Ho Chi Minh City vs Da Nang
The short answer
Ho Chi Minh City is the cheaper trip, by roughly 11% a day β $25β55 against $30β65 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in FebβApr, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way β see how we work these out.
| π»π³ Ho Chi Minh City | π»π³ Da Nang | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $25β55cheaper | $30β65 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $1.50β3.50 | $1.50β4 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $30β65cheaper | $35β70 |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $0.25 | $0.25 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | β $400 | β $370 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds β the full lists are on the guides themselves.
π»π³ Ho Chi Minh City
Still called Saigon by most locals β a fast-moving, entrepreneurial city of glass towers rising over French colonial landmarks, with a motorbike sea and a street-food scene that runs 24 hours.
- Chill Skybar$$$Nightlife
- Pho Hoa Pasteur$Restaurants
- Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre$Theater & shows
- Apocalypse Now$$Nightlife
- Banh Xeo 46A$Restaurants
π»π³ Da Nang
Vietnam's most livable city β a long clean beach, a glowing dragon bridge that breathes fire on weekends, and a relaxed, modern pace that's a world away from Hanoi or Saigon's traffic.
- Sky36$$$Nightlife
- Madame LΓ’n$$Restaurants
- Golden Bridge (Ba Na Hills)$$Beaches & day trips
- Waterfront Restaurant & Bar$$Nightlife
- BΓ© MαΊ·n$Restaurants
Practicalities
| Ho Chi Minh City | Da Nang | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Vietnamese; English is fairly common in District 1's tourist and business areas | Vietnamese; English is common in beachfront hotels and tourist areas, less so inland |
The same in both:
- Currency
- Vietnamese dong (VND/β«) β prices often quoted in thousands, e.g. 50k = 50,000β«
- Time zone
- Indochina Time (ICT), UTC+7, no daylight saving
- Power
- Type A/C/D/F/G plugs, 220V β bring a universal adapter
- Tap water
- Not safe to drink β stick to bottled or filtered water
- Emergency
- 113 police, 114 fire, 115 ambulance