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Boracay vs Hanoi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐ญ Boracay
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (73%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (55%โ), Hotel night (50%โ)
- Where Boracay is clearly cheaper: SIM card (37%โ), Half-day tour (36%โ), Street food (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Boracay is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Boracay 3 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Boracay | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฑ 300$5.26 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ49% |
| Street food1 item | โฑ 90$1.58 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Boracay โ17% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฑ 700$12.3 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Hanoi โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฑ 170$2.98 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ43% |
| Beerone bottle | โฑ 100$1.75 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฑ 250$4.39 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | similar |
| Bottled water | โฑ 30$0.53 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฑ 50$0.88 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Hanoi โ48% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฑ 200$3.51 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Hanoi โ19% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฑ 120$2.11 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ55% |
| Transitone ride | โฑ 25$0.44 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ31% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฑ 1,200$21.1 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ73% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ50% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฑ 20,000$351 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | similar |
| Laundry | โฑ 70$1.23 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi โ7% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฑ 300$5.26 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Boracay โ37% |
| Haircutcut | โฑ 200$3.51 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Hanoi โ13% |
| Massage1 hour | โฑ 600$10.5 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Boracay โ8% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฑ 900$15.8 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Boracay โ36% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฑ 300$5.26 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ49% |
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, Boracay or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 32% cheaper than Boracay. Daily budget $105 vs $61.4; a month $1,626 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Boracay or Hanoi?
Boracay is easier: Boracay 2.6/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Boracay and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Boracay is about $1,626 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.