Which place is cheaper, Iquique 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 Iquique?
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 Iquique can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Iquique?
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.
Iquique
Located in a golden crescent of coastline, the beautiful beach city with an ocean that's several shades of blue and a historic centre that offers the perfect balance of culture and relaxation is counted among Chile's premier beach resorts. The city is home to the duty free zone called "Zofri" and a growing number of high rise resort hotels along its beaches. Slightly more expensive and polluted than neighboring population centers, such as Arica, Iquique and its chaotic duty-free shopping zone (zona franca) have become the perfect summer holiday destination for Chilean families.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Chile, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Chile.
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Ho Chi Minh City Prices
Vietnam PricesIquique Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHo Chi Minh City $88Iquique $117
The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $88, while the average daily cost in Iquique is $117. 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 Iquique in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHo Chi Minh City $48Iquique $41
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHo Chi Minh City $96Iquique $82
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Iquique
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Iquique? 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 Iquique Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $15Iquique $22
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$1.35
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Taxi From Airport$7.70
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Taxi transfer from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City: $358
- Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) to Mui Ne - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $272
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Nha Trang: $270
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Nha Trang Cang Pha Vinpearl: $270
- Hanoi Private Transfer from Vinh City to Hanoi (HAN) Airport: $267
- Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $259
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Da Lat: $232
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Vinh Tan: $220
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Cam Ranh: $219
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Ha Tien Pier: $219
- Private Transfer from Cam Ranh to Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport: $219
- Private Transfer from Phong Nha to Da Nang (DAD) Airport: $215
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Iquique
Also for Iquique, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sandboard activity in Iquique with transfer: $95
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Iquique?
Prices for flights to both Iquique 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 $23Iquique $56
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)$4.12
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Pizza$5.00
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Sweet Rice$1.15
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Pork Sandwich$0.58
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.53
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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:
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour with Local LGBT Student Guide: $1.90
- Mekong With Cai Be Less Tourist - Cooking Class: $14
- 1 hour Egg Coffee Cooking Class with Snack and Local Instructor: $14
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Mekong Delta 4 Islands, TukTuk, Boat, Try Khot Cake Local Cooking: $16
- HCM: Mekong Delta Boat, Khotcake cooking Coconut Village: $16
- Ho Chi Minh City Michelin & Street Food Tour by Motorbike or Car: $16
- Ho Chi Minh City Cyclo Ride with Lunch or Dinner Experience: $18
- Saigon Sightseeing & Street Food Tour By scooter with Student: $23
- Ho Chi Minh city Walking Chinatown / HCM city walking food tour: $25
- Street Food Tour In Ho Chi Minh City By Motorbike: $26
- Saigon Walking Food Tour & Hidden Alleys with Locals: $26
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $19Iquique $26
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$5.39
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 Small Group Tour in Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta: $90
- 1 Hour Saigon River Tour in Ho Chi Minh: $13
- 1-Day City Tour: Saigon Chinatown, Must-See Icons & Cyclo Ride: $128
- 1-Day Explore Non-Touristy Side Of Mekong Delta- Group 10 Max: $130
- 1-Day Mekong Delta Tour: Less-Touristy Cai Be & Vinh Long(Max 10): $35
- 1-Day Tour in Vung Tau Beach: $59
- 1-Day Tour of Black Virgin Mountain - Cao Dai Temple - Cu Chi Tunnels from HCMC: $65
- 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
Tours and Activities in Iquique
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Iquique.
- City Tour in Iquique: $89
- City tour of Iquique with navigation to the Esmeralda buoy: $55
- Experience sandboarding in the Iquique dunes: $52
- Guided tour of heroic Iquique: $23
- Guided City Tour with Boat Trip to Esmeralda Buoy: $85
- Red Lagoon Tour: $639
- Isluga National Park Tour: $180
- Pintados Geoglyphs, Humberstone and Salar Crespo tour: $145
- Red Lagoon Tour: $225
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHo Chi Minh City $7.69Iquique $19
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 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: $36
- Bike And Craft Beer Brewery Mekong Delta Cycling Tour: $152
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Iquique, we can see that Iquique 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 Iquique is in South America, 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 Iquique would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Iquique 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 Iquique Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ho Chi Minh City or Iquique?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Iquique. When comparing the sizes of Ho Chi Minh City and Iquique, 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.