Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Beijing?
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 Beijing 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.
Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China and, with 21.5 million people, it is the second most populated city in the world after Shanghai. It is a city that keeps pockets of its history hidden in old neighborhoods or back alleys, despite the constant change and modernization that goes on around it. As the capital city of China, there is plenty of history and culture. You can still get yourself lost in one of the last remaining hutongs, which are old neighborhoods that remain untouched by the city's modernization. The alleys that weave between the old homes are lined with drying clothes, corner markets, and people going about their daily lives the way they have for centuries. Surrounding these hutongs you'll find modern buildings and a booming economy, all threatening to destroying these last bits of Beijing's history. Beijing offers a glimpse into a microcosm that represents the entire country of China. Make sure you give yourself enough time in China to truly experience Beijing. You can pass a lot of time soaking up life in the city, which remains as diverse as the country it resides within.
Which city is cheaper, Beijing 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 Beijing is $70. 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 Beijing 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.
The average price for accommodation for two people in Beijing is $72. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
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.
In Beijing travelers spend around $19 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
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Food
Meals for one day
Ho Chi Minh City $13
Beijing $19
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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Ho Chi Minh Private Half Day Street Food Tour with Local Students:
$18
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SaiGon Street Food Tour By Scooter With Student:
$22
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Walking Food Tour With Local Student:
$26
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Private Street Food Tour on Motorbikes:
$28
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Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students:
$28
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Saigon Food Tour by Motorbike with Local Students:
$30
-
Walking market food tour by night in Ho Chi Minh city - private groups:
$32
-
Street food Tours:
$35
-
Small Floating Market & Mekong Delta Tour with Kayak, Boat, Bike, Cooking Class:
$35
-
Private Street Food Tour by Scooter in Ho Chi Minh City:
$35
-
Half-Day Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour By Motorbike:
$36
-
Private Walking Saigon Food Tour with Ao Dai Girl by Night:
$38
Typical Food prices in Beijing
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Beijing:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Beijing
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Beijing.
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Online Cooking Class:
$25
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Private Temple of Heaven Walking Tour with Peking Duck Dinner or Kung Fu Show:
$62
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3 hours Morning or Afternoon Tea Tasting on Maliandao Street and Tea Restaurant Lunch or Dinner Tour:
$69
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Beijing Hutong Breakfast Food Tour:
$69
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Old Beijing Dinner Tour:
$80
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Authentic Local Food Tour in Center Beijing:
$90
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Vegetarian / Peking Duck / Hotpot Dinner with Kungfu Show Private Tour:
$90
-
Private Evening Hutong Walking Tour with Mongolia Hotpot Dinner:
$96
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Private Nightlife Trip to See Wonderful Acrobatic Show Enjoy Delicious Barbecue Buffet Dinner:
$96
-
Peking Duck Dinner with Face Changing show plus Full Body Massage:
$98
-
Private Tour: Beijing by Night including Imperial Performance and Dinner:
$98
-
Half Day Food Tour with Public Transit of Breakfast or Local Street Snacks:
$99
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.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $6.97 per day to get around in Beijing.
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
$8.80
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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:
-
2-Days Cu Chi Tunnels-Mekong Delta with Airport Transfer Small Group Tour:
$69
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Airport Transfer:
$85
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Airport Transfer (From Airport - Ho Chi Minh City (Private 16 Seats Car):
$54
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Airport Transfer (From Hotels in Ho Chi Minh to Airport) Private 4 Seats Car:
$28
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Airport Transfer (From Hotels in Ho Chi Minh to Airport) Private 7 Seats Car:
$34
-
Airport Transfers (Airport - Ho Chi Minh,Private 16 Seats Car):
$52
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Airport Transfers From Airport to Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City 7 seat Car:
$46
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CONVENIENT AIRPORT TRANSFER by PRIVATE CAR or SCOOTERS | Kiss Tours:
$28
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Cu Chi Tunnels VIP Tour from Ho Chi Minh with Transfer by Limo including Lunch:
$48
-
Ho Chi Minh Airport Transfer: Hotels to Tan Son Nhat Airport:
$35
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Ho Chi Minh City Private Airport Arrival Transfer:
$19
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Ho Chi Minh City Private Airport Departure Transfer:
$19
Typical Local Transportation prices in Beijing
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Beijing:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Beijing
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Beijing:
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Private 2-Day Xi'an Tour From Your Beijing's hotel Including Transfer Service:
$1,680
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Private Day Trip Of Xi'an From Your Beijing's hotel Including Transfer Service:
$1,100
-
Private Day tour of Xi'an From Beijing Including Transfer Service:
$1,000
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Beijing to Xi'an See Terracotta Warriors with Bullet Train Round Trip Transfer:
$564
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3-Days Classic Beijing Sightseeing Tour with Layover Airport Transfer Option:
$560
-
All-Inclusive Tianjin Port Transfer with Classical Beijing 2-day Tour:
$540
-
2-Day Customizable Beijing Highlight Tour with Airport Transfer Option:
$520
-
Private 3-Day Beijing Highlights Tour with Tianjin Port Transfer:
$514
-
Simatai Great Wall & Beijing City 4-Day Private Tour Package + Airport Transfer:
$513
-
Chongli Ski Resorts Private Transfer from Beijing City:
$480
-
4 Days Beijing Sightseeing with Airport (Train Station) Transfer:
$455
-
2 Days Beijing to Feng Ning Ba Shang Grassland tour with private transfer:
$448
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Beijing?
Prices for flights to both Beijing 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.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $22 per person, per day in Beijing. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
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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The Bachelorette Full Day Private Tour with Pickup:
$3.24
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Bitexco Financial Tower: Saigon Skydeck General Admission Ticket:
$9.00
-
Small-Group Half-Day Cu Chi Tunnels Tour from Ho Chi Minh City:
$9.24
-
The Insider's Saigon - Private and Custom Motorbike Tour:
$12
-
Exploring Cu Chi Tunnel with Pioneer Travel Tour Guide:
$12
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Water Puppet Show Ticket in Ho Chi Minh City with Hotel Delivery:
$15
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Skip the Line: Golden Dragon Water Puppet Tickets:
$17
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Skip the Line: Golden Dragon Water Puppet Tickets:
$17
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Golden Dragon Water Puppet Entrance Tickets:
$17
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Private Ho Chi Minh Sightseeing by Motorbike with Local Students:
$19
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Private City Tour Half Day By Scooter:
$19
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Cu Chi Ben Duoc Tunnel Tour:
$20
Typical Entertainment prices in Beijing
Here are a few typical costs in Beijing for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Entry to Summer Palace for Two
$9.44
-
Two Opera Tickets
$67
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Temple of Heaven Park Entrance (for 2)
$11
-
Forbidden City (for 2)
$19
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Forbidden City Tickets
$19
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Audio Guides at Forbidden City
$13
Tours and Activities in Beijing
Here are a few actual costs in Beijing for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
1 Day Beijing Badaling Great Wall with 30-Minute Helicopter Tour:
$614
-
1 Day Beijing No Shopping Tour with Peking Roast Duck:
$226
-
1 Day Mutianyu Great Wall Bus Tour:
$29
-
1 Day Old Beijing City Tour .Forbidden City,Hutong,Temple of Heaven:
$163
-
1 Day Romantic Tour in Oriental Provence Lavender Manor and Mutianyu Great Wall:
$208
-
1 Day Tour : Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town:
$239
-
1 Day Tour Badaling Great Wall and Badaling Ski Resort:
$249
-
1 Day Tour Mutianyu Great Wall & Chunhuiyuan Hot Springs:
$224
-
1 Day Tour: Badaling Great Wall and Jiuhua Hot Spring:
$167
-
1 day Mutianyu Great Wall Nonshopping bus tour:
$51
-
1-Day Badaling Great Wall Helicopter Tour with Sacred Way & Bird's Nest:
$714
-
1-Day Badaling Great Wall and Ming Tombs Tour with Sacred Way from Beijing:
$212
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 $7.04.
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Beijing may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $11 per day on alcoholic beverages.
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 Beijing
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Beijing:
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Evening Food Private Tour with Brewery Taproom Hopping at Slow Boat in Beijing:
$138
-
5-Hour Private Changyu Chateau Wine Tasting Tour from Beijing:
$178
-
Private Wonderful Beijing Bar Crawl Tour:
$195
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Private Changyu Chateau Wine Tasting Tour and Mutianyu Great Wall Visit:
$228
When comparing the travel costs between Ho Chi Minh City and Beijing, 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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