Which place is cheaper, Tiger Leaping Gorge 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 Tiger Leaping Gorge?
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 Tiger Leaping Gorge can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Tiger Leaping Gorge?
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.
Tiger Leaping Gorge
One of the deepest gorges in the world, Tiger Leaping Gorge gets its name from legend, where a tiger used a great rock in the center of the gorge as a stepping stone to leap from one side to the other. It is surrounded by stunning mountain scenery on either side with the Yangtze River rushing down through its center. Visitors come to Tiger Leaping Gorge to hike and witness its natural beauty.
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 Budget Tours to China, and The Best Tours for Seniors to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHo Chi Minh City $83Tiger Leaping Gorge $42
The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $83, while the average daily cost in Tiger Leaping Gorge is $42. 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 Tiger Leaping Gorge in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHo Chi Minh City $50Tiger Leaping Gorge $13
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHo Chi Minh City $100Tiger Leaping Gorge $26
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Tiger Leaping Gorge
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Tiger Leaping Gorge? 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 $16Tiger Leaping Gorge $17
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:
- Airport Transfer (From Hotels in Ho Chi Minh to Airport) Private 7 Seats Car: $47
- Airport Transfer From Hotel in Ho Chi Minh to Airport By 7 Seats Car: $41
- Airport transfer Ho Chi Minh Tan Son Nhat Airport to Mui Ne: $29
- Cam Ranh Riviera to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Can Tho: Bus transfer directly to/from Saigon City: $9.76
- Da Lat: Bus transfer from/to Sai Gon with FUTA Bus Lines: $14
- Duyen Ha Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- HCM: Cu Chi Ben Duoc Tunnel Day Trip with Hotel Transfers: $25
- HO CHI MINH AIRPORT: CAR 7s PICK UP <-> HOTEL (one way transfer): $22
- HO CHI MINH AIRPORT: Car 16s pick up <-> hotel (one way transfer): $32
- Hanoi Private Transfer from Vinh City to Hanoi (HAN) Airport: $267
- Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) to Mui Ne - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $99
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Tiger Leaping Gorge?
Prices for flights to both Tiger Leaping Gorge 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 $14Tiger Leaping Gorge $16
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:
- 1 hour Egg Coffee Cooking Class with Snack and Local Instructor : $11
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Saigon Unseen & Food Tour By scooter w Student | Saigon Adventure: $20
- 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
- Saigon Private/Small Group Walking Food Tour with 13 Tastings: $28
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour By Motorbike (Unique & Authentic): $28
- Food Tour by Scooter with Eleven Tastings: $28
- Private Walking Food Tour with 13 Tastings: $29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $20Tiger Leaping Gorge $15
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: $0.50
- Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $4.20
- Walking tour to Chinatown in Saigon: $5.13
- Ho Chi Minh: Sights & Highlights Walking tour: $6.64
- Saigon: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $7.00
- Saigon: City Sightseeing 45-Minute Panoramic Night 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: $8.35
- Ho Chi Minh City Tour and Independence Palace Ticket 2 in 1: $8.46
- 1 ROUND SAIGON-CHO LON CITY TOUR CHINATOWN: $9.00
- 1 ROUND MIDNIGHT BUS TOUR: $9.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHo Chi Minh City $8.12Tiger Leaping Gorge $6.49
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 Tiger Leaping Gorge, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City is more expensive. And not only is Tiger Leaping Gorge much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Tiger Leaping Gorge would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Tiger Leaping Gorge 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 Tiger Leaping Gorge.
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 Tiger Leaping Gorge 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.