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Bangkok vs Hanoi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ญ Bangkok
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (82%โ), Beer (76%โ), Transit (71%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Bangkok is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: getting around โ Bangkok 2 vs Hanoi 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bangkok | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เธฟ 100$3.03 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ12% |
| Street food1 item | เธฟ 60$1.82 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เธฟ 400$12.1 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Hanoi โ12% |
| Coffeeone cup | เธฟ 85$2.58 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ34% |
| Beerone bottle | เธฟ 130$3.94 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ76% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เธฟ 300$9.09 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Hanoi โ50% |
| Bottled water | เธฟ 10$0.3 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เธฟ 25$0.76 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Hanoi โ40% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เธฟ 115$3.48 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Hanoi โ18% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เธฟ 30$0.91 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | similar |
| Transitone ride | เธฟ 35$1.06 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ71% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เธฟ 250$7.58 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | เธฟ 1,600$48.5 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Studio rent (month) | เธฟ 18,000$545 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Hanoi โ34% |
| Laundry | เธฟ 40$1.21 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi โ6% |
| SIM card1 week data | เธฟ 299$9.06 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Hanoi โ8% |
| Haircutcut | เธฟ 150$4.55 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | เธฟ 350$10.6 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Bangkok โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | เธฟ 1,200$36.4 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Hanoi โ32% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เธฟ 500$15.2 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ82% |
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, Bangkok or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 29% cheaper than Bangkok. Daily budget $85.6 vs $61.4; a month $1,823 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Bangkok or Hanoi?
Bangkok is easier: Bangkok 2.6/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bangkok and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bangkok is about $1,823 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.