Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Madrid?
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 Madrid can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Madrid?
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.
Madrid
Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.
Which city is cheaper, Madrid 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 Madrid is $116. 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 Madrid in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Madrid? 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
Madrid 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
$1.48
-
Taxi From Airport
$8.45
-
Cyclo Ride (One Hour)
$1.69
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 Transfer: From Ho Chi Minh city - Siemreap (Cambodia) - MPV 7 seat:
$595
-
Private Car Transfers From Ho Chi Minh To Siem Reap, Cambodia:
$499
-
Private transfer: From Ho Chi Minh city - Phnompenh (Cambodia) - MPV 7 seat:
$311
-
Private Car Transfers From Ho Chi Minh To Phnom penh, Cambodia:
$259
-
Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang - Private Transfer:
$250
-
Private Car Transfers From Ho Chi Minh City To Dalat:
$189
-
Private Transfer From Ho Chi Minh To Mui Ne (16 seater car):
$168
-
Transfer Tan Son Nhat Airport to Mui Ne (Beach resort):
$150
-
My Tho Transfer from Ho Chi Minh city:
$149
-
One way: Sai Gon - Mui Ne Private Transfer ( 7 Seats Car):
$136
-
One-way Private Transfer from Saigon Airport or Center to Mui Ne:
$136
-
Mui Ne: Private Transfer to/from Ho Chi Minh Airport:
$130
Typical Local Transportation prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private one way transfer from Madrid to Seville with private pick up & drop off:
$1,081
-
Private Transfer from Madrid city to Biarritz:
$890
-
Private Transfer from Madrid city to Biarritz Airport:
$890
-
Private Weekend Trip to Madrid with Private Transfers and Private Tours:
$840
-
Private Transfer from Madrid city to Pamplona:
$753
-
Private Transfer from Madrid city to Pamplona Airport:
$753
-
DUCA - Hassle-Free transfer from Madrid to Vicentine Coast:
$743
-
Private Transfer from Madrid to Bilbao Cruise Port:
$739
-
Private Transfer from Madrid city to Bilbao:
$739
-
Private Transfer from Madrid city to Bilbao Airport:
$739
-
Private Transfer from Madrid city to Santander Airport:
$677
-
Private Transfer from Madrid to Santander Port:
$677
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Madrid?
Prices for flights to both Madrid 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
Madrid $29
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 Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
-
Coffee
$2.13
-
Ice Cream
$3.20
-
Kebabs (for 2)
$17
-
Croissant
$1.60
-
Lunch at Airport (for 2)
$17
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid
For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Virtual Cooking Class: The Spanish Paella Experience:
$24
-
Florida Retiro Dinner Show:
$38
-
Murder Mystery Dinner Experience:
$49
-
Virtual cooking - spanish "tortilla de patatas":
$50
-
Murder Mystery Dinner Experience:
$50
-
Flamenco Workshop and Show with Dinner and Drinks:
$51
-
Skip the Line: Flamenco Show with Dinner and Workshop in Madrid Ticket:
$52
-
Homemade pasta cooking class and lunch in the heart of Madrid:
$58
-
Mamaz Social Italian Dinner in Madrid:
$60
-
3-hour Virtual Spanish Cooking Class in Madrid:
$62
-
Iberico Ham and Spanish Wine Small-Group Food Tour:
$67
-
Authentic Italian Dinner in Madrid:
$68
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
Tours and Activities in Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
-
10 Days Tour Heart of Spain:
$1,592
-
10-Day Andalusia and Morocco escorted tour from Madrid:
$1,680
-
10-Day Guided Tour Morocco and Andalusia from Madrid:
$1,709
-
11-Day Portugal and Andalucia Guided Tour from Madrid:
$1,735
-
12-Day Morocco and South of Spain Tour from Madrid:
$1,722
-
13-Day Mediterranean Capitals Guided Tour from Madrid:
$2,114
-
2 Hour Hidden Oasis Retiro Park Madrid Small Group Segway Tour:
$33
-
2 Hours Secrets of Madrid Retiro Park Tour:
$11
-
2-Day Guided Tour Cordoba and Seville from Madrid:
$404
-
2-Day guided tour Caceres & Sevilla from Madrid by Bus and High Speed Train:
$361
-
2-Hour Patisserie Experience for Dessert Lovers:
$50
-
2-Hour Tour of Prado Museum in Madrid:
$72
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 Madrid
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:
-
Beer
$5.33
-
Drinks and Tapas (for 2)
$14
Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:
-
Pub Crawl in Madrid:
$15
-
Pub Crawl Madrid by Madpartycrew:
$19
-
Wine Tasting near Plaza Mayor:
$20
-
Wine Tasting Experience:
$32
-
Wine Tasting Experience:
$43
-
Madrid Tapas and Mysteries Walking Tour with Private Option and Pub Crawl:
$47
-
Wine Tasting and Flamenco Master Class in Madrid:
$58
-
Segovia and Spanish Versailles Full-Day Tour with Wine Tasting:
$62
-
Old Town Madrid Gourmet Tapas and Wine Tasting Walking Tour:
$82
-
Gourmet Tapas & Wine Tasting Experience In Madrid:
$91
-
Madrid Tapas and Wine Tasting Tour:
$93
-
Madrid Tapas Diaries- A Premium Food & Wine Tour in the old city of Madrid:
$123
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Madrid, we can see that Madrid 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 Madrid 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 Madrid would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Madrid than you might in Ho Chi Minh City.
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