Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Pretoria?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Pretoria or Ho Chi Minh City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Pretoria or Ho Chi Minh City? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Pretoria or Ho Chi Minh City?
Pretoria
Located in Gauteng Province, Pretoria is the administrative capital city of South Africa, making it home to many government buildings and three universities. It is actually one of three capital cities, being home to the executive branch, with Cape Town as the legislative capital and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. Within South Africa, Pretoria is also known as the "Jacaranda City" due to the thousands of jacaranda trees lining its streets, parks, and gardens.
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 Eco Tours in South Africa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in South Africa, The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPretoria $50Ho Chi Minh City $80
The average daily cost (per person) in Pretoria is $50, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $80. 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 Pretoria and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPretoria $25Ho Chi Minh City $48
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPretoria $50Ho Chi Minh City $96
Compare Hotels in Pretoria and Ho Chi Minh City
Looking for a hotel in Pretoria 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: Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Pretoria $12Ho Chi Minh City $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pretoria
Also for Pretoria, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sun City Private Transfer: $250
- One Way Private Transfer from Airports and Hotels in Sandton: $88
- Shuttle Transfer from Gauteng to Greater Kruger: $61
- Gauteng, South Africa: Airport transfers, shuttle services: $27
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$1.38
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Taxi From Airport$7.87
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.57
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Vinpearl Resort & Spa Long Beach to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cam Ranh HTL-APT (CXR): $18
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Ho Chi Minh APT-HTL (SGN): $13
- Transfer from Ho Chi Minh to Airport Tan Sơn Nhat: $16
- The Anam Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport Transfer: $23
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport Private Transfer: $18
- Tan Son Nhat Airport: Private Transfer to/from Ho Chi Minh: $22
- Swandor Cam Ranh Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- SGN Airport: the private transfer to Center (District 1 & 3): $16
- Round-trip Private Transfer Ho Chi Minh - Vung Tau (7 Seats Car): $122
- Round-trip Private Transfer Ho Chi Minh - Vung Tau (16 Seats Car): $141
Is it cheaper to fly into Pretoria or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Pretoria 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 dayPretoria $15Ho Chi Minh City $14
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)$4.21
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Pizza$5.12
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Sweet Rice$1.18
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Pork Sandwich$0.59
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.68
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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 tour Walking Chinatown or HCM city walking food tour: $19
- 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
- Saigon Private Eleven-Tastings Food Tour by Scooter: $28
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour By Motorbike/Car + Sightseeing + Fun: $28
- Private Walking Food Tour with 13 Tastings: $28
- Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students: $29
- Mekong Delta Tour 1 Day Cooking Classes Maximum Group 15pax: $29
- Ho Chi Minh City Food Tour With Saigon Vibes: $29
- Private Saigon Street Food Tour On SCOOTER OR WALKING TOUR: $30
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Pretoria $14Ho Chi Minh City $20
Tours and Activities in Pretoria
For Pretoria, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Pilanesberg National Park Full Day Guided Tour( Safari Experience) : $182
- 2 Hours Bicycle Tour in Soweto(Johannesburg): $91
- 4-Hours Pretoria Private History Tour : $83
- Aerial Cableway Private Tour from Johannesburg : $82
- Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre Half-Day Tour from Johannesburg: $199
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg from Pretoria, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Apartheid Museum Tour in Johannesburg, every FRIDAY afternoon: $51
- Artistic Half Day Tour of Johannesburg : $86
- Cheer on the Cheetah Run for Conservation Adventure: $194
- Cradle of Human Kind & Lion & Rhino Park Tour Full day Tour Private : $188
- Cradle of Human Kind Tour and Lesedi Cultural Village Day Tour Private : $143
- Cradle of Humankind Caves Half Day Tour: $130
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$5.51
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- From Ho Chi Minh to Mui Ne 3 Days Tour | 4 Star Beach Resort : $170
- Mekong Delta Discovery Day Tour - My Tho - Ben Tre: $46
- Private Mekong Delta 1 Day Tour: $65
- SAIGON SHORE EXCURSION: Past and Present Tour from Cruise Port: $129
- Saigon Vegetarian Tour by Motorbike and Scooter: $39
- 'Cost-Saving' Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta 1-Day Tour: $65
- 'Cost-Saving' Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta 1-Day Tour: $60
- "Less-touristy" Mekong Delta Ben Tre Cruising Fullday: $138
- 1 Day Luxury Tour of Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels by Mini Van: $48
- 1 Day Private Cai Rang Floating Market and My Tho Boat Tour : $125
- 1 Round Ho Chi Minh City bus Tour + Saigon Skydeck Pass: $20
- 1-Day Less Touristy Mekong River (Cai Be-Vinh Long) trip: $45
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPretoria $31Ho Chi Minh City $7.86
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$0.39
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Pretoria and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City is more expensive. And not only is Pretoria much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Pretoria is in Africa 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 Pretoria would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Pretoria 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 Pretoria.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pretoria Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Pretoria or Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Pretoria. When comparing the sizes of Pretoria 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.