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Bintan vs Hanoi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ฉ Bintan
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (69%โ), Entry ticket (69%โ), Cocktail & wine (50%โ)
- Where Bintan is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (44%โ), Laundry (35%โ), Haircut (29%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Bintan is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bintan 3 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bintan | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 60,000$3.68 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ28% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 25,000$1.53 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Bintan โ19% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 250,000$15.3 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Hanoi โ31% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 40,000$2.45 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ30% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 50,000$3.07 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 150,000$9.2 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Hanoi โ50% |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 8,000$0.49 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 50,000$3.07 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | similar |
| Transitone ride | Rp 7,000$0.43 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ29% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 100,000$6.13 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 700,000$42.9 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ29% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 3,300,000$202 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Bintan โ44% |
| Laundry | Rp 12,000$0.74 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Bintan โ35% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 100,000$6.13 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Bintan โ27% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 35,000$2.15 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Bintan โ29% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 250,000$15.3 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 350,000$21.5 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Bintan โ13% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 140,000$8.59 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ69% |
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, Bintan or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 9% cheaper than Bintan. Daily budget $84.5 vs $61.4; a month $1,158 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Bintan or Hanoi?
Bintan is easier: Bintan 2.6/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bintan and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bintan is about $1,158 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.