Popular cities
El Nido 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 El Nido
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (62%โ), Hotel night (57%โ), Convenience store (42%โ)
- Where El Nido is clearly cheaper: Street food (54%โ), SIM card (37%โ), Studio rent (month) (27%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
El Nido is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ El Nido 3 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | El Nido | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฑ 150$2.63 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โฑ 50$0.88 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | El Nido โ54% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฑ 450$7.89 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | El Nido โ26% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฑ 150$2.63 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Beerone bottle | โฑ 90$1.58 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ40% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฑ 250$4.39 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | similar |
| Bottled water | โฑ 25$0.44 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ31% |
| 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 | El Nido โ8% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฑ 60$1.05 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ10% |
| Transitone ride | โฑ 30$0.53 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฑ 500$8.77 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฑ 4,000$70.2 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ57% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฑ 15,000$263 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | El Nido โ27% |
| Laundry | โฑ 70$1.23 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi โ7% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฑ 300$5.26 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | El Nido โ37% |
| Haircutcut | โฑ 150$2.63 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | El Nido โ13% |
| Massage1 hour | โฑ 500$8.77 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | El Nido โ23% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฑ 1,400$24.6 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฑ 400$7.02 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Hanoi โ62% |
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, El Nido or Hanoi?
Hanoi is 14% cheaper than El Nido. Daily budget $99.4 vs $61.4; a month $1,155 vs $1,277.
Which is easier to travel, El Nido or Hanoi?
El Nido is easier: El Nido 2.8/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between El Nido and Hanoi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, El Nido is about $1,155 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.