Popular cities
Hanoi vs Xiamen cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐จ๐ณ Xiamen
At a glance
- Where Xiamen is clearly cheaper: Taxi (26%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Coffee (57%โ), Beer (55%โ), Cocktail & wine (46%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Xiamen is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hanoi 4 vs Xiamen 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Xiamen | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | ยฅ 30$4.23 | Hanoi โ37% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Hanoi โ10% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | ยฅ 100$14.1 | Hanoi โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | ยฅ 28$3.94 | Hanoi โ57% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Hanoi โ55% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | ยฅ 60$8.45 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Xiamen โ7% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | ยฅ 3.5$0.49 | Hanoi โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Xiamen โ26% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | ยฅ 10$1.41 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | ยฅ 2$0.28 | Xiamen โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | ยฅ 40$5.63 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | ยฅ 350$49.3 | Hanoi โ38% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | ยฅ 2,800$394 | Hanoi โ8% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | ยฅ 15$2.11 | Hanoi โ46% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | ยฅ 100$14.1 | Hanoi โ41% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | ยฅ 40$5.63 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | ยฅ 150$21.1 | Hanoi โ46% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | ยฅ 150$21.1 | Xiamen โ15% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | ยฅ 35$4.93 | Hanoi โ46% |
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 Xiamen?
Hanoi is 26% cheaper than Xiamen. Daily budget $61.4 vs $90.3; a month $1,277 vs $1,590.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Xiamen?
Xiamen is easier: Xiamen 2.6/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Xiamen?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Xiamen about $1,590 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.