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Colombo vs Hanoi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฑ๐ฐ Colombo
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (79%โ), Beer (71%โ), Coffee (49%โ)
- Where Colombo is clearly cheaper: Transit (56%โ), Taxi (30%โ), SIM card (20%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Colombo is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Colombo 3 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Colombo | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rs 1,000$3.33 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ20% |
| Street food1 item | Rs 500$1.67 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Colombo โ12% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rs 4,000$13.3 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Hanoi โ20% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rs 1,000$3.33 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ49% |
| Beerone bottle | Rs 1,000$3.33 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ71% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rs 2,500$8.33 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Hanoi โ45% |
| Bottled water | Rs 80$0.27 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Colombo โ12% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rs 220$0.73 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Hanoi โ38% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rs 600$2 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Colombo โ30% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rs 300$1 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | similar |
| Transitone ride | Rs 40$0.13 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Colombo โ56% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rs 3,000$10 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ43% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rs 15,000$50 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rs 90,000$300 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Colombo โ17% |
| Laundry | Rs 400$1.33 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi โ14% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rs 2,000$6.67 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Colombo โ20% |
| Haircutcut | Rs 1,000$3.33 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Hanoi โ9% |
| Massage1 hour | Rs 6,000$20 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Hanoi โ43% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rs 8,000$26.7 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rs 3,750$12.5 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ79% |
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, Colombo or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 14% cheaper than Colombo. Daily budget $86.7 vs $61.4; a month $1,268 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Colombo or Hanoi?
Colombo is easier: Colombo 2.4/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Colombo and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Colombo is about $1,268 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.