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Hanoi vs Manila cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ต๐ญ Manila
At a glance
- Where Manila is clearly cheaper: Street food (54%โ), SIM card (27%โ), Massage (23%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Convenience store (59%โ), Beer (55%โ), Hotel night (50%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Manila is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Manila 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Manila | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฑ 280$4.91 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฑ 50$0.88 | Manila โ54% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | โฑ 800$14 | Hanoi โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฑ 120$2.11 | Hanoi โ55% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | โฑ 300$5.26 | Hanoi โ13% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฑ 25$0.44 | Hanoi โ31% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | โฑ 63$1.11 | Hanoi โ59% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | โฑ 220$3.86 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Hanoi โ10% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฑ 15$0.26 | Manila โ13% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | โฑ 3,500$61.4 | Hanoi โ50% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | โฑ 25,000$439 | Hanoi โ18% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Manila โ8% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | โฑ 350$6.14 | Manila โ27% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | โฑ 180$3.16 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Manila โ23% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | Hanoi โ6% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฑ 150$2.63 | 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 Manila?
Hanoi is 35% cheaper than Manila. Daily budget $61.4 vs $107; a month $1,277 vs $1,683.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Manila?
Manila is easier: Manila 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 Manila?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Manila about $1,683 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.