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Hanoi vs Kota Kinabalu cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ฒ๐พ Kota Kinabalu
At a glance
- Where Kota Kinabalu is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (29%โ), SIM card (17%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (73%โ), Entry ticket (54%โ), Scooter rental (51%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Kota Kinabalu is easier to travel (2.2 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Kota Kinabalu 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Kota Kinabalu | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | RM 10$2.33 | Kota Kinabalu โ13% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | RM 7$1.63 | Kota Kinabalu โ14% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | RM 40$9.3 | Kota Kinabalu โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | RM 12$2.79 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | RM 15$3.49 | Hanoi โ73% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | RM 30$6.98 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | RM 1.5$0.35 | Hanoi โ13% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | RM 3$0.7 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | RM 11$2.56 | Kota Kinabalu โ10% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | RM 7$1.63 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | RM 2$0.47 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | RM 50$11.6 | Hanoi โ51% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | RM 180$41.9 | Hanoi โ27% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | RM 1,100$256 | Kota Kinabalu โ29% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | RM 6$1.4 | Hanoi โ18% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | RM 30$6.98 | Kota Kinabalu โ17% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | RM 18$4.19 | Hanoi โ27% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | RM 70$16.3 | Hanoi โ30% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | RM 100$23.3 | Kota Kinabalu โ6% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | RM 25$5.81 | Hanoi โ54% |
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 Kota Kinabalu?
Hanoi and Kota Kinabalu cost about the same. Daily budget $61.4 vs $71.3; a month $1,277 vs $1,170.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Kota Kinabalu?
Kota Kinabalu is easier: Kota Kinabalu 2.2/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Kota Kinabalu?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Kota Kinabalu about $1,170 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.