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Hanoi vs Koh Phangan cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐น๐ญ Koh Phangan
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Transit (90%โ), Beer (69%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (69%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Koh Phangan 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Koh Phangan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Koh Phangan โ9% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | เธฟ 70$2.12 | Hanoi โ10% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | เธฟ 350$10.6 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Hanoi โ29% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Hanoi โ25% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | เธฟ 10$0.3 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | เธฟ 25$0.76 | Hanoi โ40% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Hanoi โ53% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Hanoi โ90% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Hanoi โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | เธฟ 1,500$45.5 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | เธฟ 20,000$606 | Hanoi โ40% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Hanoi โ25% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | เธฟ 300$9.09 | Hanoi โ8% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | เธฟ 350$10.6 | Koh Phangan โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | Hanoi โ18% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Hanoi โ56% |
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 Koh Phangan?
Hanoi is 36% cheaper than Koh Phangan. Daily budget $61.4 vs $85.4; a month $1,277 vs $2,208.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Koh Phangan?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Koh Phangan 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Koh Phangan?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Koh Phangan about $2,208 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.