Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Bali?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Ho Chi Minh City and Bali can help you decide which place is right for you.
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.
Bali
Known as the "Island of the Gods," it's not difficult to see why the Gods would want to set up shop in Bali. With a beautifully diverse landscape of hills, mountains, coastlines, beaches, vibrant rice fields and volcanic hillsides, you'll easily go into sensory overload.
Bali is home to 4 million people who all hold true to a deeply spiritual and unique culture. With champion surfing, world class resorts and challenging hiking trails, this Indonesian island accommodates travelers from every walk of life. It's often called, "paradise on earth, " and no one disagrees.
Which city is cheaper, Bali or Ho Chi Minh City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $71, while the average daily cost in Bali is $65. 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 city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Ho Chi Minh City and Bali in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $86 in Ho Chi Minh City For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Bali's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $74. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $37.
Food
The average traveler spends about $13 per day in Ho Chi Minh City for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Bali food costs typically run travelers around $18 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
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Food
Meals for one day
Ho Chi Minh City $13
Bali $18
Typical Food prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ho Chi Minh City:
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:
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Seafood Dinner in Altitude Rooftop Bar at Sheraton Nha Trang :
$15
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Ho Chi Minh Private Half Day Street Food Tour with Local Students:
$18
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The Home Pizza Phu Quoc Cash Voucher 500.000VND :
$19
-
SaiGon Street Food Tour By Scooter With Student:
$22
-
Tra Que Vegetable Village and Cooking Class Experience in Hoi An:
$24
-
Tam Giang Lagoon Private Half Day Tour with Seafood Dinner:
$26
-
Half-Day Tam Giang Sunset Tour with Dinner on Floating Restaurant:
$26
-
Walking Food Tour With Local Student:
$26
-
Private Street Food Tour on Motorbikes:
$28
-
Hoi An City and Food Tour with Foot Massage:
$28
-
Vegetarian Cooking Class in Hanoi:
$28
-
Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students:
$28
Typical Food prices in Bali
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:
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Coffee
$1.40
-
Lunch for Two
$15
-
Bali Cafe for Two
$30
-
Lunch for Two
$9.11
-
Lunch for 2
$10
-
Dinner for 2
$11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bali
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bali.
-
Seafood Dinner in Jimbaran Bali:
$4.59
-
Bandung Street Food Tour:
$5.40
-
Omah Kecebong Fun Outbound and Dinner Experience in Yogyakarta:
$11
-
Yogyakarta Historical Walking and Food Tour:
$13
-
Pirate Dinner Cruise by Sea Safari Cruise in Bali:
$13
-
Online Cooking Class with Chef Juna by Kelas.com:
$18
-
Cooking Class in Ubud:
$21
-
Indonesia Food Online Cooking Class by Masakonline:
$21
-
Cooking Class and Village Tour Experience at Bukit Lawang:
$21
-
Eat while chef is cooking in front of you:
$24
-
Jambangan Bali Cooking Class in Ubud:
$25
-
Visesa Cooking Class in Ubud :
$27
Local Transportation
Ho Chi Minh City's transportation costs can vary by the type of transport chosen by visitors. Naturally, taxis and private drivers cost much more than public transportation options. On average, visitors spend $13 per person, per day on transportation in Ho Chi Minh City.
The average price of local transportation around Bali is $8.16 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
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
$1.54
-
Taxi From Airport
$8.79
-
Cyclo Ride (One Hour)
$1.76
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Shared City Transfer between Hanoi and Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu, Tam Coc and more by Limousine:
$6.39
-
Shared City Transfers between Da Lat and Mui Ne via Shuttle Bus:
$6.50
-
Shared Bus Transfers between Hoi An and Ba Na Hills:
$6.50
-
Private Phu Quoc International Airport Transfers (PQC) for Phu Quoc:
$7.00
-
Private Da Nang International Airport Transfers (DAD) for Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An, & Select Areas:
$8.79
-
Private Noi Bai Airport Transfers (HAN) for Hanoi City or Halong Bay:
$9.00
-
Private Night Transfers between Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC) and Phu Quoc:
$9.25
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Private Noi Bai Airport (HAN) Transfers for Hanoi City:
$9.45
-
Private Da Nang International Airport (DAD) Transfers for Da Nang, Ba Na Hills, and More:
$9.59
-
Private Airport Transfer: Ho Chi Minh City to Tan Son Nhat Int. Airport (SGN):
$10
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Private Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR) Transfers for Nha Trang, Hon Chong & Selected Areas:
$11
-
Private Da Nang International Airport Night Transfers (DAD) for Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An, & Select Areas:
$11
Typical Local Transportation prices in Bali
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Bali:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bali
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bali:
-
Plataran Canggu Resort & Spa 3 Night Villa Staycation with Dining, Spa and Airport Transfers:
$906
-
Private Transfer from Bali to Sitia (JSH) Airport:
$394
-
Bandung Intercity Private Transfer to Surabaya:
$336
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Cirebon:
$275
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Purwokerto:
$260
-
Bandung Intercity Private Transfer to Jogjakarta:
$233
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Solo:
$204
-
Bandung Intercity Private Transfer to Semarang:
$198
-
Jogjakarta Intercity Private Transfer to Malang:
$186
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Semarang:
$176
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Jogja:
$158
-
Jogjakarta Intercity Private Transfer to Cirebon:
$140
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Bali?
Prices for flights to both Bali and Ho Chi Minh City 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.
Entertainment
Sightseeing, admission tickets, things to do, and other entertainment expenses in Ho Chi Minh City can vary widely by price. On average, visitors spend around $18 per person, per day on entertainment and sightseeing here.
Bali's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $9.78 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
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:
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
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Do Quyen Spa Private Experience in Sapa:
$1.75
-
Hi Spa Experience in Ho Chi Minh City :
$1.99
-
L'Belle Beauty Spa Experience in Ho Chi Minh:
$1.99
-
Lasenta Spa Experience in Ho Chi Minh City:
$2.39
-
World Coffee Museum Ticket in Central Highland:
$2.65
-
[SALE 50%] Art in Paradise 3D Museum Ticket in Da Nang:
$3.09
-
The Bachelorette Full Day Private Tour with Pickup:
$3.24
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LVES Spa in Saigon - VND88.000 for 60-minute Experience:
$3.89
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Upside Down World Ticket in Da Nang:
$4.05
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Traditional Singing Performance on Huong River Ticket in Hue:
$4.19
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Alba Thanh Tan Hot Springs Ticket in Hue City:
$4.19
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Ngo Spa & Massage Experience in Ho Chi Minh City:
$4.39
Typical Entertainment prices in Bali
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Bali are as follows:
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Spa for Two
$61
-
Snorkelling Trip
$14
-
Cooking School
$32
Tours and Activities in Bali
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:
-
2D1N Bromo and Ijen Crater Private Hiking Tour from Malang:
$93
-
Aristocrat Sailing Cruise Tour to Nusa Lembongan by Bali Hai Cruise:
$133
-
Best Rafting and Bali Bird Park Combo Experience in Bail:
$63
-
Borobudur Temple Tour:
$16
-
Elo River Rafting Experience by Citra Elo from Yogyakarta:
$42
-
FANPEKKA by Aeon Fantasy Ticket in Jakarta:
$6.49
-
Fast Boat Ticket between Sanur and Nusa Penida by The Angkal:
$5.19
-
Full Body Massage Experience at Bali Orchid Spa:
$18
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Instagramable Kedung Pedut Waterfall and Borobudur Temple Tour:
$24
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Nakamura Spa Experience in Jakarta, Tangerang, and Bekasi:
$11
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Nusa Penida Tour from Bali :
$13
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Prambanan Temple Sunset Tour:
$14
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Ho Chi Minh City, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.02.
The average person spends about $2.89 on alcoholic beverages in Bali per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
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:
Sample the Local Flavors in Bali
Also in Bali, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Sababay Winery Tour with Wine Tasting in Bali:
$13
When comparing the travel costs between Ho Chi Minh City and Bali, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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