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Chengdu vs Hanoi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ณ Chengdu
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (73%โ), Entry ticket (66%โ), Coffee (57%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Chengdu is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Chengdu 2 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Chengdu | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 30$4.23 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 12$1.69 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Chengdu โ11% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 90$12.7 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Hanoi โ16% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 28$3.94 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ57% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 25$3.52 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ73% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 70$9.86 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Hanoi โ54% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 3$0.42 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ28% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 5$0.7 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 18$2.54 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Chengdu โ11% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 11$1.55 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 2$0.28 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Chengdu โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 52.5$7.39 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ23% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 320$45.1 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 3,000$423 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Hanoi โ15% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 14$1.97 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi โ42% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 80$11.3 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 40$5.63 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 120$16.9 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 250$35.2 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Hanoi โ30% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 55$7.75 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ66% |
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, Chengdu or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 25% cheaper than Chengdu. Daily budget $85.2 vs $61.4; a month $1,654 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Chengdu or Hanoi?
Chengdu is easier: Chengdu 2.4/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chengdu and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chengdu is about $1,654 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.