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Hanoi vs Penang cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ฒ๐พ Penang
At a glance
- Where Penang is clearly cheaper: SIM card (30%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Beer (76%โ), Entry ticket (62%โ), Cocktail & wine (44%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Penang is easier to travel (2.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Penang 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Penang | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | RM 12$2.79 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | RM 8$1.86 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | RM 45$10.5 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | RM 12$2.79 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | RM 17$3.95 | Hanoi โ76% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | RM 35$8.14 | Hanoi โ44% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | RM 1.5$0.35 | Hanoi โ13% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | RM 3$0.7 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | RM 12$2.79 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | RM 7$1.63 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | RM 2$0.47 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | RM 40$9.3 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | RM 170$39.5 | Hanoi โ23% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | RM 1,500$349 | similar |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | RM 6$1.4 | Hanoi โ18% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | RM 25$5.81 | Penang โ30% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | RM 18$4.19 | Hanoi โ27% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | RM 70$16.3 | Hanoi โ30% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | RM 120$27.9 | Hanoi โ11% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | RM 30$6.98 | Hanoi โ62% |
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 Penang?
Hanoi is 9% cheaper than Penang. Daily budget $61.4 vs $72.2; a month $1,277 vs $1,320.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Penang?
Penang is easier: Penang 2.0/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Penang?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Penang about $1,320 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.