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Hanoi vs Lagos cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ณ๐ฌ Lagos
At a glance
- Where Lagos is clearly cheaper: SIM card (73%โ), Street food (49%โ), Taxi (21%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (72%โ), Scooter rental (67%โ), Coffee (56%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Hanoi 3 vs Lagos 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Lagos | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฆ 4,500$2.9 | Hanoi โ8% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฆ 1,500$0.97 | Lagos โ49% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | โฆ 18,000$11.6 | Hanoi โ8% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | โฆ 6,000$3.87 | Hanoi โ56% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฆ 1,500$0.97 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | โฆ 10,000$6.45 | Hanoi โ29% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฆ 400$0.26 | Lagos โ15% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | โฆ 1,200$0.77 | Hanoi โ41% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | โฆ 3,500$2.26 | Lagos โ21% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฆ 3,150$2.03 | Hanoi โ53% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฆ 500$0.32 | Hanoi โ6% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | โฆ 27,000$17.4 | Hanoi โ67% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | โฆ 75,000$48.4 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | โฆ 470,000$303 | Lagos โ16% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โฆ 3,300$2.13 | Hanoi โ46% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | โฆ 3,500$2.26 | Lagos โ73% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | โฆ 9,000$5.81 | Hanoi โ48% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | โฆ 30,000$19.4 | Hanoi โ41% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | โฆ 50,000$32.3 | Hanoi โ23% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฆ 15,000$9.68 | Hanoi โ72% |
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 Lagos?
Hanoi is 13% cheaper than Lagos. Daily budget $61.4 vs $83.1; a month $1,277 vs $1,207.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Lagos?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Lagos 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Lagos?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Lagos about $1,207 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.