Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Edinburgh?
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.
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 $71, while the average daily cost in Edinburgh is $159. 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 Edinburgh 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.
Travelers usually pay around $166 for a double occupancy room in Edinburgh If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
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.
Food in Edinburgh costs travelers about $43 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Ho Chi Minh City $13
Edinburgh $43
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
-
Ho Chi Minh Private Half Day Street Food Tour with Local Students:
$18
-
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 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:
$82
-
Vegetarian/Vegan Curry Cooking Class – pure comfort food for the soul!:
$97
-
Curry Around The World Cooking Class:
$97
-
Scottish Storytelling 3 Course Dinner and Whisky:
$104
-
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
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.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Edinburgh than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $19 on transportation in Edinburgh on average per day.
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
$1.54
-
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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[Summer Offer] Premier Residences Phu Quoc Emerald Bay with Breakfast and Free Airport Transfers:
$73
-
[Off 40%] Combo Vinpearl Resort & Golf Phu Quoc with Vinwonder + Vinpearl Safari, Optional Roundtrip Airport Transfers:
$93
-
[Flash Sale] Six Senses Con Dao with Breakfast and Transfer:
$528
-
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
-
Sunset Sanato Phu Quoc Hotel with Breakfast and Roundtrip Airport Transfer :
$62
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:
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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.
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.
Sightseeing expenses in Edinburgh, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $22 per day, per person.
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.
-
An Spa Experience in Da Nang:
$13
-
Aroma Spa Foot & Body Massage Experience in Ho Chi Minh City:
$9.79
-
Belle Maison Parosand Spa Experience in Da Nang:
$5.75
-
Coconut Spa Experience in Ho Chi Minh:
$5.05
-
Datanla New Alpine Coaster Experience in Da Lat:
$6.95
-
Hai Van Pass and Lang Co Beach Private Sidecar Tour from Hoi An:
$163
-
Hoi An Countryside Private Sidecar Tour (1 or 2 Hours):
$50
-
Hue City Tour from Da Nang:
$35
-
Laguna Luxury Private Sidecar Tour from Hoi An:
$185
-
Lasenta Spa Experience in Ho Chi Minh City:
$2.39
-
Linda Spa Experience in Da Nang:
$5.49
-
Mam Gao Spa Experience in Ho Chi Minh:
$15
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 Harry Potter Walking Tour with Games & Quizzes:
$21
-
2-hour Whisky Tasting Tour of Edinburgh:
$54
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.
Typically, people visiting Edinburgh spend on average $17 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
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:
-
4-Hour Pub Crawl with Free Shots & Discounts:
$9.68
-
3-Hour Alternative Pub Crawl:
$11
-
4-Hour Pub Crawl with Free Drinks & Specials:
$17
-
The Orange Pub Crawl - Edinburgh:
$18
-
Edinburgh Brewery Tour:
$22
-
Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour:
$24
-
Rosslyn Chapel, Scottish Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery:
$51
-
Loch Lomond, Stirling, and Glengoyne Distillery Tour from Edinburgh:
$52
-
Rosslyn Chapel, Scottish Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery from Edinburgh:
$54
-
Stirling, Distillery, St.Andrews & Italian Tour Guide:
$62
-
Loch Ness, Highlands & Whisky Distillery Tour from Edinburgh:
$63
-
Loch Ness, Highlands and Whisky Distillery Day Tour from Edinburgh:
$66
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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