Popular cities
Hanoi vs Zanzibar cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hanoi
๐น๐ฟ Zanzibar
At a glance
- Where Zanzibar is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (42%โ), Transit (38%โ), Haircut (38%โ)
- Where Hanoi is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (70%โ), Hotel night (60%โ), Beer (58%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Hanoi 3 vs Zanzibar 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hanoi | Zanzibar | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 70,000$2.66 | TSh 12,000$4.55 | Hanoi โ41% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 50,000$1.9 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Hanoi โ16% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 280,000$10.6 | TSh 40,000$15.2 | Hanoi โ30% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 45,000$1.71 | TSh 5,500$2.08 | Hanoi โ18% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 25,000$0.95 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Hanoi โ58% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 120,000$4.56 | TSh 18,000$6.82 | Hanoi โ33% |
| Bottled water | โซ 8,000$0.3 | TSh 700$0.27 | Zanzibar โ13% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 12,000$0.46 | TSh 1,500$0.57 | Hanoi โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | TSh 15,000$5.68 | Hanoi โ50% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | TSh 5,000$1.89 | Hanoi โ50% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 8,000$0.3 | TSh 500$0.19 | Zanzibar โ38% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | TSh 50,000$18.9 | Hanoi โ70% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 800,000$30.4 | TSh 200,000$75.8 | Hanoi โ60% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 9,500,000$361 | TSh 550,000$208 | Zanzibar โ42% |
| Laundry | โซ 30,000$1.14 | TSh 6,000$2.27 | Hanoi โ50% |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 220,000$8.37 | TSh 15,000$5.68 | Zanzibar โ32% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | TSh 5,000$1.89 | Zanzibar โ38% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | TSh 70,000$26.5 | Hanoi โ57% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 650,000$24.7 | TSh 65,000$24.6 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 70,000$2.66 | TSh 10,000$3.79 | Hanoi โ30% |
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 Zanzibar?
Hanoi is 34% cheaper than Zanzibar. Daily budget $61.4 vs $127; a month $1,277 vs $1,263.
Which is easier to travel, Hanoi or Zanzibar?
About the same: Hanoi 3.2/5, Zanzibar 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hanoi and Zanzibar?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hanoi is about $1,277 and Zanzibar about $1,263 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.