Popular cities
Dhaka vs Hanoi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ง๐ฉ Dhaka
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (89%โ), Massage (44%โ), Cocktail & wine (44%โ)
- Where Dhaka is clearly cheaper: Street food (74%โ), Studio rent (month) (61%โ), SIM card (56%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Dhaka 4 vs Hanoi 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Dhaka | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | เงณ 250$2.05 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Dhaka โ23% |
| Street food1 item | เงณ 60$0.49 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Dhaka โ74% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Dhaka โ23% |
| Coffeeone cup | เงณ 260$2.13 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ20% |
| Beerone bottle | เงณ 1,100$9.02 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ89% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | เงณ 1,000$8.2 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Hanoi โ44% |
| Bottled water | เงณ 20$0.16 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Dhaka โ46% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | เงณ 40$0.33 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Dhaka โ28% |
| Taxi5 km in town | เงณ 280$2.3 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Dhaka โ20% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | เงณ 80$0.66 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Dhaka โ31% |
| Transitone ride | เงณ 30$0.25 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Dhaka โ19% |
| Scooter rentalper day | เงณ 700$5.74 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | เงณ 5,000$41 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Studio rent (month) | เงณ 17,000$139 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Dhaka โ61% |
| Laundry | เงณ 100$0.82 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Dhaka โ28% |
| SIM card1 week data | เงณ 450$3.69 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Dhaka โ56% |
| Haircutcut | เงณ 200$1.64 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Dhaka โ46% |
| Massage1 hour | เงณ 2,500$20.5 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Hanoi โ44% |
| Half-day tourper person | เงณ 3,000$24.6 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | เงณ 500$4.1 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ35% |
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, Dhaka or Hanoi?
Dhaka is 21% cheaper than Hanoi. Daily budget $66.7 vs $61.4; a month $795 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, Dhaka or Hanoi?
About the same: Dhaka 3.4/5, Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Dhaka and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Dhaka is about $795 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.