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Hanoi vs Manama cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ง๐ญ Manama
At a glance
- Where Manama is clearly cheaper: Street food (16%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (90%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (76%โ), Cocktail & wine (71%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Manama is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Manama 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Manama | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | BD 3$7.98 | Hanoi โ67% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | BD 0.6$1.6 | Manama โ16% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | BD 10$26.6 | Hanoi โ60% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | BD 1.8$4.79 | Hanoi โ64% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | BD 3.5$9.31 | Hanoi โ90% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | BD 6$16 | Hanoi โ71% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | BD 0.15$0.4 | Hanoi โ24% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | BD 0.3$0.8 | Hanoi โ43% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | BD 2.5$6.65 | Hanoi โ57% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | BD 1.5$3.99 | Hanoi โ76% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | BD 0.3$0.8 | Hanoi โ62% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | BD 6$16 | Hanoi โ64% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | BD 40$106 | Hanoi โ71% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | BD 300$798 | Hanoi โ55% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | BD 1$2.66 | Hanoi โ57% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | BD 4$10.6 | Hanoi โ21% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | BD 2.5$6.65 | Hanoi โ54% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | BD 15$39.9 | Hanoi โ71% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | BD 20$53.2 | Hanoi โ54% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | BD 1$2.66 | similar |
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 Manama?
Hanoi is 63% cheaper than Manama. Daily budget $61.4 vs $188; a month $1,277 vs $3,075.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Manama?
Manama is easier: Manama 2.4/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Manama?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Manama about $3,075 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.