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Hanoi vs Karachi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ต๐ฐ Karachi
At a glance
- Where Karachi is clearly cheaper: SIM card (57%โ), Studio rent (month) (56%โ), Street food (53%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (70%โ), Cocktail & wine (57%โ), Hotel night (29%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: safety โ Hanoi 3 vs Karachi 5. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Karachi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Rs 600$2.14 | Karachi โ19% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Rs 250$0.89 | Karachi โ53% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Rs 2,000$7.14 | Karachi โ33% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Rs 650$2.32 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Rs 900$3.21 | Hanoi โ70% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Rs 3,000$10.7 | Hanoi โ57% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Rs 70$0.25 | Karachi โ18% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Rs 120$0.43 | Karachi โ6% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Rs 500$1.79 | Karachi โ37% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Rs 220$0.79 | Karachi โ17% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Rs 60$0.21 | Karachi โ30% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Rs 1,500$5.36 | Karachi โ6% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Rs 12,000$42.9 | Hanoi โ29% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Rs 45,000$161 | Karachi โ56% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Rs 200$0.71 | Karachi โ37% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Rs 1,000$3.57 | Karachi โ57% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Rs 600$2.14 | Karachi โ30% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Rs 3,000$10.7 | Karachi โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Rs 5,000$17.9 | Karachi โ28% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Rs 500$1.79 | Karachi โ33% |
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 Karachi?
Karachi is 16% cheaper than Hanoi. Daily budget $61.4 vs $66.4; a month $1,277 vs $757.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Karachi?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Karachi 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Karachi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Karachi about $757 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.