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Hoi An vs Penang cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ป๐ณ Hoi An
๐ฒ๐พ Penang
At a glance
- Where Penang is clearly cheaper: Transit (59%โ), SIM card (15%โ)
- Where Hoi An is clearly cheaper: Beer (71%โ), Cocktail & wine (53%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (42%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Penang is easier to travel (2.0 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Hoi An 4 vs Penang 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hoi An | Penang | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โซ 50,000$1.9 | RM 12$2.79 | Hoi An โ32% |
| Street food1 item | โซ 30,000$1.14 | RM 8$1.86 | Hoi An โ39% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โซ 200,000$7.6 | RM 45$10.5 | Hoi An โ27% |
| Coffeeone cup | โซ 55,000$2.09 | RM 12$2.79 | Hoi An โ25% |
| Beerone bottle | โซ 30,000$1.14 | RM 17$3.95 | Hoi An โ71% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โซ 100,000$3.8 | RM 35$8.14 | Hoi An โ53% |
| Bottled water | โซ 7,000$0.27 | RM 1.5$0.35 | Hoi An โ24% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โซ 15,000$0.57 | RM 3$0.7 | Hoi An โ18% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โซ 75,000$2.85 | RM 12$2.79 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โซ 25,000$0.95 | RM 7$1.63 | Hoi An โ42% |
| Transitone ride | โซ 30,000$1.14 | RM 2$0.47 | Penang โ59% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โซ 150,000$5.7 | RM 40$9.3 | Hoi An โ39% |
| Hotel night3-star | โซ 900,000$34.2 | RM 170$39.5 | Hoi An โ13% |
| Studio rent (month) | โซ 8,000,000$304 | RM 1,500$349 | Hoi An โ13% |
| Laundry | โซ 35,000$1.33 | RM 6$1.4 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | โซ 180,000$6.84 | RM 25$5.81 | Penang โ15% |
| Haircutcut | โซ 80,000$3.04 | RM 18$4.19 | Hoi An โ27% |
| Massage1 hour | โซ 300,000$11.4 | RM 70$16.3 | Hoi An โ30% |
| Half-day tourper person | โซ 450,000$17.1 | RM 120$27.9 | Hoi An โ39% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โซ 120,000$4.56 | RM 30$6.98 | Hoi An โ35% |
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, Hoi An or Penang?
Hoi An is 13% cheaper than Penang. Daily budget $60 vs $72.2; a month $1,207 vs $1,320.
Which is easier to travel, Hoi An or Penang?
Penang is easier: Penang 2.0/5 vs Hoi An 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hoi An and Penang?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hoi An is about $1,207 and Penang about $1,320 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.