Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Mendoza is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Mendoza 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Hanoi | Mendoza | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | AR$ 16,000$11.4 | Hanoi โ77% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | AR$ 5,000$3.57 | Hanoi โ47% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | AR$ 28,000$20 | Hanoi โ47% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | AR$ 6,000$4.29 | Hanoi โ60% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | AR$ 4,000$2.86 | Hanoi โ67% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | AR$ 7,500$5.36 | Hanoi โ15% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | AR$ 1,300$0.93 | Hanoi โ67% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | AR$ 2,000$1.43 | Hanoi โ68% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | AR$ 6,500$4.64 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | AR$ 3,500$2.5 | Hanoi โ62% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | AR$ 1,400$1 | Hanoi โ70% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | AR$ 15,000$10.7 | Hanoi โ47% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | AR$ 110,000$78.6 | Hanoi โ61% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | AR$ 450,000$321 | Mendoza โ11% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | AR$ 9,000$6.43 | Hanoi โ82% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | AR$ 8,000$5.71 | Mendoza โ32% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | AR$ 12,000$8.57 | Hanoi โ65% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | AR$ 40,000$28.6 | Hanoi โ60% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | AR$ 85,000$60.7 | Hanoi โ59% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | AR$ 4,000$2.86 | Hanoi โ7% |
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%+.
Hanoi is 52% cheaper than Mendoza. Daily budget $61.4 vs $154; a month $1,277 vs $2,080.
Mendoza is easier: Mendoza 2.6/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Mendoza about $2,080 per month.
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.