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Hanoi vs Malé cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇻🇳 Hanoi
🇲🇻 Malé
At a glance
- Where Malé is clearly cheaper: Taxi (32%↓)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (91%↓), Massage (77%↓), Hotel night (72%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Malé is easier to travel (2.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — Hanoi 4 vs Malé 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Malé | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ₫ 70,000$2.66 | Rf 100$6.49 | Hanoi −59% |
| Street food1 item | ₫ 50,000$1.9 | Rf 25$1.62 | Malé −15% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ₫ 280,000$10.6 | Rf 220$14.3 | Hanoi −25% |
| Coffeeone cup | ₫ 45,000$1.71 | Rf 50$3.24 | Hanoi −47% |
| Beerone bottle | ₫ 25,000$0.95 | Rf 160$10.4 | Hanoi −91% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ₫ 120,000$4.56 | Rf 230$14.9 | Hanoi −69% |
| Bottled water | ₫ 8,000$0.3 | Rf 5$0.32 | Hanoi −6% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ₫ 12,000$0.46 | Rf 12$0.78 | Hanoi −41% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ₫ 75,000$2.85 | Rf 30$1.95 | Malé −32% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ₫ 25,000$0.95 | Rf 30$1.95 | Hanoi −51% |
| Transitone ride | ₫ 8,000$0.3 | Rf 10$0.65 | Hanoi −53% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ₫ 150,000$5.7 | Rf 250$16.2 | Hanoi −65% |
| Hotel night3-star | ₫ 800,000$30.4 | Rf 1,700$110 | Hanoi −72% |
| Studio rent (month) | ₫ 9,500,000$361 | Rf 13,500$875 | Hanoi −59% |
| Laundry | ₫ 30,000$1.14 | Rf 30$1.95 | Hanoi −41% |
| SIM card1 week data | ₫ 220,000$8.37 | Rf 310$20.1 | Hanoi −58% |
| Haircutcut | ₫ 80,000$3.04 | Rf 75$4.86 | Hanoi −37% |
| Massage1 hour | ₫ 300,000$11.4 | Rf 750$48.6 | Hanoi −77% |
| Half-day tourper person | ₫ 650,000$24.7 | Rf 700$45.4 | Hanoi −46% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ₫ 70,000$2.66 | Rf 100$6.49 | Hanoi −59% |
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 Malé?
Hanoi is 59% cheaper than Malé. Daily budget $61.4 vs $158; a month $1,277 vs $2,919.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Malé?
Malé is easier: Malé 2.0/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Malé?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Malé about $2,919 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.