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Baku vs Hanoi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐ฟ Baku
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (70%โ), Scooter rental (68%โ), Haircut (66%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Baku is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Baku 2 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Baku | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โผ 12$7.06 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ62% |
| Street food1 item | โผ 4$2.35 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Hanoi โ19% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โผ 35$20.6 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Hanoi โ48% |
| Coffeeone cup | โผ 6$3.53 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ52% |
| Beerone bottle | โผ 4$2.35 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ60% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โผ 12$7.06 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Bottled water | โผ 0.6$0.35 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ14% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โผ 1.2$0.71 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โผ 6$3.53 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Hanoi โ19% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โผ 3.5$2.06 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ54% |
| Transitone ride | โผ 0.6$0.35 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ14% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โผ 30$17.6 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ68% |
| Hotel night3-star | โผ 110$64.7 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ53% |
| Studio rent (month) | โผ 750$441 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Hanoi โ18% |
| Laundry | โผ 4$2.35 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi โ52% |
| SIM card1 week data | โผ 15$8.82 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Hanoi โ5% |
| Haircutcut | โผ 15$8.82 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Hanoi โ66% |
| Massage1 hour | โผ 50$29.4 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Hanoi โ61% |
| Half-day tourper person | โผ 45$26.5 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โผ 15$8.82 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ70% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Baku or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 42% cheaper than Baku. Daily budget $125 vs $61.4; a month $1,924 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Baku or Hanoi?
Baku is easier: Baku 2.4/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Baku and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Baku is about $1,924 and Hanoi about $1,277 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.