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Hanoi vs Skopje cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money Ā· Updated October 2026
š»š³ Hanoi
š²š° Skopje
At a glance
- Where Skopje is clearly cheaper: SIM card (21%ā)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Local meal (69%ā), Massage (66%ā), Laundry (62%ā)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Skopje is easier to travel (2.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling ā Hanoi 4 vs Skopje 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking āŗ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Skopje | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ā« 70,000$2.66 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 450$8.49 | Hanoi ā69% |
| Street food1 item | ā« 50,000$1.9 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 150$2.83 | Hanoi ā33% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ā« 280,000$10.6 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 800$15.1 | Hanoi ā29% |
| Coffeeone cup | ā« 45,000$1.71 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 120$2.26 | Hanoi ā24% |
| Beerone bottle | ā« 25,000$0.95 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 130$2.45 | Hanoi ā61% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ā« 120,000$4.56 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 300$5.66 | Hanoi ā19% |
| Bottled water | ā« 8,000$0.3 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 30$0.57 | Hanoi ā46% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ā« 12,000$0.46 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 60$1.13 | Hanoi ā60% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ā« 75,000$2.85 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 220$4.15 | Hanoi ā31% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ā« 25,000$0.95 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 120$2.26 | Hanoi ā58% |
| Transitone ride | ā« 8,000$0.3 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 40$0.75 | Hanoi ā60% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ā« 150,000$5.7 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 800$15.1 | Hanoi ā62% |
| Hotel night3-star | ā« 800,000$30.4 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 3,700$69.8 | Hanoi ā56% |
| Studio rent (month) | ā« 9,500,000$361 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 21,000$396 | Hanoi ā9% |
| Laundry | ā« 30,000$1.14 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 160$3.02 | Hanoi ā62% |
| SIM card1 week data | ā« 220,000$8.37 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 350$6.6 | Skopje ā21% |
| Haircutcut | ā« 80,000$3.04 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 300$5.66 | Hanoi ā46% |
| Massage1 hour | ā« 300,000$11.4 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 1,800$34 | Hanoi ā66% |
| Half-day tourper person | ā« 650,000$24.7 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 1,800$34 | Hanoi ā27% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ā« 70,000$2.66 | Š“ŠµŠ½ 300$5.66 | Hanoi ā53% |
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 Skopje?
Hanoi is 42% cheaper than Skopje. Daily budget $61.4 vs $127; a month $1,277 vs $1,805.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Skopje?
Skopje is easier: Skopje 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 Skopje?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Skopje about $1,805 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.