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Hanoi vs Palawan cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ต๐ญ Palawan
At a glance
- Where Palawan is clearly cheaper: Street food (45%โ), Studio rent (month) (32%โ), Massage (23%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (70%โ), Hotel night (42%โ), Scooter rental (41%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Palawan is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Palawan 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Palawan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฑ 150$2.63 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Palawan โ45% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Palawan โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | โฑ 130$2.28 | Hanoi โ25% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฑ 90$1.58 | Hanoi โ40% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | โฑ 250$4.39 | similar |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฑ 25$0.44 | Hanoi โ31% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | โฑ 40$0.7 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Palawan โ8% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Hanoi โ10% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฑ 15$0.26 | Palawan โ13% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | โฑ 550$9.65 | Hanoi โ41% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | โฑ 3,000$52.6 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | โฑ 14,000$246 | Palawan โ32% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โฑ 60$1.05 | Palawan โ8% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | โฑ 400$7.02 | Palawan โ16% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Palawan โ13% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Palawan โ23% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | Hanoi โ6% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Hanoi โ70% |
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 Palawan?
Hanoi is 9% cheaper than Palawan. Daily budget $61.4 vs $82; a month $1,277 vs $1,113.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Palawan?
Palawan is easier: Palawan 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 Palawan?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Palawan about $1,113 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.