Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Ho Chi Minh City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Shangri-La?
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 Shangri-La can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Shangri-La?
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.
Shangri-La
The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.
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 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHo Chi Minh City $83Shangri-La $47
The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $83, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $47. 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 Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHo Chi Minh City $50Shangri-La $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHo Chi Minh City $100Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Shangri-La? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $16Shangri-La $11
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$1.42
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Taxi From Airport$8.13
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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:
- Mui Ne Beach: Bus transfer from/to Saigon City: $7.73
- Can Tho: Bus transfer directly to/from Saigon City: $9.76
- Shared Bus Transfer Between Saigon and Nha Trang City: $11
- Private transfer: Ho Chi Minh Airport to district 1,3,10: $11
- Nha Trang: Bus transfer from/to Saigon City: $11
- Ho Chi Minh Airport: Vip Fast Track Lane & Private Transfer: $14
- Da Lat: Bus transfer from/to Sai Gon with FUTA Bus Lines: $14
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Ho Chi Minh APT-HTL (SGN): $15
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Ho Chi Minh HTL-APT (SGN): $15
- Ho Chi Minh Airport Transfer Service: $15
- Private Arrival Transfer: Tan Son Nhat Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Hotels: $15
- Private Airport Transfer: $16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La 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 $14Shangri-La $19
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)$4.35
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Pizza$5.28
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Sweet Rice$1.22
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Pork Sandwich$0.61
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.90
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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: Street Food Tour and The Local Life: $4.23
- Saigon Unseen & Food Tour By scooter w Student | Saigon Adventure: $20
- Saigon: City Day Sights & Local Food Tour|Opt: Ao Dai Riders: $24
- Saigon: Night Sights & Local Food Tour w Ao Dai Rider Option: $25
- Private Walking Food Tour with Local Students : $26
- Saigon: Private Backstreets Walking Food Tour & 12+ Tastings: $27
- Ho Chi Minh city Street Food Tour By Motorbike/ Car + SAFE + FUN: $27
- Saigon Evening Street Food Tour with 6 Dishes : $28
- Saigon Private/Small Group Walking Food Tour with 13 Tastings: $28
- Food Tour by Scooter with Eleven Tastings: $28
- Walking Food Tour with 13 Tastings: $28
- Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students: $29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $20Shangri-La $16
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$5.69
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour: $0.02
- Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour: $0.50
- Explore Mekong Delta Tour With Local Guide: $0.85
- Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $4.22
- Saigon Sites and Stories - Walking Tour: $4.23
- Ho chi minh: Nguyen's Royal Museum Ticket: $6.31
- Ho Chi Minh: Sights & Highlights Walking tour: $6.60
- Saigon: City Sightseeing 45-Minute Panoramic Night Tour: $7.00
- Saigon: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $7.00
- Panoramic City Bus Tour: $7.00
- Night Bus Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $7.50
- 3-Hours Trekking Tour to Hidden Waterfall and Sturgeon Farm: $8.34
Tours and Activities in Shangri-La
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
- 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
- 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
- 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
- Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $199
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHo Chi Minh City $8.12Shangri-La $13
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$0.41
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Shangri-La, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City is more expensive. And not only is Shangri-La much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Shangri-La would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Shangri-La 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 Shangri-La.
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 Shangri-La 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.