Which place is cheaper, Saint Thomas 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 Saint Thomas?
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 Saint Thomas can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Saint Thomas?
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.
Saint Thomas
Saint Thomas is a beautiful island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Together with St. John, St. Croix, and Water Island, it forms the unincorporated territory of the United States. The island is also home to the territorial capital and port of Charlotte Amalie. The island's population is just over 50,000, which is slightly less than half of the territory's total population.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam.
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Ho Chi Minh City Prices
Vietnam PricesSaint Thomas Prices
USVI Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHo Chi Minh City $87Saint Thomas $258
The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $87, while the average daily cost in Saint Thomas is $258. 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 Saint Thomas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHo Chi Minh City $48Saint Thomas $131
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHo Chi Minh City $96Saint Thomas $262
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Saint Thomas
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Saint Thomas? 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 Saint Thomas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $15Saint Thomas $37
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$1.33
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Taxi From Airport$7.60
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.52
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: $277
- Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $259
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Ca Mau: $243
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Vinh Tan: $237
- Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) to Mui Ne - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $231
- Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) to Vung Tau Round-Trip Private Transfer: $217
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Soc Trang: $211
- Private Transfer from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne & Vice versa: $193
- Private Transfer: Ho Chi Minh City/SGN Airport To Phnom Penh: $190
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Chau Doc: $179
- Private Transfer: Ho Chi Minh City Center to Can Tho City Center: $175
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Saint Thomas
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Saint Thomas are as follows:
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Scooter Rental$65
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Taxi Ride$5.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Thomas
Also for Saint Thomas, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- ST.Thomas Private Airport One-Way Transfers: $200
- Cyril E. King Airport STT to Charlotte Amalie RoundTrip Transfer: $198
- Private Airport Transfer in Luxury Vehicle- St. Thomas, USVI: $189
- Luxury Airport Transfer to or from St Thomas The Ritz Carlton: $189
- St.Thomas Airport Transfer to Redhook Ferry: $180
- Prince Taxi & Tours St.Thomas Airport transfer to Redhook Ferry: $180
- Vi Top Taxi - St. Thomas Airport Transfer to Wyndham Margaritaville: $180
- Vi Top Taxi &Tours - Airport Transfer to the Ritz Carlton: $180
- Prince Taxi USVI-ST.Thomas Airport Transfer to Ritz Carlton: $180
- Private Arrival Transfer from Cyril E King Airport to Redhook Bay: $175
- Paradise Taxi & Tours USVI- St. Thomas - Airport Transfer to Red Hook Ferry: $174
- Paradise Taxi & Tours USVI-St Thomas- Airport Transfer Sapphire / Crystal Cove: $174
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Saint Thomas?
Prices for flights to both Saint Thomas 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 $23Saint Thomas $94
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)$4.07
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Pizza$4.94
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Sweet Rice$1.14
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Pork Sandwich$0.57
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.45
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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 Local Street Food Tour With Local Students: $1.87
- Water Puppet Show And Dinner Cruise On Saigon River Private Tour: $1.87
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour with Local LGBT Student Guide: $1.87
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- 1 hour Egg Coffee Cooking Class with Snack and Local Instructor: $15
- Mekong Delta 4 Islands, TukTuk, Boat, Try Khot Cake Local Cooking: $16
- Saigon Sightseeing & Street Food Tour By scooter with Student: $20
- Saigon Scooter Adventure - City Sights & Street Food Tour: $21
- Ho Chi Minh city Walking Chinatown / HCM city walking food tour: $25
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour and Vietnamese Coffee: $27
- Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $28
- Walking Food Tour in HCM: 10 Must- Try Local Dishes & Hidden Gems: $29
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint Thomas
For Saint Thomas, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- St. James Snorkel & Pizza Pi Lunch: $90
- St. John Sail with Bar and Hors d'Oeuvres to Lovango Dinner: $109
- St. John PiZZA Pi Snorkel Sail with Beach Stop, Lunch & Open Bar - Westin: $119
- Sunset & Harbor Lights Dinner Sail from the Marriott's Frenchman's Cove: $119
- Afternoon Snorkel, Pizza & Sunset Tour departing from St. Thomas & St. John: $120
- Local Experience, St. John U.S. Virgin Islands Food Tour: $125
- St. Thomas Dinner Sail to St. John with Open Bar & Hors D'oeuvres - Ritz-Carlton: $129
- Pizza Pi Shuttle (Official) - Jet Ski Trip St Thomas: $148
- Pizza Pi Party- Snorkel & Sunset Cruise: $180
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $19Saint Thomas $60
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$5.32
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 Private Cai Rang Floating Market and My Tho Boat Tour: $150
- 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 Tour of Black Virgin Mountain - Cao Dai Temple - Cu Chi Tunnels from HCMC: $62
- 1-day Mekong Delta Tour: Cai Be Market, Local Island and Cycling: $125
- 2 Day Mekong Delta Adventure and Floating Market Tour: $99
- 2 Days 1 Night Mekong Delta Tour: $141
- 2 Days 1 Night Shared Tour in K50 Waterfall: $238
Tours and Activities in Saint Thomas
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Saint Thomas.
- #1 St. Thomas Ghost Tour – Virgin Island's Original Haunted Tour: $41
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Tour in the Virgin Islands from Westin St. John: $169
- 1-Hour Guided Jet Ski Tour in St. Thomas from Frenchman's Reef: $159
- 3 Hour Kayak and Snorkel Tour: $139
- Book Your Private Two and a Half Hour Island Tour today!: $150
- Cas Cay - Kayak Hike and Snorkel Adventure: $99
- Children's Treasure Hunt Walking Tour: $25
- Cocktail Sunset Cruise from Sapphire Beach Resort: $130
- Coral Reef and Turtle Discovery Kayak and Snorkel Tour: $169
- Coral Reef and Turtle Discovery Tour: $159
- Coral World Ocean Park General Admission Ticket: $29
- Cruise Ship Port Shuttle to St John Ferry: $34
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHo Chi Minh City $7.59Saint Thomas $27
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: $29
- Bike And Craft Beer Brewery Mekong Delta Cycling Tour: $152
Sample the Local Flavors in Saint Thomas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Saint Thomas:
- Da Conch Crawl- Walking Tour and Bar Crawl Downtown St. Thomas: $148
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Saint Thomas, we can see that Saint Thomas 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 Saint Thomas is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Saint Thomas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Saint Thomas 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 Saint Thomas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ho Chi Minh City or Saint Thomas?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 170 times larger than the population of Saint Thomas. When comparing the sizes of Ho Chi Minh City and Saint Thomas, 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.