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

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Should you visit Saint Petersburg or Ho Chi Minh City?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Saint Petersburg 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: Saint Petersburg or Ho Chi Minh City?

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a beautiful city that sits on the eastern edge of the Baltic Sea. Its historical city center is threaded with canals and architecturally impressive buildings, leaving little doubt as to why this city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the second largest city in Russia, but perhaps a favorite among travelers. The metropolitan area has a population of over 5 million as well as an impressive culture with fascinating museums, restaurants, and architecture. The city has no shortage of sights and attractions, and many days can be passed while you wander its intricate streets.

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.

Which city is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Saint Petersburg?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Saint Petersburg is $62, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $69. 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 city. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Saint Petersburg and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Saint Petersburg $35
    Ho Chi Minh City $42
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Saint Petersburg $70
    Ho Chi Minh City $84
Compare Hotels in Saint Petersburg and Ho Chi Minh City

Looking for a hotel in Saint Petersburg 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.

Hotels in Saint Petersburg


Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City


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: Saint Petersburg Hotel Prices and Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Saint Petersburg $7.14
    Ho Chi Minh City $13
Typical Local Transportation prices in Saint Petersburg

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Saint Petersburg:


  • Metro Passes
    $1.64

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Petersburg

Also for Saint Petersburg, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED in Luxury Car: $103
  • St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED in Luxury Van: $89
  • St Petersburg Departure Private Transfers from St Petersburg City to Airport LED: $84
  • Departure Private Transfer St Petersburg City to Pulkovo Airport LED - LuxuryCar: $80
  • St Petersburg Transfer from city hotels or Cruise port to Pulkovo Airport (LED): $68
  • St Petersburg Airport Transfers : St Petersburg to Airport LED by Business Car: $63
  • Departure Private Transfer St. Petersburg to Pulkovo Airport LED by Business Car: $61
  • Departure Private Transfer St Petersburg City to Pulkovo Airport LED - LuxuryVan: $39
  • Private Transfer from St. Petersburg City Center to Peterhof Palace: $37
  • Private Transfer from Peterhof Palace to St. Petersburg City Center: $36
  • St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport (LED) to hotel - Arrival Private Transfer: $36
  • St. Petersburg to St.Petersburg Pulkovo Airport - Departure Private Transfer: $36

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
    $1.48
  • Taxi From Airport
    $8.45
  • Cyclo Ride (One Hour)
    $1.69

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City

Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Transfer Tan Son Nhat Airport to Mui Ne (Beach resort): $150
  • The Mist Dance Show In Saigon With Roundtrip Transfer: $48
  • Taxi Transfers from Ho Chi Minh To Cat Tien Park: $110
  • Taxi Transfers From Ho Chi Minh Airport to Muine: $99
  • Taxi Transfers From Ho Chi Minh Airport To Can Tho: $108
  • Taxi Transfers From Ho Chi Minh Airport To Cai Be: $85
  • Taxi Transfer From Ho Chi Minh Airport To Ben Tre: $79
  • Tan Son Nhat International Airport Transfer: $23
  • Saigon Private Airport Transfer: $17
  • Saigon Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Center Private Transfer: $20
  • Sai Gon Airport Departure Private Transfer: $42
  • Round-trip Private Transfer Ho Chi Minh - Vung Tau (7 Seats Car): $108

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

Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Saint Petersburg 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
    Saint Petersburg $18
    Ho Chi Minh City $12
Typical Food prices in Saint Petersburg

For Saint Petersburg, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Lunch for Two
    $5.64

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint Petersburg

For Saint Petersburg, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Enjoy Russian Delicacies in St Petersburg: Cooking Demo and Meal with a Local: $80
  • Private Dining: Russian dinner in a traditional St. Petersburg apartment: $91
  • Cooking Class and a Dinner with a Local Family (8 people max): $92
  • Off-the-tourist Path Food Tour: $103
  • Local Market Tour and Cooking Demo with a Homemade Russian Meal in St Petersburg: $107
  • Borscht and cabbage pie cooking class and dinner for small private groups: $109
  • FOOD TOUR. St.Petersburg: $150
  • Private Cooking Class: Learn the secrets of Borsch and Beef Stroganoff: $166
  • Private Cooking Class: Russian Blini with Red Caviar and Shchi soup: $179
  • Private Cooking Class: Russian Shchi soup and Blini with Red Caviar: $187
  • Private Cooking Class: Hands-on Siberian Pelmeni Making Workshop: $188
  • Private Cooking Class: Siberian Pelmeni, Stolichny salad and Borsch: $212

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)
    $4.52
  • Pizza
    $5.49
  • Sweet Rice
    $1.27
  • Pork Sandwich
    $0.63
  • Casual Lunch (for Two)
    $7.17
  • Western Lunch (for Two)
    $13

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:

  • Ho Chi Minh Private Half Day Street Food Tour with Local Students: $18
  • SaiGon Street Food Tour By Scooter With Student: $22
  • Walking Food Tour With Local Student: $26
  • Private Street Food Tour on Motorbikes: $28
  • Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students: $28
  • Saigon Food Tour by Motorbike with Local Students: $30
  • Walking market food tour by night in Ho Chi Minh city - private groups: $32
  • Street food Tours: $35
  • Small Floating Market & Mekong Delta Tour with Kayak, Boat, Bike, Cooking Class: $35
  • Private Street Food Tour by Scooter in Ho Chi Minh City: $35
  • Half-Day Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour By Motorbike: $36
  • Private Walking Saigon Food Tour with Ao Dai Girl by Night: $38

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Saint Petersburg $18
    Ho Chi Minh City $17

Tours and Activities in Saint Petersburg

For Saint Petersburg, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 1-Day Visa-Free Tour in St Petersburg with Faberge Collection: $265
  • 1-day private Visa-Free tour in St Petersburg with Peterhof: $257
  • 1.5-Hours Saint Petersburg's Metro Tour Hidden Treasures: $25
  • 2-Day Small-Group Visa-Free Tour - Top Highlights of St Petersburg: $20
  • 3 Hour Photo Shoot Tours St. Petersburg, Russia: $564
  • Basic 2-day tour in St Petersburg for cruise passengers: $425
  • Catherine Palace and Park: Private tour to Tsarskoe Selo: $120
  • Classic 2 Day Tour of St Petersburg Russia.No hidden costs.9 years of experience: $349
  • Daily Canon Shot at Peter and Paul Fortress + Museum of Revolution Private Tour: $162
  • Essential 2-Day Visa-Free Tour for Cruise Ships in St Petersburg: $465
  • Evening River and Canal Cruise Visas Included: $86
  • Guided Tour Peter and Paul Fortress, Cathedral and Prison: $56

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
    $5.91

Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.

  • "The Intimate Saigon" by day (city half-day tour): $50
  • "The Intimate Saigon" by night (food tasting tour): $59
  • 1 Day Fishing Adventure Private Tour: $125
  • 1 Day Saigon Culinary Private Tour: $147
  • 1-day Cai Rang Floating Market With Sweet Chocolate Taste Private Tour: $187
  • 1-day Ho Chi Minh city and Cu Chi tunnels group tour: $45
  • 1-day My Tho boat trip in Mekong Delta group tour from Ho Chi Minh: $33
  • 10 days 9 nights classic Vietnam tour from South to North: $545
  • 10-day Small-Group Vietnam Highlight Tour: $1,374
  • 2 Days - HCM City Tour & Floating Market: $229
  • 2 Days Private Non-Touristic Local Homestay in Tra On: Mekong Delta: $195
  • 2 Days and 1 Night Private Mekong Delta Tour from Saigon: $202

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Saint Petersburg $9.49
    Ho Chi Minh City $6.75

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
    $0.42

About these numbers

When comparing the travel costs between Saint Petersburg and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City 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. Even though Saint Petersburg is in Europe and Ho Chi Minh City is in Asia, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.

Budget Your Trip

Budget Your Trip has average travel costs for thousands of cities around the world, all provided by other travelers. You can also register to organize your spending by category and location with graphs, maps, charts, and tables.
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Saint Petersburg vs. Ho Chi Minh City Travel Comparison

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