Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated September 2026
| Item | Budapest | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Ft 3,600$10 | ₫ 50,000$1.9 | Hanoi −81% |
| Street food1 item | Ft 1,600$4.44 | ₫ 23,000$0.87 | Hanoi −80% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Ft 9,000$25 | ₫ 230,000$8.75 | Hanoi −65% |
| Coffeeone cup | Ft 900$2.5 | ₫ 40,000$1.52 | Hanoi −39% |
| Beerone bottle | Ft 1,000$2.78 | ₫ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi −59% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Ft 2,600$7.22 | ₫ 78,000$2.97 | Hanoi −59% |
| Bottled water | Ft 430$1.19 | ₫ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi −75% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Ft 1,100$3.06 | ₫ 20,000$0.76 | Hanoi −75% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Ft 3,600$10 | ₫ 85,000$3.23 | Hanoi −68% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Ft 2,200$6.11 | ₫ 39,000$1.48 | Hanoi −76% |
| Transitone ride | Ft 430$1.19 | ₫ 7,000$0.27 | Hanoi −78% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Ft 9,000$25 | ₫ 160,000$6.08 | Hanoi −76% |
| Hotel night3-star | Ft 32,000$88.9 | ₫ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi −66% |
| Studio rent (month) | Ft 270,000$750 | ₫ 12,000,000$456 | Hanoi −39% |
| Laundry | Ft 1,100$3.06 | ₫ 32,000$1.22 | Hanoi −60% |
| SIM card1 week data | Ft 3,600$10 | ₫ 160,000$6.08 | Hanoi −39% |
| Haircutcut | Ft 4,600$12.8 | ₫ 91,000$3.46 | Hanoi −73% |
| Massage1 hour | Ft 13,000$36.1 | ₫ 260,000$9.89 | Hanoi −73% |
| Half-day tourper person | Ft 14,000$38.9 | ₫ 660,000$25.1 | Hanoi −35% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Ft 4,300$11.9 | ₫ 130,000$4.94 | Hanoi −59% |
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%+.
Hanoi is 60% cheaper than Budapest. Daily budget $178 vs $57.8; a month $2,978 vs $1,422.
With a short-term studio and living costs, Budapest is about $2,978 and Hanoi about $1,422 per month.
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.