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Hanoi vs Ulaanbaatar cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐ฒ๐ณ Ulaanbaatar
At a glance
- Where Ulaanbaatar is clearly cheaper: SIM card (49%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (69%โ), Beer (63%โ), Hotel night (53%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Hanoi 3 vs Ulaanbaatar 5. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Ulaanbaatar | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฎ 19,000$5.35 | Hanoi โ50% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | โฎ 10,000$2.82 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | โฎ 55,000$15.5 | Hanoi โ31% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | โฎ 10,000$2.82 | Hanoi โ39% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฎ 9,000$2.54 | Hanoi โ63% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | โฎ 30,000$8.45 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฎ 1,500$0.42 | Hanoi โ28% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | โฎ 2,500$0.7 | Hanoi โ35% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | โฎ 11,000$3.1 | Hanoi โ8% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | โฎ 5,000$1.41 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | โฎ 1,000$0.28 | Ulaanbaatar โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | โฎ 40,000$11.3 | Hanoi โ49% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | โฎ 230,000$64.8 | Hanoi โ53% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | โฎ 1,900,000$535 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | โฎ 6,000$1.69 | Hanoi โ33% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | โฎ 15,000$4.23 | Ulaanbaatar โ49% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | โฎ 18,000$5.07 | Hanoi โ40% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | โฎ 70,000$19.7 | Hanoi โ42% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | โฎ 125,000$35.2 | Hanoi โ30% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | โฎ 30,000$8.45 | Hanoi โ69% |
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 Ulaanbaatar?
Hanoi is 40% cheaper than Ulaanbaatar. Daily budget $61.4 vs $112; a month $1,277 vs $1,925.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Ulaanbaatar?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Ulaanbaatar 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Ulaanbaatar?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Ulaanbaatar about $1,925 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.