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Hanoi vs Nanjing cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐จ๐ณ Nanjing
At a glance
- Where Nanjing is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (26%โ), Taxi (21%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (55%โ), Coffee (51%โ), Laundry (46%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Nanjing is easier to travel (2.4 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Nanjing 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Nanjing | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | ยฅ 30$4.23 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Hanoi โ10% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | ยฅ 80$11.3 | Hanoi โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | ยฅ 25$3.52 | Hanoi โ51% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Hanoi โ55% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | ยฅ 50$7.04 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Nanjing โ7% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | ยฅ 3.5$0.49 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | ยฅ 16$2.25 | Nanjing โ21% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | ยฅ 11$1.55 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Nanjing โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | ยฅ 30$4.23 | Nanjing โ26% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | ยฅ 320$45.1 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | ยฅ 3,000$423 | Hanoi โ15% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Hanoi โ46% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | ยฅ 100$14.1 | Hanoi โ41% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | ยฅ 35$4.93 | Hanoi โ38% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | ยฅ 120$16.9 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | ยฅ 200$28.2 | Hanoi โ12% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | ยฅ 35$4.93 | Hanoi โ46% |
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 Nanjing?
Hanoi is 23% cheaper than Nanjing. Daily budget $61.4 vs $82.1; a month $1,277 vs $1,612.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Nanjing?
Nanjing is easier: Nanjing 2.4/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Nanjing?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Nanjing about $1,612 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.