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Hanoi vs La Fortuna cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐จ๐ท La Fortuna
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (87%โ), Transit (86%โ), Entry ticket (84%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
La Fortuna is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs La Fortuna 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | La Fortuna | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โก 4,000$8.74 | Hanoi โ70% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โก 2,500$5.46 | Hanoi โ65% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | โก 10,000$21.9 | Hanoi โ51% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | โก 2,800$6.12 | Hanoi โ72% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โก 2,000$4.37 | Hanoi โ78% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | โก 5,500$12 | Hanoi โ62% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โก 600$1.31 | Hanoi โ77% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | โก 1,000$2.19 | Hanoi โ79% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | โก 5,000$10.9 | Hanoi โ74% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โก 2,000$4.37 | Hanoi โ78% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โก 1,000$2.19 | Hanoi โ86% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | โก 20,000$43.7 | Hanoi โ87% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | โก 36,000$78.7 | Hanoi โ61% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | โก 280,000$612 | Hanoi โ41% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โก 1,500$3.28 | Hanoi โ65% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | โก 5,000$10.9 | Hanoi โ23% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | โก 6,500$14.2 | Hanoi โ79% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | โก 16,000$35 | Hanoi โ67% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | โก 23,000$50.3 | Hanoi โ51% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โก 7,800$17 | Hanoi โ84% |
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 La Fortuna?
Hanoi is 61% cheaper than La Fortuna. Daily budget $61.4 vs $168; a month $1,277 vs $3,001.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or La Fortuna?
La Fortuna is easier: La Fortuna 2.6/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and La Fortuna?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and La Fortuna about $3,001 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.