Which place is cheaper, Ulaanbaatar or Hue?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Hue or Ulaanbaatar?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Hue and Ulaanbaatar can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Hue or Ulaanbaatar?
Hue
Hue is a major city in central Vietnam and was historically the imperial capital. The city was the base for the imperial Nguyen Dynasty, which ruled from 1802 to 1945. During the Vietnam War the city faced many challenges. It was conquered by the Viet Cong and held for 24 days. During this time about 3,000 people were slaughtered for their political views, education level, or religious affiliation.
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 The Best Eco Tours in Vietnam, The Best Cruise Tours and Packages in Vietnam, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mongolia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Mongolia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHue $48Ulaanbaatar $25
The average daily cost (per person) in Hue is $48, while the average daily cost in Ulaanbaatar is $25. 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 Hue and Ulaanbaatar in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHue $23Ulaanbaatar $12
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHue $46Ulaanbaatar $24
Compare Hotels in Hue and Ulaanbaatar
Looking for a hotel in Hue 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.
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: Hue Hotel Prices and Ulaanbaatar Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Hue $12Ulaanbaatar $2.91
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Hue
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Hue:
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Cyclo$0.48
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Short Taxi Ride$0.88
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Taxi Ride to Tombs$14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hue
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hue:
- Da Nang Airport: Private Transfer to/from Hue City: $107
- Da Nang City : Private Car Transfer to Da Nang/From Hue City: $95
- Da Nang: Airport Transfer Pick up Service: $5.91
- Da Nang: Private Car Transfer to Hue Via My Son Sanctuary: $139
- Danang: Transfer to/from Hue by Private Car via Hai Van Pass: $41
- From Da Nang : Private Transfer to Hue via Hai Van pass: $35
- From Hue : Transfer Hue To Hoi An with Sightseeing: $16
- From Hue Private Transfer to Phong Nha via DMZ & sightseeing: $67
- From Hue to Golden Bridge - Ba Na Via Hai Van Pass (Private Roundtrip Transfer): $85
- From Bach Ma National Park Private Car Transfer: $121
- From Bus Transfer to Hoi An with Sightseeing Stops: $18
- From Hoi An Bus Transfer with Sightseeing Stops: $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ulaanbaatar
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Ulaanbaatar:
- 2024 Ulaanbaatar Airport Transfer & Taxi Shuttle Service - Best!: $18
- Mongolia Airport Transfer & Taxi Service -BEST!: $18
- Private Transfer Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN to Ulaanbaatar City : $28
- Private Transfer to Ulaanbaatar Airport ULN by Business Vehicle: $28
- Private Transfer from Chinggis Khaan Airport to Ulaanbaatar: $37
- Private Departure Transfer: Ulaanbaatar Airport: $40
- New Ulaanbaatar International Airport Transfer Service: $45
- Airport transfer service: $50
Is it cheaper to fly into Hue or Ulaanbaatar?
Prices for flights to both Ulaanbaatar and Hue 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 dayHue $15Ulaanbaatar $8.94
Typical Food Prices in Hue
Some typical examples of dining costs in Hue are as follows:
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River Night Market Dinner (for Two)$7.99
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Two Sugarcane Drinks$0.80
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Quick Lunch (for Two)$2.20
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Sitdown Dinner (for Two)$4.39
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hue
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hue.
- Private Healthy Cooking Class In Ancient Vietnamese Garden: $20
- Hue Walking Street Food Tour: $27
- Walking street food tour: $30
- Hue : Vegetarian Cooking Class with Local Family: $31
- Vietnamese Cooking Class with Local Family in Hue: $31
- Hue Food Tour by Walking or Cyclo or Motorcycle with Driver: $33
- Hue Food Tour by Walking or Cyclo or Motorbike with Driver: $33
- Hue Walking Food Tour: $35
- Exploring Hue Food Tour with Local Guide : $35
- Home Vegan/Vegetarian Cooking Class with Local Girl: $35
- Home Cooking Class with Local Girl: $37
- Hue:Exploring Street Food Tour With Local Guide: $37
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
- Farm to Table: Organic Farm Visit and Mongolian Cooking Class: $100
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Hue $11Ulaanbaatar $4.42
Typical Entertainment Prices in Hue
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Hue are as follows:
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Boat Ride$7.79
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Bicycle Rental (One Day)$1.12
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Imperial Citadel Entrance$3.20
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Massage at Institute for the Blind$1.60
Tours and Activities in Hue
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Hue are as follows:
- Traditional Singing on Huong River Ticket: $3.82
- Hue City Tour by Private Car & English Speaking Driver: $8.80
- Hue Car Rental: Sightseeing City Day Trip by Car with Driver: $9.23
- Discover Vietnamese Cuisine E-Ticket: $15
- Sightseeing Bus from Hue to Hoi An (Seat in Coach): $15
- BUS TOUR HUE - PHONG NHA: $16
- HUE - HOI AN BUS TOUR (S.I.C): $16
- Hue Imperial City Sightseeing Full-Day Trip From Hue: $16
- From Hue : Full-Day Hue Imperial City Tour with Lunch: $16
- Hue : City Highlights Full Day Tour with Lunch: $16
- Hue Walking Tour to Imperial Citadel and Forbidden City: $19
- Hue Imperial Walking Tour with Tour Guide: $19
Tours and Activities in Ulaanbaatar
Here are a few actual costs in Ulaanbaatar for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Private custom tour with a local guide: $47
- Ulaanbatar : Private Custom Tour With A Local Guide : $48
- Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex and Sain Nomun Monastery Tour : $50
- Genghis Khan Statue Tour: 3-Hour Ticket Included: $65
- Genghis Khan Statue Tour: 3-Hour Ticket Included: $65
- Traditional Music and Dance Performance Ticket: $69
- Genghis Khan Statue One Day Tour +Bonus Terelj National Park And Aryabal Temple: $79
- Ancient Fine Arts with Honored Masters - UB City Experience: $82
- 1 Day Coach Tour of Terelj National Park Including Lunch And Free Camel Ride: $83
- Day Tour of Hustai National Park: $83
- 1 Day Coach Tour of Genghis Khan Statue Complex and Terelj National Park Including Lunch: $83
- Day Tour to Terelj Park Chinggs khaan statue, Zaisan Hill: $86
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHue $5.79Ulaanbaatar $3.83
Typical Alcohol Prices in Hue
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Hue:
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Beer$1.00
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Hue and Ulaanbaatar, we can see that Hue 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 Hue would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Hue 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 Hue Expensive? and Is Ulaanbaatar Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Hue or Ulaanbaatar?
Ulaanbaatar has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Hue. When comparing the sizes of Hue 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.
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.