Which place is cheaper, Royal Chitwan National Park or Ho Chi Minh City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Jump to 
Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Royal Chitwan National Park?
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 Royal Chitwan National Park can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Royal Chitwan National Park?
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.
Royal Chitwan National Park
The majestic elephant, the silly monkey and dozens of soaring birds call the Royal Chitwan National Park home. At the foot of the Himalayas, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is 932 square kilometers of animal and plant life preservation in Nepal.
Once the favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class, the area began seeing the endangerment of all the area animals. So in 1957, Nepal passed its first conservation law to protect the rhinos and their habitat. At the end of the 1960s, however, DDT had cleared 70% of Royal Chitwan National Park jungles, thousands of people had created moved in on the land and only 95 rhinos were left. By 1977 the park was under complete protection, enlarged to the present-day size and is one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.
This park, also known as "the heart of the jungle," provides over 70,000 annual visitors with opportunities to get close and personal with animals they've only seen in movies. Fair warning, however, the weather is quite hot and humid for most of the year.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Vietnam, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Pokhara, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Nepal.
-
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHo Chi Minh City $83Royal Chitwan National Park $35
The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $83, while the average daily cost in Royal Chitwan National Park is $35. 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 Royal Chitwan National Park in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHo Chi Minh City $50Royal Chitwan National Park $11
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHo Chi Minh City $100Royal Chitwan National Park $22
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Royal Chitwan National Park
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Royal Chitwan National Park? 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 Royal Chitwan National Park Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $16Royal Chitwan National Park $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:
-
Short Taxi Ride$1.42
-
Taxi From Airport$8.13
-
Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.63
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Vinpearl Resort & Spa Long Beach to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- VIP Tour: Mekong Delta River & Craft Village – Optional Transfer : $18
- VIP Tour: Cu Chi Tunnels – Discover History, Optional Transfer: $16
- VIP Tour: Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta River – Optional Transfer: $39
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cam Ranh HTL-APT (CXR): $18
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Ho Chi Minh APT-HTL (SGN): $15
- Transfer from Ho Chi Minh to Airport Tan Sơn Nhat: $17
- The Anam Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport Transfer: $23
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport Private Transfer: $19
- Tan Son Airport Arrival Private Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City: $32
- Swandor Cam Ranh Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Royal Chitwan National Park
Also for Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Chitwan to Kathmandu One Way Transfer by Private AC Car : $75
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Royal Chitwan National Park?
Prices for flights to both Royal Chitwan National Park 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 dayHo Chi Minh City $14Royal Chitwan National Park $9.33
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)$4.35
-
Pizza$5.28
-
Sweet Rice$1.22
-
Pork Sandwich$0.61
-
Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.90
-
Western Lunch (for Two)$12
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:
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Saigon: Night Sights & Local Food Tour w Ao Dai Rider Option: $25
- Private Walking Food Tour with Local Students : $26
- Saigon: Backstreets Private Walking Food Tour & 13+ Tastings: $27
- Ho Chi Minh city Street Food Tour By Motorbike/ Car + SAFE + FUN: $27
- Saigon Evening Street Food Tour with 6 Dishes : $28
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour By Motorbike (Unique & Authentic): $28
- Saigon Private/Small Group Eleven-Tastings Food Tour by Scooter: $28
- Food Tour by Scooter with Eleven Tastings: $28
- From Hochiminh & Saigon City: Private Motorbike Street Food Tour : $29
- Private Walking Food Tour with 13 Tastings: $29
- Ho Chi Minh Private Half Day Street Food Tour with Local Students: $29
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $20Royal Chitwan National Park $9.53
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$5.69
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- Cham May Port /Tien Sa Port: Golden Bridge - BaNa Hills day Tour: $68
- Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Day Group tour: $52
- Cu Chi Tunnels half day tours: $39
- Half Day Private Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $39
- Historical Walking Tour of Saigon: $36
- Mekong Delta Discovery Day Tour - My Tho - Ben Tre: $46
- Mui Ne,Fairy Spring, Sand dunes, Fishing Village, Private Tour: $290
- Non-Touristy Mekong Delta with Biking in Ben Tre Private Tour: $40
- Private Mekong Delta 1 Day Tour: $65
- Private Tour Water Puppet Show And Cruise Tour On Saigon River : $65
- SAIGON SHORE EXCURSION: Past and Present Tour from Cruise Port: $129
- Saigon Vegetarian Tour by Motorbike and Scooter: $39
Tours and Activities in Royal Chitwan National Park
For Royal Chitwan National Park, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 Night 2 Days Chitwan Safari Tour: $118
- 2 Nights 3 Days Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour : $154
- 3 Nights 4 Days Comfortable Chitwan Safari Tour: $195
- Chitwan Jungle Safari Tour: $140
- Experience the ride in Lowlands of Nepal: $62
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayHo Chi Minh City $8.12Royal Chitwan National Park $6.42
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$0.41
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Royal Chitwan National Park, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City is more expensive. And not only is Royal Chitwan National Park much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Royal Chitwan National Park would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Royal Chitwan National Park 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 Ho Chi Minh City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ho Chi Minh City than you might in Royal Chitwan National Park.
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 Royal Chitwan National Park Expensive?.
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.