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Hanoi vs Merzouga cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ฒ๐ฆ Merzouga
At a glance
- Where Merzouga is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (48%โ), SIM card (24%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (82%โ), Transit (81%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (77%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Hanoi 3 vs Merzouga 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Merzouga | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | MAD 70$7.37 | Hanoi โ64% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | MAD 30$3.16 | Hanoi โ40% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | MAD 130$13.7 | Hanoi โ22% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | MAD 20$2.11 | Hanoi โ19% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | MAD 50$5.26 | Hanoi โ82% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | MAD 60$6.32 | Hanoi โ28% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | MAD 5$0.53 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | MAD 8$0.84 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | MAD 50$5.26 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | MAD 40$4.21 | Hanoi โ77% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | MAD 15$1.58 | Hanoi โ81% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | MAD 100$10.5 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | MAD 700$73.7 | Hanoi โ59% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | MAD 1,800$189 | Merzouga โ48% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | MAD 20$2.11 | Hanoi โ46% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | MAD 60$6.32 | Merzouga โ24% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | MAD 30$3.16 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | MAD 250$26.3 | Hanoi โ57% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | MAD 500$52.6 | Hanoi โ53% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | MAD 60$6.32 | Hanoi โ58% |
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 Merzouga?
Hanoi is 37% cheaper than Merzouga. Daily budget $61.4 vs $129; a month $1,277 vs $1,392.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Merzouga?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Merzouga 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Merzouga?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Merzouga about $1,392 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.