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Dar es Salaam vs Hanoi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ฟ Dar es Salaam
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (62%โ), Hotel night (50%โ), Beer (37%โ)
- Where Dar es Salaam is clearly cheaper: SIM card (50%โ), Street food (40%โ), Haircut (38%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Dar es Salaam is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Dar es Salaam 3 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dar es Salaam | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | TSh 8,000$3.03 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ12% |
| Street food1 item | TSh 3,000$1.14 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Dar es Salaam โ40% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | TSh 30,000$11.4 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Hanoi โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | TSh 5,500$2.08 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ18% |
| Beerone bottle | TSh 4,000$1.52 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | TSh 15,000$5.68 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Hanoi โ20% |
| Bottled water | TSh 600$0.23 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Dar es Salaam โ25% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | TSh 1,000$0.38 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Dar es Salaam โ17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | TSh 10,000$3.79 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Hanoi โ25% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | TSh 3,500$1.33 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ28% |
| Transitone ride | TSh 700$0.27 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Dar es Salaam โ13% |
| Scooter rentalper day | TSh 40,000$15.2 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ62% |
| Hotel night3-star | TSh 160,000$60.6 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ50% |
| Studio rent (month) | TSh 900,000$341 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Dar es Salaam โ6% |
| Laundry | TSh 3,000$1.14 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | TSh 11,000$4.17 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Dar es Salaam โ50% |
| Haircutcut | TSh 5,000$1.89 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Dar es Salaam โ38% |
| Massage1 hour | TSh 40,000$15.2 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Hanoi โ25% |
| Half-day tourper person | TSh 75,000$28.4 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Hanoi โ13% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | TSh 6,500$2.46 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Dar es Salaam โ7% |
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, Dar es Salaam or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 19% cheaper than Dar es Salaam. Daily budget $97.3 vs $61.4; a month $1,284 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Dar es Salaam or Hanoi?
Dar es Salaam is easier: Dar es Salaam 3.0/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dar es Salaam and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dar es Salaam is about $1,284 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.