Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha Long and Hanoi

For one person, living costs are similar in Ha Long and in Hanoi: $765 and $794 a month, rent and utilities included.

37

Cost of Living Index in Ha Long
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Ha Long Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
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Hanoi Living Index

Jump to prices

Ha Long

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$765

/mo nomad

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ha Long and in Hanoi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ha Long and in Hanoi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $765 per month in Ha Long vs $794 in Hanoi, rent included.

Ha Long $765
Hanoi $794

A couple spends around $1,225 per month in Ha Long vs $1,229 in Hanoi, rent included.

Ha Long $1,225
Hanoi $1,229

A family of three spends $1,686 per month in Ha Long vs $1,664 in Hanoi, rent included.

Ha Long $1,686
Hanoi $1,664

Ha Long is about 4% cheaper than Hanoi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ha Long and Hanoi are more affordable than the global median – Ha Long 43% lower, Hanoi 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.98 ₫51.1K

$2.11 ₫54.6K

-6.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.54 ₫505.9K

$23.20 ₫600.7K

-15.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.34 ₫112.4K

$4.47 ₫115.6K

-2.91%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.83 ₫47.4K

-6.56%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₫13.0K

$0.51 ₫13.3K

-1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,601

$0.30 ₫7,638

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ₫22.2K

$1.10 ₫28.6K

-21.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₫36.6K

$1.95 ₫50.4K

-27.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ₫38.7K

$1.53 ₫39.6K

-1.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₫27.3K

$1.07 ₫27.6K

-0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.1K

$0.82 ₫21.1K

23.17%

Eggs

$1.48 ₫38.2K

$1.48 ₫38.4K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 ₫294.0K

$10.36 ₫268.2K

9.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ₫94.4K

$3.64 ₫94.2K

0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 ₫246.0K

$9.85 ₫255.1K

-3.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 ₫79.6K

$3.27 ₫84.6K

-6.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.8K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.5K

$1.38 ₫35.8K

-3.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ₫32.6K

$1.10 ₫28.5K

14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.98 ₫25.3K

8.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.6K

$1.08 ₫27.9K

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$0.53 ₫13.8K

13.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$0.52 ₫13.5K

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.44 ₫37.3K

$1.36 ₫35.2K

5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.89 ₫307.8K

$12.60 ₫326.2K

-5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₫23.0K

$0.90 ₫23.3K

-1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₫42.5K

$1.65 ₫42.8K

-0.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,255

$0.41 ₫10.6K

-21.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.72 ₫174.0K

$9.45 ₫244.5K

-28.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₫19.0K

$0.74 ₫19.1K

-1.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$0.56 ₫14.6K

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 ₫62.8K

$2.27 ₫58.7K

7.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$0.95 ₫24.7K

-6.32%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.4K ₫786.0M

$30.4K ₫786.1M

-0.01%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.5K ₫764.8M

$29.8K ₫770.4M

-0.72%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$76.4 ₫2.0M

$86.5 ₫2.2M

-11.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$5.69 ₫147.4K

$5.16 ₫133.6K

10.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.45 ₫218.8K

$9.13 ₫236.3K

-7.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.06 ₫571.2K

$24.26 ₫628.2K

-9.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.76 ₫200.9K

$9.21 ₫238.4K

-15.74%

Cinema Ticket

$3.02 ₫78.3K

$4.22 ₫109.2K

-28.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$161 ₫4.2M

$779 ₫20.2M

-79.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ₫322.2M

$27.5K ₫712.4M

-54.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.08 ₫1.2M

$48.25 ₫1.2M

-6.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.39 ₫683.3K

$26.18 ₫677.7K

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 ₫2.2M

$82.7 ₫2.1M

2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.7 ₫2.0M

$78.5 ₫2.0M

-0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 ₫10.7M

$403 ₫10.4M

2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₫7.1M

$280 ₫7.3M

-2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 ₫19.7M

$852 ₫22.1M

-10.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 ₫15.7M

$530 ₫13.7M

14.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,869 ₫74.3M

$5,117 ₫132.5M

-43.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,319 ₫34.1M

$2,859 ₫74.0M

-53.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 ₫6.0M

$528 ₫13.7M

-56.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.46

8.28

2.17%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ha Long: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hanoi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ha Long

$274 35.8%

Hanoi

$280 35.3% 2.3% $6.4

Groceries & Markets

Ha Long

$196 25.6%

Hanoi

$194 24.5% 0.7% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ha Long

$105 13.8%

Hanoi

$106 13.4% 0.8% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ha Long

$90 11.8%

Hanoi

$101 12.7% 11.3% $10

Eating Out

Ha Long

$60 7.8%

Hanoi

$65 8.2% 8.4% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Ha Long

$28 3.7%

Hanoi

$33 4.1% 16.3% $4.6

Getting Around

Ha Long

$12 1.5%

Hanoi

$15 1.9% 27.1% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $412 in Ha Long versus $403 in Hanoi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 128% higher in Hanoi, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Ha Long versus $23.00 in Hanoi. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Ha Long vs $194 in Hanoi – so Hanoi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ha Long

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

Same time as Ha Long

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

270,054

8,587,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ha Long vs Hanoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $765 in Ha Long, $794 in Hanoi – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,147 per month in Ha Long and $1,190 in Hanoi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ha Long, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Hanoi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Ha Long and $23.00 in Hanoi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $765 in Ha Long and $794 in Hanoi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Hanoi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $765 in Ha Long to $794 in Hanoi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ha Long. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hanoi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.