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Cape Town vs Hanoi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฟ๐ฆ Cape Town
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (88%โ), Scooter rental (78%โ), Hotel night (72%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Cape Town is easier to travel (2.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Cape Town 2 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cape Town | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | R 150$8.57 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Street food1 item | R 70$4 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Hanoi โ52% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | R 300$17.1 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Hanoi โ38% |
| Coffeeone cup | R 38$2.17 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ21% |
| Beerone bottle | R 45$2.57 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ63% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | R 90$5.14 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Hanoi โ11% |
| Bottled water | R 15$0.86 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ65% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | R 18$1.03 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Hanoi โ56% |
| Taxi5 km in town | R 60$3.43 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Hanoi โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | R 40$2.29 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ58% |
| Transitone ride | R 18$1.03 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ70% |
| Scooter rentalper day | R 450$25.7 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ78% |
| Hotel night3-star | R 1,900$109 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ72% |
| Studio rent (month) | R 13,000$743 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Hanoi โ51% |
| Laundry | R 44$2.51 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi โ55% |
| SIM card1 week data | R 250$14.3 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Hanoi โ41% |
| Haircutcut | R 170$9.71 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Massage1 hour | R 650$37.1 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Half-day tourper person | R 900$51.4 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Hanoi โ52% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | R 400$22.9 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ88% |
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, Cape Town or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 60% cheaper than Cape Town. Daily budget $168 vs $61.4; a month $2,941 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Cape Town or Hanoi?
Cape Town is easier: Cape Town 2.0/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cape Town and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cape Town is about $2,941 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.