Should you visit Sapa or Da Nang?
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 Sapa and Da Nang can help you decide which place is right for you.
Sapa
Sapa is a beautiful town in the northern mountains of Vietnam by the border with China. Many travelers pass through the area on their way from China into Hanoi. Alternatively, some travelers head north from Hanoi to spend a few days in the beautiful mountains where tribal cultures are still alive and well. There are a good number of ethnic minorities that populate the area. The eight populations in the area include H'mong, Dao, Tay, Giay, Muong, Thai, Hoa, and Xa Pho, but the vast majority in the area are H'mong. Within the town of Sapa itself, there are about 7,000 people. The rest of the population lives in the surrounding countryside and are peasant farmers.
Da Nang
Halfway between Ho Chi Minh City in the south and Hanoi in the North is the easy-going beach city of Da Nang (or Danang, for some). The third most populated city in Vietnam, Da Nang draws in crowds with its beautiful and calm beaches as well as its history as a French colonial port.
With beaches, mountains, and cityscape, there's bound to be a point of interest for all travelers. Da Nang is also a transit hub to get to the four Vietnamese UNESCO World heritage sites: Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Hue, Hoi An, and My Son.
Da Nang experiences wet season from September through March and dry season from April through August with average temperatures of around 80?.
Da Nang is also known to have some of the friendliest locals, probably due to the peace and quiet and lack of heavy traffic, even in the city.
Which city is cheaper, Da Nang or Sapa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Sapa is $31, while the average daily cost in Da Nang is $40. 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. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Sapa and Da Nang in more detail.
Accommodation
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $22 in Sapa For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
If you're traveling alone, you may be able to find a budget hotel or hostel for around $17. But for two people in a standard two-person hotel room in Da Nang the cost is $34 on average.
Food
The average traveler spends about $14 per day in Sapa for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Food in Da Nang costs travelers about $14 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
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Food
Meals for one day
Sapa $14
Da Nang $14
Typical Food prices in Sapa
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Sapa:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Da Nang
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Da Nang.
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Half Day Private Street Food Tour By Scooter from Da Nang:
$0.44
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Hoian Mama Home Cooking Class:
$19
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Da Nang Home Cooking Class:
$30
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Home Cooking Class:
$30
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Jolie Da nang cooking class only (JDN3):
$31
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DaNang Small Group - Vietnamese Breakfast food Tour:
$31
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Bicycle experience countryside & cooking class in Hoi An & free foot massage:
$32
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Market Tour and Cooking Class in Danang:
$35
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Jolie Da Nang Cooking Class- Market-Coffee-Cooking:
$36
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Da Nang Local Food Tour:
$39
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Basket Boat Riding and Cooking Class from Da Nang City:
$40
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Da Nang Local Food Tour:
$40
Local Transportation
To get around in Sapa, the average visitor spends $8.21 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
The average price of local transportation around Da Nang is $10 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Sapa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Sapa are as follows:
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Short Motorbike Ride
$1.31
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sapa
Also for Sapa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Limousine transfer round-trip Hanoi-Sapa:
$30
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Easy trek Lao Chai - Ta Van with homestay and transfer by Bus:
$85
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Visit Cat Cat village, trekking Ta Phin and transfer by Bus:
$99
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Authentic walking and Homestay in Sapa and transfer by Bus ( 3 days 2 nights):
$135
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Private Departure Transfer - Sapa to Hanoi Airport:
$141
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Sapa Tour 2 Day / 1 Night Transfer By Luxury Limousine From Hanoi:
$174
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Sapa Private Tour With Bus Transfer ( Sleep at hotel):
$217
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Da Nang
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Da Nang:
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Hai Van Pass and Lang Co beach transfer with guide from Da Nang:
$315
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Da Nang to Nha Trang - Private Transfer:
$250
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Da Nang to Phong Nha Cave Private Transfer:
$213
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Da Nang to Hue Full Day Trip Private Transfer:
$160
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Private Bana Hills Full Day Tour With Roundtrip Transfer:
$125
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One Way Transfer Tours, to or from Da Nang, Hoi An and Hue via central highlands:
$124
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One Way Transfer Tours, to or from Da Nang or Hoi An and Hue via costal roads:
$115
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Private Roundtrip Transfer to Ba Na Hills Golden Bridge & My Son Sanctuary:
$110
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Private Car Transfer to Visit Golden Bridge Ba Na Hills & My Son Holyland:
$110
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Danang To My Son Private Transfer:
$107
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Danang To Golden Bridge Private Transfer:
$107
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Private Car Transfer to Visit Ba Na Hills - Golden Bridge and Marble Mountain:
$105
Is it cheaper to fly into Sapa or Da Nang?
Prices for flights to both Da Nang and Sapa 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.
Entertainment
In Sapa, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $5.35 per person, per day.
Da Nang's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $12 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Typical Entertainment prices in Sapa
For Sapa, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
Tours and Activities in Sapa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Sapa.
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Sapa Easy Trekking Tour 1 Day - Rice Paddies and Cultures:
$25
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Discover Sapa Full Day Tour:
$26
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Half-Day Sapa Trekking Tour from Hanoi:
$27
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Sapa Full-Day Tour to Local Village and High Mountain:
$30
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Most of attractive tourist sites in Cat Cat, Y linh Ho, Lao Chai, Ta Van:
$30
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Sapa tour with local tour guid:
$33
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Tour to the North : 1 Day Group Tour to Ta Phin Village:
$35
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Super Limousine Sapa Ha Noi with experienced driver and luxury car from Ha Noi:
$40
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From Waterfalls, Trekking and Tribal Villages Tour:
$45
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Full-Day Private Muong Hoa Valley Tour:
$45
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The Two waterfall and Heaven Gate - Half day tour:
$47
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Cat Cat Village Private Tour Full Day:
$47
Tours and Activities in Da Nang
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Da Nang are as follows:
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1-day Ba Na hills tour from Da Nang:
$101
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1-day Bach Ma Hiking tour from Da Nang:
$133
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1-day Cham Island tour from Da Nang:
$78
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1-day Da Nang Fishing Tour:
$422
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1-day Discovering Da Nang city tour:
$78
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2 days tour explore Phong Nha-Ke Bang cave with guide and tickets:
$226
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2-Day Ba Na Hills Sightseeing Trip from Hoi An:
$256
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2-Day Cham Island Tour and Homestay from Da Nang:
$342
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2-Day Da Nang and Hue Tour from Da Nang:
$264
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2-Day Hue Tour including the DMZ from Da Nang:
$257
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2-Day Ly Son Island Tour from Da Nang:
$280
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2-Days combo: Da Nang city tour including Golden Bridge and Hoi An city tour:
$212
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Sapa, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $7.14.
The average person spends about $8.19 on alcoholic beverages in Da Nang per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typical Alcohol prices in Sapa
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Sapa are as follows:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sapa and Da Nang, we can see that Da Nang is more expensive. And not only is Sapa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Sapa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sapa 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 Da Nang would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Da Nang than you might in Sapa.
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