A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Ho Chi Minh City vs. Ulaanbaatar for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Ulaanbaatar?

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 Ulaanbaatar can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Ulaanbaatar?

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.

Ulaanbaatar

Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia's capital city. It has a population of slightly over two million people, or about sixty percent of the country's entire population. You are likely to arrive in Ulaanbaatar either by train, coming from China or Russia, or by plane. Many people use Ulaanbaatar as a stop off while doing the Transsiberian Railway. The city is a great place to organize a tour of the surrounding countryside. It's also good city to relax, so make sure you allow yourself a few days to recover from your tour, enjoy some of the great food options, and see some of the fascinating cultural sights around town.

For some great organized tour ideas, see Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mongolia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Mongolia.


Which place is cheaper, Ulaanbaatar 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 $82, while the average daily cost in Ulaanbaatar is $26. 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 Ulaanbaatar in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ho Chi Minh City $50
    Ulaanbaatar $12
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ho Chi Minh City $100
    Ulaanbaatar $24
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Ulaanbaatar

Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Ulaanbaatar? 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.

Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City


Hotels in Ulaanbaatar


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 Ulaanbaatar Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ho Chi Minh City $15
    Ulaanbaatar $2.97
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
    $1.41
  • Taxi From Airport
    $8.07
  • Cyclo Ride (One Hour)
    $1.61

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 Transfer Tan Son Nhat Airport to Hotel: $29
  • Airport Transfer From Hotel in Ho Chi Minh to Airport By 7 Seats Car: $41
  • Airport Transfers From Airport to Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City 7 seat Car: $46
  • Airport transfer from TAN SON NHAT airport to HO CHI MINH: $23
  • Bus transfer between Sai Gon and Da Lat - “City of Flowers”: $26
  • CONVENIENT AIRPORT TRANSFER by PRIVATE CAR or SCOOTERS | Kiss Tours: $28
  • Cam Ranh Riviera to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
  • Can Tho: Bus transfer directly to/from Saigon City: $9.76
  • Da Lat Private Transfer: $110
  • Da Lat central hotel to Mui Ne Private Transfer: $103
  • Da Lat to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $84
  • Duyen Ha Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ulaanbaatar

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ulaanbaatar:

  • Private Transfer from Ulaanbaatar to or from Terelj National Park: $60
  • Airport transfer service: $50
  • Private Transfer from Chinggis Khaan Airport to Ulaanbaatar: $31
  • 2024 Ulaanbaatar Airport Transfer & Taxi Shuttle Service - Best!: $18

Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Ulaanbaatar?

Prices for flights to both Ulaanbaatar 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 day
    Ho Chi Minh City $14
    Ulaanbaatar $9.12
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)
    $4.32
  • Pizza
    $5.25
  • Sweet Rice
    $1.21
  • Pork Sandwich
    $0.61
  • Casual Lunch (for Two)
    $6.85
  • 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
  • Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour by Motorbike/ Car with Student : $19
  • Saigon: Backstreets Private Walking Food Tour & 10 Tastings: $25
  • Private Walking Food Tour with Local Students : $26
  • Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour By Motorbike +Sightseeing SAFE & FUN: $26
  • Top Niche Walking Street Food Tour with Uni Student: $26
  • Walking Street Food Tour Ho Chi Minh City: $27
  • Food Tour by Scooter with Eleven Tastings: $27
  • Saigon Private Eleven-Tastings Food Tour by Scooter: $28
  • Ho Chi Minh: Thirteen-Tastings Private Walking Food Tour: $29
  • Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $29
  • Ho Chi Minh Private Half Day Street Food Tour with Local Students: $29

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ulaanbaatar

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Ulaanbaatar.

  • Cooking Class in a Traditional Ger Home in Ulaanbaatar Suburbs: $100

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ho Chi Minh City $20
    Ulaanbaatar $4.51
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
    $5.65

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 private walking tours with young local volunteers: $1.90
  • Saigon: Free Walking Tour: $2.10
  • Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Double-Decker: $3.78
  • Floating Village Eco-Tourism Tan Lap - Trekking Day Trip: $6.80
  • City Sightseeing Panoramic Bus Tour: $7.00
  • Saigon: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $7.00
  • Saigon: City Sightseeing 45-Minute Panoramic Night Tour: $7.00
  • Saigon: Experience A Unique Culinary Tour By Night: $7.14
  • Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.80
  • Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.96
  • 1 ROUND MIDNIGHT BUS TOUR: $9.00
  • Chan May Port to Hoi An Ancient Town & Marble Mountain Car/Tour: $10

Tours and Activities in Ulaanbaatar

Here are a few actual costs in Ulaanbaatar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Private Tandem Paragliding Experience at Bayanzurkh Mountain: $96
  • 1 Day Coach Tour of Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Terelj National Park Including Lunch: $83
  • 1 Day Semi-Gobi All-included tour : $141
  • 1 Day Semi-Gobi Tour Including Lunch And Free Camel +Bonus Khustai National Park: $169
  • 1 Day Semi-Gobi Tour Including Lunch And Free Camel or Horseback Ride: $145
  • 1 Day Semi-Gobi Tour with Lunch And Enjoying Camel or Horseback: $138
  • 1 Day Tour: Khustai National Park: $193
  • 1 Session with Shaman and know your future tour: $149
  • 1 day tour Chinggis khan statue, Terelj national park: $98
  • 12 day Great Gobi and Central Mongolia full adventure: $1,950
  • 2 Day Local experience by train visit Tunkhel town: $340
  • 2 Day full adventure to Central Mongolia: $320

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ho Chi Minh City $8.07
    Ulaanbaatar $3.91
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
    $0.40


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Ulaanbaatar, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City is more expensive. And not only is Ulaanbaatar much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Ulaanbaatar would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ulaanbaatar 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 Ulaanbaatar.

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 Ulaanbaatar Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Ho Chi Minh City or Ulaanbaatar?

Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Ulaanbaatar. When comparing the sizes of Ho Chi Minh City and Ulaanbaatar, 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.