56
- Best Santiago Street Food Tour with 4+ Tastings and Drink: $57
- Mercado Meals Santiago Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $59
- Mercado Meals Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $60
- 4h Cooking Class in 8 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $77
- 4h Cooking Class in Santiago : 8 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $85
- Lastarria Food Tour: Wine, Bites & Social Culinary Experience: $98
- Local Food Tour with Tastings & Drinks: $99
- Food Tour STGO, Eat like Locals!: $99
- Traditional Chilean Show with Dinner and Private Transportation in Santiago: $107
- Santiago Food Tour: Bohemian Flavors and Local Gems: $109
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Halong Bay $16Santiago $49
Tours and Activities in Halong Bay
Here are a few actual costs in Halong Bay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cat Ba: Lan Ha Bay - Viet Hai Village - Kayaking Tours: $13
- Sunset Tour in Lan Ha Bay | 4-star Daiichi Cruise: $19
- Ha Long Bay Cruise Day Tour - best selling: Kayaking, Swimming, hiking & Lunch: $23
- Cat Ba Kayak Tour in Mangrove Forests and Explore Thien Long Cave: $24
- Cat Ba Sunset Jeep Tour Trek And Cave Exploration: $24
- Hanoi: Ha Long Bay Day Cruise with Lunch, Cave & Kayaking: $25
- Hanoi: Ha Long Bay Day Cruise: Cave Exploration - Swim and Kayak: $27
- From Cat Ba Island: Majestic Sunset Boat Tour Explore Lan Ha Bay: $27
- Most favorite full day boat tour with kayaking in Lan Ha bay, Ha Long bay: $27
- Cat Ba: Majestic Sunset Boat Tour Explore the Stunning Lan Ha Bay: $28
- From Cat Ba Island: Amazing Sunset Tour in Lan Ha Bay, Kayaking: $28
- Half-Day Lan Ha Bay Adventure: Boat Jumping, Kayaking, Sunset: $28
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- Santiago Cathedral's Bell Tower Official Tour: $11
- Historical Sights Walking Tour: $15
- Cable Car Admission Ticket: $18
- History Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $21
- Santiago Sightseeing Tour: Living History and Local Food Tasting: $25
- Tour of Santiago with Professional Photography: $25
- A Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -: $25
- Guided Walking Tour of the Historical Old Town: $25
- Santiago : Highlights Walking Tour With A Guide: $25
- Guided City Tour through the historic center of Santiago: $25
- "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $27
- City Tour Santiago - Walking Tour: $29
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHalong Bay $12Santiago $8.64
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- "Chile in Your Glass" Wine Tasting.: $22
- Pub Crawl with Unlimited Beer and Welcome Shots: $25
- Cousiño Macul Heritage Wine Tour with Tastings: $25
- Valparaiso, Viña del Mar & Casablanca Wine Tour: $61
- Valparaiso, Viña del Mar & Casablanca Wine Tour: $62
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $65
- Valparaíso and Vineyard of the Sea with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $68
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $70
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $75
- Undurraga Wine Tasting Tour from Santiago: $75
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $75
- Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Halong Bay and Santiago, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is Halong Bay much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Halong Bay is in Asia and Santiago is in South America, 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 Halong Bay would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Halong Bay 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago than you might in Halong Bay.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Halong Bay Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.
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.