Which place is cheaper, Hue or Varanasi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Varanasi or Hue?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Varanasi and Hue 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: Varanasi or Hue?
Varanasi
Known to be one of India's holiest cities, many come to Varanasi on a spiritual pilgrimage looking to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. Dating back to the 11th Century BC, it is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Centuries old temples make up the backdrop, as many come and come again to perform their holy rights at the edge of the historic river.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in India, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in India, The Best Eco Tours in Vietnam, and The Best Cruise Tours and Packages in Vietnam.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayVaranasi $30Hue $48
The average daily cost (per person) in Varanasi is $30, while the average daily cost in Hue is $48. 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 Varanasi and Hue in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personVaranasi $16Hue $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomVaranasi $32Hue $46
Compare Hotels in Varanasi and Hue
Looking for a hotel in Varanasi or Hue? 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: Varanasi Hotel Prices and Hue Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Varanasi $4.94Hue $12
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Varanasi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Varanasi:
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Tuk Tuk Through Town$0.96
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Rickshaw Ride$0.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Varanasi
Also for Varanasi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer: Varanasi Station to Hotel: $12
- Varanasi Airport : Transfer To Hotel / To Airport: $12
- Private Transfer Varanasi Airport (VNS) To Varanasi Hotels Drop: $12
- Varanasi Airport Transfer: $14
- Varanasi Airport to hotel private transfer: $18
- Varanasi Airport: Transfer to/from Varanasi Hotels & Airport: $18
- Private Varanasi Heritage Walk with Hotel Transfer: $28
- Varanasi Airport Transfer: $30
- Delhi Private Arrival Transfer From New Delhi Airport To Hotel In Delhi: $34
- Private Departure Transfer to Airport from Hotel in Delhi By Car: $34
- From Varanasi Airport Transfer: $36
- Private transfer from Varanasi to Allahabad: $67
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:
- Vinh Moc Tunnels & Khe Sanh: Transfer from Hue or Phong Nha: $43
- Transfer from Hue to Hoi An with Private Car: $98
- Transfer from Hue to Hoi An via Hai Van Pass and Golden Bridge: $55
- Transfer from Hue to Hoi An by Motorbike: $67
- Transfer from Hue to Da Nang or Hoi An via Bach Ma National Park: $81
- Transfer from Hue city to Phu Bai airport: $29
- Transfer from Hue airport to Hue city center or vice versa: $7.10
- Transfer from Da Nang or Hoi An to Hue via Hue City Tour: $64
- Transfer between Hue Hotels and Hue Airport: $7.41
- Sightseeing Transfer Between Hue and Hoi An: $102
- Sightseeing Transfer Between Hue and Hoi An: $113
- Roundtrip Transfer to Ba Na Hills - Golden Bridge via Hai Van Pass from Hue City: $85
Is it cheaper to fly into Varanasi or Hue?
Prices for flights to both Hue and Varanasi 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 dayVaranasi $7.14Hue $15
Typical Food Prices in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner In Town$4.13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Tests of Best Varanasi Local Food Tour With Tourist Guide: $18
- Taste of Varanasi (2 Hour Guided Street Food Tour): $22
- Varanasi Cooking Classes with Indu and Shobha: $40
- From Street food tour with Evening Ganga Aarti: $42
- Private Evening Rooftop Dinner: $44
- 3-hour Shopping and Street Food Tour on a tuk-tuk ride: $46
- Evening Dinner with Private Transfer: $50
- Afternoon tour of Varanasi with Boat ride over Ganges & Dinner on a tuk-tuk : $59
- Night Boat Ride, Aarati Ceremony and Dinner: $62
- Private Evening Street Food Tour: $63
- India: Evening Ganga Aarti With Dinner and Private Transfer: $65
- Private Evening Handicraft Market Tour with Dinner: $71
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
- Home Cooking Class in Hue City : $35
- Hue Walking Food Tour: $35
- Best Hue Street Food Tour: $35
- Exploring Hue Food Tour with Local Guide : $35
- Home Vegan/Vegetarian Cooking Class with Local Girl: $35
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Varanasi $10Hue $11
Typical Entertainment Prices in Varanasi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Varanasi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Boat Ride$0.84
Tours and Activities in Varanasi
For Varanasi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Varanasi Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $6.56
- Sarnath Audio Tour on HopOn India App – Land of Buddha's First Sermon, Varanasi: $7.66
- Spiritual and Heritage Walking Tour in Varanasi: $8.61
- Varanasi:- Morning Varanasi Short Tour with Boat Ride: $11
- Varanasi's Spiritual & heritage walking tour: $11
- Spiritual Tour in Varanasi with a local- Experience true essence of spirituality: $12
- Temple Walk Tour Varanasi: $12
- Varanasi Walking Tour : $12
- Cycle of Life, Death & Rebirth (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Vibrant Markets of Varanasi (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Heritage Kashi Photography Tour (2 Hours guided walk): $13
- Varanasi Heritage Trails (2 Hour Guided Walking Tour): $13
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:
- Hue - Bach Ma National Park Group Tour : $300
- Hue City Full-Day Tour with Boat Trip on Perfume River and Lunch: $128
- Hue City: Full-Day Guided Tour - Imperial City - All Inclusive: $59
- Hue Private Guided Tour : Citadel, Royal tombs, Thien Mu pagoda: $57
- 1-day Hue full day city tour: $39
- 12 Hours Experience Different Hue: $179
- 13 Days Private Tour Highlights of Cambodia & Vietnam: $4,731
- 2 Day Motorbike Tour from Hue to Hoi An by Mister T Easy Rider: $160
- 2,5 hours walking tour inside Hue Imperial city: $35
- 2-Day Phong Nha-Ke Bang Cave Adventure from Hue: $250
- 2-Day Sa Pa Adventure with Trekking and Ethnic Homestay: $88
- 2.5 hours Hue Walking Tour with Tour Guide: $19
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayVaranasi $7.85Hue $5.79
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 Varanasi and Hue, we can see that Hue is more expensive. And not only is Varanasi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Varanasi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Varanasi 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 Varanasi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Varanasi Expensive? and Is Hue Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Varanasi or Hue?
Varanasi has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Hue. When comparing the sizes of Varanasi and Hue, 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.