Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Jerusalem?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Jerusalem or Ho Chi Minh City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Jerusalem or Ho Chi Minh City, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Jerusalem or Ho Chi Minh City?
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel, as well as one of the most historically rich cities in the world. It is also the largest city in the country. While Tel Aviv holds many of the responsibilities of a capital city, officially, Jerusalem is still considered the capital. It is important to note that most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv, not in Jerusalem.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to Israel, The Best Budget Tours to Israel, The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayJerusalem $107Ho Chi Minh City $81
The average daily cost (per person) in Jerusalem is $107, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $81. 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 Jerusalem and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personJerusalem $63Ho Chi Minh City $49
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomJerusalem $126Ho Chi Minh City $98
Compare Hotels in Jerusalem and Ho Chi Minh City
Looking for a hotel in Jerusalem or Ho Chi Minh City? 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: Jerusalem Hotel Prices and Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Jerusalem $6.64Ho Chi Minh City $15
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Jerusalem
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Jerusalem are as follows:
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Local Bus$3.13
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Light Rail Jerusalem$9.68
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jerusalem
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Jerusalem:
- Jerusalem to Petra Private Transfer: $300
- Jerusalem Private Transfer To Petra: $290
- Private Transfer from Jerusalem to Herzlia: $247
- Transfer Between Tel Aviv city and Jerusalem city: $213
- Private Transfer from Tel Aviv hotels to Haifa Cruise Port: $189
- Allenby Bridge to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv Private Transfer: $170
- Private Transfer from Dead Sea Hotels to Aqaba Airport: $160
- Jerusalem to Allenby Bridge Private Transfer: $150
- Private Airport Transfers to/from Hotel: $146
- VIP transfer between Ben Gurion Airport and Jerusalem: $130
- VIP Transfer between Ben Gurion Airport and Jerusalem: $130
- Jerusalem to Allenby Bridge Private Transfer: $130
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$1.40
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Taxi From Airport$7.99
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.60
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
- Ho Chi Minh City airport transfer: $10
- Nha Trang: Bus transfer from/to Saigon City: $11
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Ho Chi Minh APT-HTL (SGN): $13
- Private Airport Arrival / Departure transfer Ho Chi Minh City Airport (SGN): $14
- Private Arrival Transfer: Tan Son Nhat Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Hotels: $15
- SGN Airport: the private transfer to Center (District 1 & 3): $16
- Ho Chi Minh City Airport Arrival Transfer to Hotel: $16
- Private Transfer From Saigon Center To Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN): $16
- Ho Chi Minh to Ho Chi Minh City Airport (SGN) Departure Transfer: $16
- Ho Chi Minh to Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) - Departure Transfer: $16
- Transfer from Ho Chi Minh to Airport Tan Sơn Nhat: $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Jerusalem or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Jerusalem 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 dayJerusalem $31Ho Chi Minh City $14
Typical Food Prices in Jerusalem
Some typical examples of dining costs in Jerusalem are as follows:
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Orange Juice$2.65
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Watermelon$3.98
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Lunch$12
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Food at Market$15
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Juice$2.65
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Bagels$7.96
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Lunch for 2$14
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Snacks$5.57
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jerusalem
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Jerusalem.
- Food Tour in Jerusalem with a Local : $72
- Private Lunch or Dinner at a Local Traditional Restaurant from Dead Sea: $96
- Mahane Yehuda Market food tour jerusalem: $99
- Private Madaba Haret Jdoudna Restaurant Lunch or Dinner from Dead Sea: $115
- The Best Food Tour in Jerusalem--Perfect for Viral Travel Content: $117
- Christmas Eve in Israel: Jerusalem Sightseeing Tour with Dinner and Midnight Mass Viewing in Bethlehem: $125
- Experience Shabbat With Dinner In Jerusalem: $169
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)$4.27
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Pizza$5.19
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Sweet Rice$1.20
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Pork Sandwich$0.60
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.78
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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 Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour by Motorbike/ Car with Student : $19
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour By Motorbike +Sightseeing SAFE & FUN: $25
- Private Saigon Street Food Tour On SCOOTER OR WALKING TOUR: $26
- Private Walking Food Tour with Local Students : $26
- Saigon: Backstreets Private Walking Food Tour & 10 Tastings: $27
- Food Tour by Scooter with Eleven Tastings: $27
- Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $28
- Ho Chi Minh: Thirteen-Tastings Private Walking Food Tour: $28
- Saigon Private Eleven-Tastings Food Tour by Scooter: $28
- Ho Chi Minh: Original Walking Street Food Tour With Local: $29
- Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students: $29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Jerusalem $8.43Ho Chi Minh City $20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Jerusalem
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Jerusalem are as follows:
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Cooking Classes for 2$33
Tours and Activities in Jerusalem
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Jerusalem are as follows:
- 2 Days Bethlehem, Herodion, Judean Desert Monasteries and Jericho Private Tour: $275
- Political Private Tour Ramallah: $140
- (From Jerusalem) One-Day Tour to Bethlehem Jericho & Jordan River Qasr alyahood: $99
- 2 Hour Shooting Experience: $173
- 360 Virtual Tour of Ancient Jerusalem: $6.00
- 7-Hour Jerusalem Political Guided Tour from Jerusalem: $199
- Amazing Family Tour in Jerusalem: $500
- Best of Jerusalem Full-Day Tour from Jerusalem: $69
- Bethlehem & Dead Sea Day Tour from Jerusalem & Tel Aviv: $65
- Bethlehem Alternative Tour: $90
- Bethlehem Christian Guided Tour: $20
- Bethlehem Full Day Tour: $150
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$5.59
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- Saigon: Free Walking Tour: $2.04
- Saigon: Free Food Walking Tour: $3.27
- Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Double-Decker: $5.88
- Saigon: City Sightseeing 45-Minute Panoramic Night Tour: $7.00
- Saigon: City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $7.00
- City Sightseeing Panoramic Bus Tour: $7.00
- Floating Village Eco-Tourism Tan Lap - Trekking Day Trip: $7.36
- Night Bus Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $7.50
- Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.68
- Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.85
- Ho Chi Minh City Tour and Independence Palace Ticket 2 in 1: $8.46
- 1 ROUND MIDNIGHT BUS TOUR: $9.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayJerusalem $16Ho Chi Minh City $7.98
Typical Alcohol Prices in Jerusalem
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Jerusalem are as follows:
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Beer$4.77
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$0.40
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Jerusalem and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Jerusalem is more expensive. And not only is Ho Chi Minh City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Jerusalem is in Middle East and Ho Chi Minh City is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Ho Chi Minh City would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Ho Chi Minh City 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 Jerusalem would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Jerusalem than you might in Ho Chi Minh City.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Jerusalem Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Jerusalem or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Jerusalem. When comparing the sizes of Jerusalem and Ho Chi Minh City, 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.