Which place is cheaper, Cebu or Ho Chi Minh City?
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 Ho Chi Minh City or Cebu?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
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 Cebu can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Cebu?
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.
Cebu
Cebu Island is an important island in the Visayas region of the Philippines, characterized by its main port at Cebu City as well as many natural features. The most-visited areas include islands of Mactan, Bantayan, Badian, Malapascua and Camotes, all which have resorts and hotels. Scuba diving and snorkeling are common activities along the shoreline, while hiking the mountainous spine of the island is popular inland.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Vietnam, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Philippines, and The Best Honeymoon Tours in Philippines.
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Ho Chi Minh City Prices
Vietnam PricesCebu Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHo Chi Minh City $87Cebu $80
The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $87, while the average daily cost in Cebu is $80. 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 Ho Chi Minh City and Cebu in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHo Chi Minh City $48Cebu $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHo Chi Minh City $96Cebu $50
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Cebu
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Cebu? 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: Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices and Cebu Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $14Cebu $26
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$1.33
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Taxi From Airport$7.58
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.52
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Vietnam Fast Track + Private Transfer : $8.23
- Mui Ne Beach: Bus transfer from/to Saigon City: $8.67
- Transfer from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Thiet or Mui Ne, Japan Quality: $8.93
- Private transfer Tan Son Nhat airport - Hotels in Ho Chi Minh : $12
- Ho Chi Minh City airport transfer: $13
- Ho Chi Minh Airport Arrival Or Departure By Private Car Transfers: $13
- Ho Chi Minh Airport Arrival Or Departure Private Car Transfers: $15
- Private Departure Transfer: Ho Chi Minh City Hotels to Tan Son Nhat Airport: $15
- Private Arrival Transfer: Tan Son Nhat Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Hotels: $15
- Private Transfer From Saigon Center To Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN): $16
- Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) to Ho Chi Minh hotels Arrival Transfer: $17
- Ho Chi Minh to Ho Chi Minh City Airport (SGN) Departure Transfer: $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cebu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cebu:
- Bohol Day Tour with Round-Trip Transfers from Cebu: $208
- Oslob Whale Shark Encounter & SUMILON with Transfers: $201
- Mactan-Cebu Island Hopping Cruise with Lunch & Roundtrip Transfer: $196
- Bohol Day Tour from Cebu (Shared) w/ RT Transfers & Ferry: $185
- Oslob Private Van Transfer between Cebu, Mactan or Mandaue City: $175
- Danasan Eco Adventure Park Including Round-Trip Hotel Transfer: $161
- Kawasan Falls Canyoneering w/ Lunch & Transfers from Cebu City: $122
- Cebu Safari & Adventure Park: Wildlife Tour with Transfers: $104
- One-way Airport Transfer to Cebu City Hotels: $91
- Canyoneering Cebu in Kawasan falls + meals + Cebu transfer option: $53
- Cebu Airport Transfer to / from Anywhere in Cebu: $37
- Private Airport to Hotel Transfer in Cebu City: $35
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Cebu?
Prices for flights to both Cebu 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.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayHo Chi Minh City $23Cebu $36
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)$4.06
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Pizza$4.93
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Sweet Rice$1.14
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Pork Sandwich$0.57
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.43
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Western Lunch (for Two)$11
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:
- 1 hour Egg Coffee Cooking Class with Snack and Local Instructor : $12
- Vietnamese Cooking and Craft Workshop by the Lake: $12
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Mekong Delta 4 Islands, TukTuk, Boat, Try Khot Cake Local Cooking: $20
- Saigon Street Food Tour with Local Guide: $25
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour On American Jeep/ Motorbike: $25
- Committed Non-Touristy Saigon Street Food Tour By Scooters/Car : $25
- HO CHI MINH Street Food Tour and Vietnamese Coffee: $25
- Street Food Tour In Ho Chi Minh City By Motorbike: $26
- Ho Chi Minh Scooter Adventure - City Sights & Street Food Tour: $27
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour With Students: $27
- Saigon - Tasty Food Tour By Scooters: $28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cebu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cebu.
- Carbon Market Food Tour & Bars with Jeepney Ride: $16
- Highlands Guided Tour with STREET FOOD TOUR OPTION: $46
- The Ultimate Cebu Food Tour: Local Tastes & Cultural Journey: $70
- Cebu City: Historical Street and Food Tour: $91
- Private Panoramic Tour with Dinner: $100
- Cebu Traditional Cuisine Cooking Class: $100
- Cebu Traditional Bamboo Cooking Class: $110
- Cebu Traditional Bamboo Cooking: $110
- Cebu Vegetarian Cooking Class: $110
- Cebu Traditional Cuisine Cooking Class: $110
- 5-Hour Evening Tour from Cebu with Dinner: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $19Cebu $17
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$5.31
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- Chinatown Hidden Treasures – Free Walking Tour: $0.74
- All In One Saigon Walking Tour: $3.11
- Saigon Local Sightseeing Free Walking Tour: $3.84
- Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $4.49
- Ho Chi Minh city private tour guide: $5.00
- Walking Tour: $5.00
- Essential Saigon Free Walking Tour: All Must-see: $5.00
- Free Walking Tour: Saigon's Sword and Shield: $5.00
- Essential Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour: All Must-see: $5.00
- Night Bus Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $7.50
- Ho Chi Minh City Tour and Independence Palace Ticket 2 in 1: $8.46
- Private Ho Chi Minh 30 minutes Experience by Electric Cart: $9.71
Tours and Activities in Cebu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cebu are as follows:
- BEST OF Cebu City Heritage with Uphill Tour | Joiners: $64
- Cebu Steet food, historical and mountain tour: $110
- 3-Hour Small Group Cebu City Tour: $38
- Aqua Sports Adventure Package with 3 Water Activities: $129
- BEST OF Cebu City Heritage with Uphill Tour: $62
- BEST OF Guided Heritage City Joiners Tour: $45
- Badian Canyoneering Adventure and Kawasan Waterfalls Private Tour: $149
- Badian Cebu Canyoneering Experience: $103
- Badian Cebu Canyoneering Experience: $146
- Balamban Uphill Adventure Tour in Cebu: $100
- Best Seller Cebu City Group Tour: $54
- Bohol Countryside Day Tour From Cebu City | Lunch at Loboc River Cruise: $145
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHo Chi Minh City $7.57Cebu $14
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$0.38
Sample the Local Flavors in Cebu
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cebu:
- Makati Pub Crawl with Optional City Tour: $18
- Cebu City Light's Pub Crawl: $110
When comparing the travel costs between Ho Chi Minh City and Cebu, 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.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive? and Is Cebu Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ho Chi Minh City or Cebu?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Cebu. When comparing the sizes of Ho Chi Minh City and Cebu, 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.