Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Edinburgh?
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 Edinburgh can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Edinburgh?
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.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the moderately sized capital of Scotland. It is a medieval city that has managed to perfect the combination of Georgian architecture and medieval relics with a cosmopolitan population and avant-garde atmosphere. The city's population is quite young, in large part because of the University of Edinburgh. This youthful vibe gives this city a lot of vitality. There's a thriving nightlife, many restaurants, theatres, galleries and museums.
Which city is cheaper, Edinburgh 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 $69, while the average daily cost in Edinburgh is $144. 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. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Ho Chi Minh City and Edinburgh in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Edinburgh? 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
Edinburgh Hotel Prices.
Local 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:
-
Short Taxi Ride
$1.49
-
Taxi From Airport
$8.52
-
Cyclo Ride (One Hour)
$1.70
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Transfer Tan Son Nhat Airport to Mui Ne (Beach resort):
$150
-
The Mist Dance Show In Saigon With Roundtrip Transfer:
$48
-
Taxi Transfers from Ho Chi Minh To Cat Tien Park:
$110
-
Taxi Transfers From Ho Chi Minh Airport to Muine:
$99
-
Taxi Transfers From Ho Chi Minh Airport To Can Tho:
$108
-
Taxi Transfers From Ho Chi Minh Airport To Cai Be:
$85
-
Taxi Transfer From Ho Chi Minh Airport To Ben Tre:
$79
-
Tan Son Nhat International Airport Transfer:
$23
-
Saigon Private Airport Transfer:
$17
-
Saigon Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Center Private Transfer:
$20
-
Sai Gon Airport Departure Private Transfer:
$42
-
Round-trip Private Transfer Ho Chi Minh - Vung Tau (7 Seats Car):
$108
Typical Local Transportation prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Edinburgh:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Edinburgh
Also for Edinburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Edinburgh To Aberdeen Private Premium Transfer With Chauffeur:
$804
-
Edinburgh to Inverness Private Premium Transfer With Chauffeur:
$758
-
Edinburgh to Oban Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$697
-
Edinburgh to Aberdeen Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$655
-
Edinburgh To Oban Private Premium Transfer With Chauffeur:
$559
-
Luxury Airport Transfer Service from , Edinburgh ,Glasgow ,Aberdeen & Inverness:
$538
-
Airport Transfers , Edinburgh to Aberdeen , or Aberdeen to Edinburgh:
$538
-
Edinburgh to Trump Turnberry Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$483
-
Edinburgh to Trump Turnberry Private Premium Transfer With Chauffeur:
$427
-
Edinburgh to Dundee Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$414
-
Edinburgh to Inverness Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$369
-
Edinburgh to Gleneagles Resort Luxury Taxi Transfer:
$317
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Edinburgh?
Prices for flights to both Edinburgh 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 $12
Edinburgh $39
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:
-
Ho Chi Minh Private Half Day Street Food Tour with Local Students:
$18
-
SaiGon Street Food Tour By Scooter With Student:
$22
-
Walking Food Tour With Local Student:
$26
-
Private Street Food Tour on Motorbikes:
$28
-
Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students:
$28
-
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 Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Scottish Classic Desserts private cooking class with professional chef:
$66
-
Discover Royal Mile-Old Town & ENJOY Indian Dinner ~ Walking Tour!:
$79
-
3-Hour Guided Secret Food Tour:
$94
-
Vegetarian/Vegan Curry Cooking Class – pure comfort food for the soul!:
$97
-
Curry Around The World Cooking Class:
$97
-
Private Tour: Secret Food Tours Edinburgh:
$106
-
Relaxing Handmade Pasta with meal and wine - Safe Cooking Class:
$110
-
Vegetarian/Vegan Curry Private Cooking Class with professional chef:
$116
-
"Curry Around The World" Private Cooking Class with professional chef:
$116
-
Private Food Tour with a Local Expert including 10 Tastings in Edinburgh:
$136
-
Handmade Pasta Cooking Class & Dinner with professional chef for private groups:
$137
-
3-Hour Secret Food Tour in Edinburgh w/ Private Tour Option:
$228
Entertainment
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.
-
"The Intimate Saigon" by day (city half-day tour):
$50
-
"The Intimate Saigon" by night (food tasting tour):
$59
-
1 Day Fishing Adventure Private Tour:
$125
-
1 Day Saigon Culinary Private Tour:
$147
-
1-day Cai Rang Floating Market With Sweet Chocolate Taste Private Tour:
$187
-
1-day Ho Chi Minh city and Cu Chi tunnels group tour:
$45
-
1-day My Tho boat trip in Mekong Delta group tour from Ho Chi Minh:
$33
-
10 days 9 nights classic Vietnam tour from South to North:
$545
-
10-day Small-Group Vietnam Highlight Tour:
$1,374
-
2 Days - HCM City Tour & Floating Market:
$229
-
2 Days Private Non-Touristic Local Homestay in Tra On: Mekong Delta:
$195
-
2 Days and 1 Night Private Mekong Delta Tour from Saigon:
$202
Typical Entertainment prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Edinburgh's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
1 Day Malt Whisky, Craft Gin, & Craft Beer Tour:
$116
-
1 day Outlander tour:
$723
-
2 Day Loch Ness, Glencoe, Glenfinnan Viaduct & St Andrews Tour:
$123
-
2 Days Private Custom Tour of Scotland from Edinburgh:
$1,104
-
2 Hours Ghost Tour - English Tour Guide:
$18
-
2-Day Highlands and Loch Ness Tour from Edinburgh:
$228
-
2-Day Inverness and the Highlands Small Group Tour from Edinburgh:
$112
-
2-Day Lake District Tour from Edinburgh:
$344
-
2-Day Loch Ness and Inverness Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh:
$237
-
2-Day Outlander Experience Small Group Tour from Edinburgh:
$248
-
2-hour Whisky Tasting Tour of Edinburgh:
$54
-
3 Day / 2 Night Scottish Highland Experience from Edinburgh:
$446
Alcohol
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:
Typical Alcohol prices in Edinburgh
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Edinburgh from other travelers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Edinburgh
Also in Edinburgh, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
The Orange Pub Crawl - Edinburgh:
$18
-
Edinburgh Brewery Tour:
$22
-
Holyrood Distillery Gin and Whisky Guided Tour:
$24
-
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour:
$24
-
Guided Gin Tasting at 56 North Distillery:
$34
-
Pickering's Gin Distillery Tour with Gin Tastings:
$34
-
Loch Lomond, Stirling, and Glengoyne Distillery Tour from Edinburgh:
$52
-
Rosslyn Chapel, Scottish Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery from Edinburgh:
$54
-
Loch Ness, Highlands and Whisky Distillery Day Tour from Edinburgh:
$66
-
Bike, beers and brewery tour:
$90
-
Edinburgh and Golf and Distillery Tour with Private Driver:
$259
-
Whisky Distillery Tour from Edinburgh by Private Vehicle:
$284
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Edinburgh, we can see that Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh 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 Edinburgh would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Edinburgh than you might in Ho Chi Minh City.
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