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Hanoi vs Labuan Bajo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ฎ๐ฉ Labuan Bajo
At a glance
- Where Labuan Bajo is clearly cheaper: SIM card (63%โ), Studio rent (month) (49%โ), Taxi (35%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (89%โ), Beer (69%โ), Half-day tour (42%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Labuan Bajo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Labuan Bajo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Labuan Bajo โ19% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Rp 25,000$1.53 | Labuan Bajo โ19% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Rp 120,000$7.36 | Labuan Bajo โ31% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Hanoi โ20% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Rp 5,000$0.31 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Labuan Bajo โ35% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | similar |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Rp 5,000$0.31 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Rp 700,000$42.9 | Hanoi โ29% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Rp 3,000,000$184 | Labuan Bajo โ49% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Hanoi โ7% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Labuan Bajo โ63% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Labuan Bajo โ19% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Labuan Bajo โ19% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Rp 700,000$42.9 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Rp 400,000$24.5 | Hanoi โ89% |
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 Labuan Bajo?
Labuan Bajo is 11% cheaper than Hanoi. Daily budget $61.4 vs $66.7; a month $1,277 vs $879.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Labuan Bajo?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Labuan Bajo 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Labuan Bajo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Labuan Bajo about $879 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.