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Hanoi vs San Juan cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ต๐ท San Juan
At a glance
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Massage (89%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (88%โ), Haircut (85%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
San Juan is easier to travel (1.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs San Juan 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | San Juan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | $ 15$15 | Hanoi โ82% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | $ 7$7 | Hanoi โ73% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | $ 35$35 | Hanoi โ70% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | $ 4.5$4.5 | Hanoi โ62% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | $ 6$6 | Hanoi โ84% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | $ 11$11 | Hanoi โ59% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | $ 1.8$1.8 | Hanoi โ83% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | $ 2.3$2.3 | Hanoi โ80% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | $ 11$11 | Hanoi โ74% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | $ 8$8 | Hanoi โ88% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | $ 0.75$0.75 | Hanoi โ59% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | $ 20$20 | Hanoi โ71% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | $ 175$175 | Hanoi โ83% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | $ 1,200$1,200 | Hanoi โ70% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | $ 7$7 | Hanoi โ84% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | $ 30$30 | Hanoi โ72% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | $ 20$20 | Hanoi โ85% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | $ 100$100 | Hanoi โ89% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | $ 50$50 | Hanoi โ51% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | $ 10$10 | Hanoi โ73% |
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 San Juan?
Hanoi is 77% cheaper than San Juan. Daily budget $61.4 vs $298; a month $1,277 vs $5,132.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or San Juan?
San Juan is easier: San Juan 1.8/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and San Juan?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and San Juan about $5,132 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.