Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated September 2026
| Item | Hanoi | Playa del Carmen | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ₫ 50,000$1.9 | MX$ 180$9.68 | Hanoi −80% |
| Street food1 item | ₫ 23,000$0.87 | MX$ 81$4.35 | Hanoi −80% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ₫ 230,000$8.75 | MX$ 550$29.6 | Hanoi −70% |
| Coffeeone cup | ₫ 40,000$1.52 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Hanoi −60% |
| Beerone bottle | ₫ 30,000$1.14 | MX$ 70$3.76 | Hanoi −70% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ₫ 78,000$2.97 | MX$ 180$9.68 | Hanoi −69% |
| Bottled water | ₫ 8,000$0.3 | MX$ 18$0.97 | Hanoi −69% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ₫ 20,000$0.76 | MX$ 45$2.42 | Hanoi −69% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ₫ 85,000$3.23 | MX$ 120$6.45 | Hanoi −50% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ₫ 39,000$1.48 | MX$ 80$4.3 | Hanoi −66% |
| Transitone ride | ₫ 7,000$0.27 | MX$ 15$0.81 | Hanoi −67% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ₫ 160,000$6.08 | MX$ 500$26.9 | Hanoi −77% |
| Hotel night3-star | ₫ 800,000$30.4 | MX$ 2,500$134 | Hanoi −77% |
| Studio rent (month) | ₫ 12,000,000$456 | MX$ 17,000$914 | Hanoi −50% |
| Laundry | ₫ 32,000$1.22 | MX$ 40$2.15 | Hanoi −43% |
| SIM card1 week data | ₫ 160,000$6.08 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Hanoi −43% |
| Haircutcut | ₫ 91,000$3.46 | MX$ 240$12.9 | Hanoi −73% |
| Massage1 hour | ₫ 260,000$9.89 | MX$ 700$37.6 | Hanoi −74% |
| Half-day tourper person | ₫ 660,000$25.1 | MX$ 900$48.4 | Hanoi −48% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ₫ 130,000$4.94 | MX$ 250$13.4 | Hanoi −63% |
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%+.
Hanoi is 224% cheaper than Playa del Carmen. Daily budget $57.8 vs $223; a month $1,422 vs $3,728.
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,422 and Playa del Carmen about $3,728 per month.
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.