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Hanoi vs Kampala cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐บ๐ฌ Kampala
At a glance
- Where Kampala is clearly cheaper: Street food (46%โ), SIM card (33%โ), Haircut (16%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (68%โ), Entry ticket (48%โ), Hotel night (46%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Hanoi 3 vs Kampala 5. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Kampala | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | USh 10,000$2.56 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | USh 4,000$1.03 | Kampala โ46% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | USh 40,000$10.3 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | USh 9,000$2.31 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | USh 6,000$1.54 | Hanoi โ38% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | USh 25,000$6.41 | Hanoi โ29% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | USh 1,500$0.38 | Hanoi โ21% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | USh 2,000$0.51 | Hanoi โ11% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | USh 14,000$3.59 | Hanoi โ21% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | USh 4,000$1.03 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | USh 2,000$0.51 | Hanoi โ41% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | USh 70,000$17.9 | Hanoi โ68% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | USh 220,000$56.4 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | USh 1,200,000$308 | Kampala โ15% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | USh 5,000$1.28 | Hanoi โ11% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | USh 22,000$5.64 | Kampala โ33% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | USh 10,000$2.56 | Kampala โ16% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | USh 70,000$17.9 | Hanoi โ36% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | USh 130,000$33.3 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | USh 20,000$5.13 | Hanoi โ48% |
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, Hanoi or Kampala?
Hanoi is 16% cheaper than Kampala. Daily budget $61.4 vs $90.1; a month $1,277 vs $1,181.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Kampala?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Kampala 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Kampala?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Kampala about $1,181 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.