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Hanoi vs Koh Samui 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 Samui
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Transit (80%โ), Beer (69%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (69%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Koh Samui is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: payments โ Hanoi 3 vs Koh Samui 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Koh Samui | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | เธฟ 120$3.64 | Hanoi โ27% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | เธฟ 70$2.12 | Hanoi โ10% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Hanoi โ12% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | เธฟ 90$2.73 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | เธฟ 220$6.67 | Hanoi โ32% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | เธฟ 10$0.3 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | เธฟ 30$0.91 | Hanoi โ50% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Hanoi โ80% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Hanoi โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | เธฟ 1,800$54.5 | Hanoi โ44% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Hanoi โ25% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Hanoi โ25% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Hanoi โ8% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | เธฟ 400$12.1 | Hanoi โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | เธฟ 1,200$36.4 | Hanoi โ32% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Hanoi โ12% |
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 Samui?
Hanoi is 35% cheaper than Koh Samui. Daily budget $61.4 vs $96.4; a month $1,277 vs $1,942.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Koh Samui?
Koh Samui is easier: Koh Samui 2.8/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Koh Samui?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Koh Samui about $1,942 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.