Which place is cheaper, Yangshuo 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.
Jump to 
Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City or Yangshuo?
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 Yangshuo can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Yangshuo?
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.
Yangshuo
A county of the city, Guilin, Yangshuo is located in a region famous for its karst topography. Surrounded by jagged mountain peaks and bordered on one side by the Li River, Yangshuo has become a popular home base for tourists looking to explore the region's natural wonders. Backpackers and tourists, both foreign and domestic, come to Yangshuo every year making it a city of many cultures. Most locals are even able to speak English, which is fairly uncommon for Chinese cities.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam, The Best Budget Tours to China, and The Best Tours for Seniors to China.
-
Ho Chi Minh City Prices
Vietnam PricesYangshuo Prices
China Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHo Chi Minh City $87Yangshuo $91
The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $87, while the average daily cost in Yangshuo is $91. 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 Yangshuo in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHo Chi Minh City $48Yangshuo $27
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHo Chi Minh City $96Yangshuo $54
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Yangshuo
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Yangshuo? 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
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $15Yangshuo $45
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$1.33
-
Taxi From Airport$7.60
-
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
- Hanoi Private Transfer from Vinh City to Hanoi (HAN) Airport: $278
- Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $259
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Phang Rang Thap Cham: $254
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Ha Tien Pier: $246
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Ca Mau: $246
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Vinh Tan: $240
- Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) to Mui Ne - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $233
- Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) to Vung Tau Round-Trip Private Transfer: $219
- Private Transfer from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) Airport to Soc Trang: $214
- Private Car Transfer Phong Nha to Hue (stops at Vinh Moc and DMZ): $200
- Golden Bridge, Marble mount, guide, lunch, transfer from Cruises: $199
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Yangshuo
Also for Yangshuo, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Visit 100% primitive cave with Transfer: $97
- From Yangshuo Via Ferrata with Transfer 3 hours Private Tour: $89
- Private Impression Sanjie Liu Evening Show with Hotel Transfer: $88
- Guilin: Li River Cruise with Transfer to Yangshuo: $80
- Yangshuo Via Ferrata with Round way private transfer from Yangshuo hotel: $70
- Yangshuo Via Ferrata with Round way private transfer from Xingping hotel: $67
- Private Transfer from Xingping hotel to Guilin hotel: $64
- Private One Way Transfer Service to Guilin City Hotel or Airport from Yangshuo: $48
- Private Transfer from Yangshuo Train Station to Yangshuo Hotel: $48
- Private Airport Transfer: Yangshuo Hotel to Guilin Liangjiang Airport: $45
- Private Transfer from Yangshuo hotel to Guilin hotel: $37
- Private Transfer from Yangshuo(Xingping) Train Station to Yangshuo Hotel: $21
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Yangshuo?
Prices for flights to both Yangshuo 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 dayHo Chi Minh City $23Yangshuo $34
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)$4.07
-
Pizza$4.94
-
Sweet Rice$1.14
-
Pork Sandwich$0.57
-
Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.45
-
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:
- Water Puppet Show And Dinner Cruise On Saigon River Private Tour: $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
- HCM:Mekong Delta Boat,Khotcake cooking Coconut Village,SmallGroup: $16
- Cu Chi Tunnels & Countryside Cooking Class with Organic Farm: $20
- 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 City Street Food Tour & Sightseeing By Motorbike: $26
- Saigon Walking Food Tour & Hidden Alleys with Locals: $26
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour and Vietnamese Coffee: $27
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Yangshuo
For Yangshuo, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Yangshuo Cooking Class with Market Trip: $45
- Yangshuo Hans Street Food Tour: $60
- Yangshuo Cooking Class with Local Market Experience: $88
- Full-day Cultural Experience: Taichi, Cooking & Painting Lessons: $100
- The impression Liu sanjie show and local dinner in town: $145
- Combo Impression Sanjie Liu Show and Authentic Cooking Experience: $199
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $19Yangshuo $25
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$5.32
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 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 Ho Chi Minh city and Cu Chi tunnels group tour: $46
- 1-day Mekong Delta Tour: Cai Be Market, Local Island and Cycling: $125
- 1-day My Tho boat trip in Mekong Delta group tour from Ho Chi Minh: $34
- 12 Street Food with Seafood on Scooter Tour Ho Chi Minh: $51
- 2 Day Mekong Delta Adventure and Floating Market Tour: $99
Tours and Activities in Yangshuo
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Yangshuo.
- 1 Day - Yangshuo Bike Tour: $80
- 1-Day Guilin City Tour and Ends of Longji Rice Terraces from Yangshuo: $218
- 1-Day Guilin City Tour with the Daxu Town and Yao Mountain from Yangshuo: $187
- 1-Day Private Yangshuo Bicycle Tour along Ten-Mile Gallery: $119
- 1-Day Terracotta Warriors Tour from Beijing/Chengdu/Shanghai: $497
- 1-Day Tour: Yangshuo Yulong Bamboo Boat and Ruyi Peak Cable Car: $149
- All-inclusive Private Day Tour to Longji Rice Terraces and Village: $190
- Day Tour in Yangshuo and Li River: $155
- Enchanting Li River & Beyond: Cruise, Peaks & Panorama: $293
- From Guilin: 6-Day Yangtze River Cruise with Excursions: $1,299
- From Guilin: Yangshuo Rock-climbing & River-tracing Tour: $282
- From Xingping River-tracing Half Day Private Tour: $102
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayHo Chi Minh City $7.59Yangshuo $35
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$0.38
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
When comparing the travel costs between Ho Chi Minh City and Yangshuo, we can see that Yangshuo is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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 Yangshuo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Ho Chi Minh City or Yangshuo?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Yangshuo. When comparing the sizes of Ho Chi Minh City and Yangshuo, 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.