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Hanoi vs Nairobi cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ฐ๐ช Nairobi
At a glance
- Where Nairobi is clearly cheaper: Street food (39%โ), SIM card (26%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (77%โ), Scooter rental (75%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (63%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Nairobi is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Nairobi 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Nairobi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | KSh 600$4.65 | Hanoi โ43% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | KSh 150$1.16 | Nairobi โ39% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | KSh 2,300$17.8 | Hanoi โ40% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | KSh 400$3.1 | Hanoi โ45% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | KSh 300$2.33 | Hanoi โ59% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | KSh 800$6.2 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | KSh 50$0.39 | Hanoi โ22% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | KSh 80$0.62 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | KSh 500$3.88 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | KSh 335$2.6 | Hanoi โ63% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | KSh 70$0.54 | Hanoi โ44% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | KSh 3,000$23.3 | Hanoi โ75% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | KSh 9,000$69.8 | Hanoi โ56% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | KSh 50,000$388 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | KSh 200$1.55 | Hanoi โ26% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | KSh 800$6.2 | Nairobi โ26% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | KSh 500$3.88 | Hanoi โ22% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | KSh 3,500$27.1 | Hanoi โ58% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | KSh 8,000$62 | Hanoi โ60% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | KSh 1,500$11.6 | Hanoi โ77% |
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 Nairobi?
Hanoi is 38% cheaper than Nairobi. Daily budget $61.4 vs $121; a month $1,277 vs $1,613.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Nairobi?
Nairobi is easier: Nairobi 2.8/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Nairobi?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Nairobi about $1,613 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.