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Cebu 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 Cebu
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Convenience store (42%โ), Entry ticket (39%โ), Coffee (39%โ)
- Where Cebu is clearly cheaper: Street food (45%โ), Laundry (38%โ), SIM card (37%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Cebu is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Cebu 3 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cebu | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฑ 200$3.51 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ24% |
| Street food1 item | โฑ 60$1.05 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Cebu โ45% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฑ 550$9.65 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Cebu โ9% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฑ 160$2.81 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Beerone bottle | โฑ 85$1.49 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ36% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฑ 250$4.39 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | similar |
| Bottled water | โฑ 22$0.39 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ21% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฑ 45$0.79 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฑ 150$2.63 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Cebu โ8% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฑ 60$1.05 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ10% |
| Transitone ride | โฑ 13$0.23 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Cebu โ25% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฑ 450$7.89 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ28% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฑ 2,100$36.8 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ17% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฑ 20,000$351 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | similar |
| Laundry | โฑ 40$0.7 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Cebu โ38% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฑ 300$5.26 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Cebu โ37% |
| Haircutcut | โฑ 150$2.63 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Cebu โ13% |
| Massage1 hour | โฑ 450$7.89 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Cebu โ31% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฑ 1,800$31.6 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Hanoi โ22% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฑ 250$4.39 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ39% |
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, Cebu or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 12% cheaper than Cebu. Daily budget $69.8 vs $61.4; a month $1,465 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Cebu or Hanoi?
Cebu is easier: Cebu 2.8/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cebu and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cebu is about $1,465 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.