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Hanoi vs Santa Marta cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐จ๐ด Santa Marta
At a glance
- Where Santa Marta is clearly cheaper: SIM card (42%โ), Street food (23%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (74%โ), Entry ticket (56%โ), Transit (55%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Santa Marta 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Santa Marta | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | COL$ 17,000$4.15 | Hanoi โ36% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Santa Marta โ23% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | COL$ 45,000$11 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Santa Marta โ14% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | COL$ 5,000$1.22 | Hanoi โ22% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | COL$ 22,000$5.37 | Hanoi โ15% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | COL$ 2,000$0.49 | Hanoi โ38% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | COL$ 2,500$0.61 | Hanoi โ25% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | COL$ 12,000$2.93 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | COL$ 5,000$1.22 | Hanoi โ22% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | COL$ 2,800$0.68 | Hanoi โ55% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | COL$ 90,000$22 | Hanoi โ74% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | COL$ 180,000$43.9 | Hanoi โ31% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | COL$ 1,300,000$317 | Santa Marta โ12% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Hanoi โ22% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | Santa Marta โ42% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | Hanoi โ38% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | COL$ 80,000$19.5 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | Hanoi โ16% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | COL$ 25,000$6.1 | Hanoi โ56% |
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 Santa Marta?
Hanoi is 16% cheaper than Santa Marta. Daily budget $61.4 vs $79.4; a month $1,277 vs $1,375.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Santa Marta?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Santa Marta 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Santa Marta?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Santa Marta about $1,375 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.