Which place is cheaper, Ho Chi Minh City or Masai Mara?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Masai Mara or Ho Chi Minh City?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Masai Mara and Ho Chi Minh City. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Masai Mara or Ho Chi Minh City?
Masai Mara
Masai Mara National Reserve is a beautiful, scenic, nature reserve in southwest Kenya, just west of the capital city, Nairobi. The reserve belongs to the Masai people and was created in order to protect the land and the people and animals living on it. Masai Mara is considered to be one of the best reserves in all of Africa, offering the quintessential African safari experience.
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 Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best 2-Week Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Vietnam.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesHo Chi Minh City Prices
Vietnam Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $132Ho Chi Minh City $87
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Ho Chi Minh City is $87. 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 Masai Mara and Ho Chi Minh City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Ho Chi Minh City $48
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Ho Chi Minh City $96
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Ho Chi Minh City
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara 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: Masai Mara Hotel Prices and Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Ho Chi Minh City $14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Nairobi Airport (NBO) Private Transfer to Nairobi City/Hotels: $17
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$1.33
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Taxi From Airport$7.58
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.52
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: $8.67
- Ho Chi Minh Airport Arrival Or Departure By Private Car Transfers: $13
- Ho Chi Minh city Private Airport Transfer: $14
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Ho Chi Minh HTL-APT (SGN): $15
- Ho Chi Minh Airport Arrival Or Departure Private Car Transfers: $15
- Private Arrival Transfer: Tan Son Nhat Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Hotels: $15
- Private Transfer From Saigon Center To Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN): $16
- Ho Chi Minh Airport (SGN) to Ho Chi Minh hotels Arrival Transfer: $17
- Ho Chi Minh to Ho Chi Minh City Airport (SGN) Departure Transfer: $17
- Private transfer Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) - Hotels In City: $17
- Ho Chi Minh City Airport Arrival Transfer to Hotel: $19
- HO CHI MINH AIRPORT: CAR 7s PICK UP <-> HOTEL (one way transfer): $20
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Ho Chi Minh City?
Prices for flights to both Ho Chi Minh City and Masai Mara 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 dayMasai Mara $57Ho Chi Minh City $23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.
- Carnivore experience Lunch Or Dinner (Optional Bomas of kenya ): $40
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)$4.06
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Pizza$4.93
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Sweet Rice$1.14
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Pork Sandwich$0.57
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.43
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Western Lunch (for Two)$11
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:
- Vietnamese Cooking and Craft Workshop by the Lake: $12
- Saigon Food Tour & Culture Explore Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour: $15
- Mekong Delta 4 Islands, TukTuk, Boat, Try Khot Cake Local Cooking: $24
- Saigon Street Food Tour with Local Guide: $25
- Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour With Students: $27
- Saigon - Tasty Food Tour By Scooters: $28
- Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students: $29
- From Hochiminh & Saigon City: Private Motorbike Street Food Tour : $29
- The Coolest Vegan Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $29
- Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $29
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour With Young Local (Safe & Authentic): $29
- Ho Chi Minh Private Half Day Street Food Tour with Local Students: $29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Ho Chi Minh City $19
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- Airport Layover Tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $225
- Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Day Tour To Mt. Kenya : $285
- Fairview Coffee Farm Day Tour in Nairobi: $120
- Full Day Tour Nairobi National Park, Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Center: $275
- Giraffe Center Half-Day Guided Tour from Nairobi: $75
- Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $38
- Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
- Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
- Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
- Nairobi Museum KICC Tower Kobe and Bomas of Kenya Day Tour: $115
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$5.31
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- Chinatown Hidden Treasures – Free Walking Tour: $0.74
- Highlights & Hidden Gems - Free Walking Tour: $0.74
- All In One Saigon Walking Tour: $3.11
- Saigon Local Sightseeing Free Walking Tour: $3.84
- Ho Chi Minh city private tour guide: $5.00
- Walking Tour: $5.00
- Essential Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour: All Must-see: $5.00
- Ho Chi Minh Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $8.98
- Private Ho Chi Minh 30 minutes Experience by Electric Cart: $9.71
- Bitexco Financial Tower: Saigon Skydeck General Admission Ticket: $10
- One hour cyclo tour around Saigon: $11
- Vietnam Saigon Skydeck Admission Ticket: $12
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Ho Chi Minh City $7.57
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$0.38
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Ho Chi Minh City, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Ho Chi Minh City much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara 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 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 Masai Mara would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Masai Mara 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 Masai Mara Expensive? and Is Ho Chi Minh City Expensive?.
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.