Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Santiago?
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 Santiago 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.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
Which city is cheaper, Santiago 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 Santiago is $137. 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 Santiago 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.
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about $214 for a double occupancy room in Santiago.
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.
While meal prices in Santiago can vary, the average travelers spends about $13 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Santiago should cost around $5.20 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Santiago is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Ho Chi Minh City $13
Santiago $13
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
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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 Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
-
Empanada
$2.28
-
Hamburger
$3.03
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Dinner
$31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
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Dinner at a Typical Chilean Restaurant with a Traditional Dance Show in Santiago:
$73
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A Bite of Santiago Food Tour:
$77
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Chilean Dinner and Show Experience in Santiago:
$77
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ChileCooks - Food Tours:
$91
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Traditional Dinner Show in Santiago:
$96
-
Bali Hai Dinner & Show Including Transport:
$97
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San Cristobal Hill Night City Tour with Dinner Show:
$106
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Traditional Chilean Show with Dinner and Private Transportation in Santiago:
$107
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Chilean Folklore Show and Dinner with Private Transport:
$110
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Small-Group Tour: Night City Tour with Santa Lucia Hill and Dinner Show:
$116
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Small-Group Night City Tour: San Cristobal Hill and Dinner Show:
$116
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Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home:
$117
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.
The average price of local transportation around Santiago is $5.24 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public 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
$1.54
-
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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Shared City Transfer between Hanoi and Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu, Tam Coc and more by Limousine:
$6.39
-
Shared City Transfers between Da Lat and Mui Ne via Shuttle Bus:
$6.50
-
Shared Bus Transfers between Hoi An and Ba Na Hills:
$6.50
-
Private Phu Quoc International Airport Transfers (PQC) for Phu Quoc:
$7.00
-
Private Da Nang International Airport Transfers (DAD) for Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An, & Select Areas:
$8.79
-
Private Noi Bai Airport Transfers (HAN) for Hanoi City or Halong Bay:
$9.00
-
Private Night Transfers between Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC) and Phu Quoc:
$9.25
-
Private Noi Bai Airport (HAN) Transfers for Hanoi City:
$9.45
-
Private Da Nang International Airport (DAD) Transfers for Da Nang, Ba Na Hills, and More:
$9.59
-
Private Airport Transfer: Ho Chi Minh City to Tan Son Nhat Int. Airport (SGN):
$10
-
Private Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR) Transfers for Nha Trang, Hon Chong & Selected Areas:
$11
-
Private Da Nang International Airport Night Transfers (DAD) for Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An, & Select Areas:
$11
Typical Local Transportation prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
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Private transfer: Santiago to Santiago Airport (SCL):
$622
-
Private Scenic Transfer from Santiago to Mendoza:
$283
-
Private Transfer from Santiago or Santiago Airport to Colchagua or Santa Cruz:
$259
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Premium Ski resort transfer:
$250
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Private transfer from San Antonio or Valparaiso Port + Santiago City Tour:
$240
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Private Transfer from Santiago Airport to Valparaíso,Viña del Mar or San Antonio:
$236
-
Private transfers from the airport to hotels and private homes:
$213
-
Transfer from Valparaiso or San Antonio Port + Condor Watching Tour:
$203
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Airport Transfer:
$200
-
Transfer Santiago Airport to Valparaiso / Viña del Mar (Exclusive & Private):
$165
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Private Transfer: Santiago Hotel to San Antonio Pier:
$164
-
Maipo Valley Wine Tour, Concha y Toro, Private Transfer from Santiago:
$161
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago 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.
Santiago's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $46 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
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.
-
Do Quyen Spa Private Experience in Sapa:
$1.75
-
Hi Spa Experience in Ho Chi Minh City :
$1.99
-
L'Belle Beauty Spa Experience in Ho Chi Minh:
$1.99
-
Lasenta Spa Experience in Ho Chi Minh City:
$2.39
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World Coffee Museum Ticket in Central Highland:
$2.65
-
[SALE 50%] Art in Paradise 3D Museum Ticket in Da Nang:
$3.09
-
The Bachelorette Full Day Private Tour with Pickup:
$3.24
-
LVES Spa in Saigon - VND88.000 for 60-minute Experience:
$3.89
-
Upside Down World Ticket in Da Nang:
$4.05
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Traditional Singing Performance on Huong River Ticket in Hue:
$4.19
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Alba Thanh Tan Hot Springs Ticket in Hue City:
$4.19
-
Ngo Spa & Massage Experience in Ho Chi Minh City:
$4.39
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
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"Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español:
$18
-
"Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial portugués:
$18
-
13-Day Tour Chile from North to South:
$2,330
-
2-Day Private Hiking Tour to La Paloma Glacier:
$363
-
2-day tour: Santiago City Tour + Viña del Mar & Valparaiso:
$180
-
3-Day Chilean Andes Experience:
$864
-
3-in-1 Discovery Combo Tour: Chipitin Waterfall, Campfire Night + Tipi Lodging:
$190
-
4-Day Classic Tour of Santiago de Chile visiting Viña, Valparaiso and 1 winery:
$686
-
4-Day Tour Best of Santiago:
$686
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4-Days Deluxe Culinary Experience at Santiago de Chile:
$910
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6 days tour Don´t miss:
$1,227
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7-Day Santiago & Easter Island Tour:
$1,480
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.
The average person spends about $8.14 on alcoholic beverages in Santiago per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
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:
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Traditional Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Official English:
$18
-
"Premium Wine Tour" Viña Cousiño Macul Official english:
$30
-
"Premium Wine Tour" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial portugués:
$30
-
Premium Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Spanish official:
$30
-
Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included:
$40
-
Concha y Toro Traditional Wine Tour from Santiago:
$45
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Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included:
$45
-
Half Day Trip to Santa Rita Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included:
$50
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Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included:
$55
-
half day wine tour to concha y toro from Santiago seasonal offer:
$57
-
Concha y Toro Marques Wine Tour from Santiago:
$64
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Premium Wine Tasting in Santiago de Chile:
$71
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Santiago, we can see that Santiago 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 Santiago 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago than you might in Ho Chi Minh City.
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