A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Ho Chi Minh City vs. Coimbra for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Coimbra?

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 Coimbra can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Coimbra?

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.

Coimbra

Coimbra is located in Central Portugal in the Centro Region. It's the third largest city in the country with about 460,000 people living in the entire region. It is also where you'll find the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest universities in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese speaking world. During the High Middle Ages, Coimbra served as the nation's capital and there are archaeological structures that date back to the Roman era.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Portugal, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Portugal.


Which place is cheaper, Coimbra 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.

The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $87, while the average daily cost in Coimbra is $160. 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 Coimbra in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ho Chi Minh City $48
    Coimbra $51
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ho Chi Minh City $96
    Coimbra $102
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Coimbra

Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Coimbra? 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.

Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City


Hotels in Coimbra


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 Coimbra Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ho Chi Minh City $15
    Coimbra $12
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:


  • Short Taxi Ride
    $1.33
  • Taxi From Airport
    $7.60
  • 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:

  • Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cam Ranh HTL-APT (CXR): $14
  • Transfer from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Thiet or Mui Ne, Japan Quality: $16
  • Tan Son Nhat Airport Ho Chi Minh City Private Transfer: $23
  • Tan Son Airport Arrival Private Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City: $40
  • Shared Arrival Transfer - Hanoi Airport to Sapa Hotel: $150
  • Saigon Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Center Private Transfer: $19
  • Round-trip Private Transfer Ho Chi Minh - Vung Tau (7 Seats Car): $122
  • Round-trip Private Transfer Ho Chi Minh - Vung Tau (16 Seats Car): $141
  • Radisson Blu Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
  • Private transfer from Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City: $78
  • Private transfer Tan Son Nhat airport - Hotels in Ho Chi Minh: $12
  • Private transfer Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) - Hotels In City: $17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Coimbra

Also for Coimbra, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer Coimbra to Aveiro Costa Nova: $293
  • Private transfer from/to Fatima - Porto, Coimbra or Aveiro: $269
  • Private transfer from Porto Airport to Coimbra: $211
  • Private transfer from/to Fátima - Porto, Braga or Guimarães: $209
  • Transfer from Lisboa to Coimbra with visit to Fátima Sanctuary, half day: $198
  • Fátima Private Transfer to/from Lisbon: $158
  • Transfers Aveiro or Coimbra to Lisbon Airport: $156

Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Coimbra?

Prices for flights to both Coimbra 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Ho Chi Minh City $23
    Coimbra $96
Typical Food Prices in Ho Chi Minh City

Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ho Chi Minh City:


  • Street Food Dinner (for Two)
    $4.07
  • Pizza
    $4.94
  • Sweet Rice
    $1.14
  • Pork Sandwich
    $0.57
  • Casual Lunch (for Two)
    $6.45
  • 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:

  • Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour with Local LGBT Student Guide: $1.87
  • Ho Chi Minh City Local Street Food Tour With Local Students: $1.87
  • Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
  • 1 hour Egg Coffee Cooking Class with Snack and Local Instructor: $15
  • Mekong Delta 4 Islands, TukTuk, Boat, Try Khot Cake Local Cooking: $16
  • HCM:Mekong Delta Boat,Khotcake cooking Coconut Village,SmallGroup: $16
  • Cu Chi Tunnels & Countryside Cooking Class with Organic Farm: $20
  • Saigon Sightseeing & Street Food Tour By scooter with Student: $20
  • Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour & Sightseeing By Motorbike: $26
  • Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour and Vietnamese Coffee: $27
  • Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $28
  • Authentic Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $29

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Coimbra

For Coimbra, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Erotic Cabaret Show and Dinner: $64
  • Bairrada Food Tour: $115

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ho Chi Minh City $19
    Coimbra $21
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:


  • Massage
    $5.32

Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.

  • 'Cost-Saving' Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta 1-Day Tour: $59
  • 1 Day Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta Private Adventure: $156
  • 1 Day Mekong Delta to Cai Be from Ho Chi Minh City Tour: $45
  • 1 Day Private Cai Rang Floating Market and My Tho Boat Tour: $150
  • 1 Day Small Group Tour in Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta: $89
  • 1 Hour Saigon River Tour in Ho Chi Minh: $13
  • 1-Day City Tour: Saigon Chinatown, Must-See Icons & Cyclo Ride: $128
  • 1-day Ho Chi Minh city and Cu Chi tunnels group tour: $46
  • 1-day Mekong Delta Tour: Cai Be Market, Local Island and Cycling: $125
  • 1-day My Tho boat trip in Mekong Delta group tour from Ho Chi Minh: $34
  • 12 Street Food with Seafood on Scooter Tour Ho Chi Minh: $51
  • 2 Day Mekong Delta Adventure and Floating Market Tour: $99

Tours and Activities in Coimbra

For Coimbra, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 2 Hours Private Walking Tour in Coimbra: $249
  • An adventure through the Forest and Palace of Bussaco - Coim: $99
  • An adventure through the Schist Villages of Lousã: $88
  • Arista Tour - Penacova Windmills and Landscapes (noon): $88
  • Aveiro, Barra and Costa Nova | Full-day Private Tour: $227
  • Best of Coimbra Private Walking Tour with University Late Visit: $82
  • Best of Private Walking Tour with a Local: $29
  • Buggy Tour in Serra da Lousã 2Hours: $146
  • Buracas do Casmilo Private Hiking Tour from Coimbra: $105
  • Coimbra - Condeixa: 120-minute Off-road Buggy Adventure: $303
  • Coimbra - Condeixa: 240-minute Off-Road Buggy Adventure: $512
  • Coimbra - Condeixa: 60-minute Off-road Buggy Adventure: $175

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ho Chi Minh City $7.59
    Coimbra $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:


  • Beer
    $0.38

Sample the Local Flavors in Ho Chi Minh City

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Ho Chi Minh City:

  • Make Your Own Gin Experience and Saigon Baigur Distillery Tour: $29
  • Bike And Craft Beer Brewery Mekong Delta Cycling Tour: $152

Sample the Local Flavors in Coimbra

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Coimbra:

  • Guided Wine Tasting with Regional Bites: $31
  • Coimbra Food and Wine Tasting Private Guided Walk: $41
  • Bairrada Sommelier Experience Wine Tasting and Lunch: $186


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Coimbra, we can see that Coimbra is more expensive. And not only is Ho Chi Minh City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Ho Chi Minh City is in Asia and Coimbra is in Europe, 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 Coimbra would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Coimbra 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 Ho Chi Minh City Expensive? and Is Coimbra Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Ho Chi Minh City or Coimbra?

Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Coimbra. When comparing the sizes of Ho Chi Minh City and Coimbra, 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.