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Hanoi vs Milan cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ฎ๐น Milan
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (91%โ), Transit (88%โ), Haircut (88%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Milan is easier to travel (1.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Milan 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Milan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฌ 17$19.8 | Hanoi โ87% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฌ 7.7$8.95 | Hanoi โ79% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | โฌ 38$44.2 | Hanoi โ76% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฌ 6$6.98 | Hanoi โ86% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | โฌ 12$14 | Hanoi โ67% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฌ 0.9$1.05 | Hanoi โ71% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | Hanoi โ78% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | โฌ 14$16.3 | Hanoi โ82% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Hanoi โ91% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฌ 2.2$2.56 | Hanoi โ88% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | โฌ 18$20.9 | Hanoi โ73% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | โฌ 150$174 | Hanoi โ83% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | Hanoi โ75% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | Hanoi โ72% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | โฌ 20$23.3 | Hanoi โ64% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | โฌ 22$25.6 | Hanoi โ88% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | โฌ 65$75.6 | Hanoi โ85% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | โฌ 40$46.5 | Hanoi โ47% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Hanoi โ85% |
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 Milan?
Hanoi is 80% cheaper than Milan. Daily budget $61.4 vs $332; a month $1,277 vs $5,590.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Milan?
Milan is easier: Milan 1.8/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Milan?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Milan about $5,590 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.