Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money Β· Updated September 2026
| Item | Cape Town | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | R 160$9.14 | β« 50,000$1.9 | Hanoi β79% |
| Street food1 item | R 72$4.11 | β« 23,000$0.87 | Hanoi β79% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | R 440$25.1 | β« 230,000$8.75 | Hanoi β65% |
| Coffeeone cup | R 44$2.51 | β« 40,000$1.52 | Hanoi β40% |
| Beerone bottle | R 44$2.51 | β« 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi β55% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | R 110$6.29 | β« 78,000$2.97 | Hanoi β53% |
| Bottled water | R 19$1.09 | β« 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi β72% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | R 48$2.74 | β« 20,000$0.76 | Hanoi β72% |
| Taxi5 km in town | R 100$5.71 | β« 85,000$3.23 | Hanoi β43% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | R 100$5.71 | β« 39,000$1.48 | Hanoi β74% |
| Transitone ride | R 18$1.03 | β« 7,000$0.27 | Hanoi β74% |
| Scooter rentalper day | R 500$28.6 | β« 160,000$6.08 | Hanoi β79% |
| Hotel night3-star | R 1,900$109 | β« 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi β72% |
| Studio rent (month) | R 16,000$914 | β« 12,000,000$456 | Hanoi β50% |
| Laundry | R 44$2.51 | β« 32,000$1.22 | Hanoi β52% |
| SIM card1 week data | R 140$8 | β« 160,000$6.08 | Hanoi β24% |
| Haircutcut | R 240$13.7 | β« 91,000$3.46 | Hanoi β75% |
| Massage1 hour | R 700$40 | β« 260,000$9.89 | Hanoi β75% |
| Half-day tourper person | R 910$52 | β« 660,000$25.1 | Hanoi β52% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | R 210$12 | β« 130,000$4.94 | Hanoi β59% |
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 64% cheaper than Cape Town. Daily budget $186 vs $57.8; a month $3,555 vs $1,422.
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cape Town is about $3,555 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.