Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated September 2026
| Item | Busan | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ₩ 9,000$6.52 | ₫ 50,000$1.9 | Hanoi −71% |
| Street food1 item | ₩ 4,100$2.97 | ₫ 23,000$0.87 | Hanoi −71% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ₩ 27,000$19.6 | ₫ 230,000$8.75 | Hanoi −55% |
| Coffeeone cup | ₩ 4,500$3.26 | ₫ 40,000$1.52 | Hanoi −53% |
| Beerone bottle | ₩ 4,500$3.26 | ₫ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi −65% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ₩ 12,000$8.7 | ₫ 78,000$2.97 | Hanoi −66% |
| Bottled water | ₩ 1,000$0.72 | ₫ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi −58% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ₩ 2,500$1.81 | ₫ 20,000$0.76 | Hanoi −58% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ₩ 8,500$6.16 | ₫ 85,000$3.23 | Hanoi −48% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ₩ 11,000$7.97 | ₫ 39,000$1.48 | Hanoi −81% |
| Transitone ride | ₩ 1,500$1.09 | ₫ 7,000$0.27 | Hanoi −76% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ₩ 33,000$23.9 | ₫ 160,000$6.08 | Hanoi −75% |
| Hotel night3-star | ₩ 100,000$72.5 | ₫ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi −58% |
| Studio rent (month) | â‚© 650,000$471 | â‚« 12,000,000$456 | similar |
| Laundry | ₩ 5,300$3.84 | ₫ 32,000$1.22 | Hanoi −68% |
| SIM card1 week data | ₩ 20,000$14.5 | ₫ 160,000$6.08 | Hanoi −58% |
| Haircutcut | ₩ 23,000$16.7 | ₫ 91,000$3.46 | Hanoi −79% |
| Massage1 hour | ₩ 67,000$48.6 | ₫ 260,000$9.89 | Hanoi −80% |
| Half-day tourper person | ₩ 80,000$58 | ₫ 660,000$25.1 | Hanoi −57% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ₩ 16,000$11.6 | ₫ 130,000$4.94 | Hanoi −57% |
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 44% cheaper than Busan. Daily budget $137 vs $57.8; a month $2,048 vs $1,422.
With a short-term studio and living costs, Busan is about $2,048 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.