Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Batam

For one person, living is cheaper in Batam: $586 a month against $801 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hanoi, Vietnam
Batam, Indonesia
Hanoi
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$801
/mo nomad
Batam
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$586
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Batam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Hanoi versus $586 in Batam.

  • Hanoi $801
  • Batam $586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,246 in Hanoi versus $984 in Batam.

  • Hanoi $1,246
  • Batam $984

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,691 in Hanoi versus $1,382 in Batam.

  • Hanoi $1,691
  • Batam $1,382

Living in Hanoi is roughly 37% more expensive than in Batam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Batam 57% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hanoi
Batam
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.00 ₫51.6K
$1.95 Rp 35.3K
2.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.34 ₫602.1K
$8.07 Rp 146.4K
189.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.40 ₫113.7K
$3.90 Rp 70.8K
12.82%
Cappuccino
$1.93 ₫49.9K
$2.05 Rp 37.1K
-5.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ₫12.3K
$0.61 Rp 11.1K
-21.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₫8,605
$0.30 Rp 5,454
10.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.06 ₫27.4K
$2.47 Rp 44.7K
-57.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 ₫50.6K
$3.66 Rp 66.5K
-46.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hanoi
Batam
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 ₫39.1K
$1.12 Rp 20.4K
34.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.05 ₫27.1K
$1.09 Rp 19.8K
-3.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.80 ₫20.8K
$0.81 Rp 14.7K
-1.23%
Eggs
$1.46 ₫37.6K
$1.22 Rp 22.1K
19.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.48 ₫296.3K
$7.45 Rp 135.1K
54.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.55 ₫91.7K
$2.47 Rp 44.8K
43.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.10 ₫260.6K
$4.31 Rp 78.1K
134.34%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 ₫80.1K
$2.17 Rp 39.3K
43.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 ₫26.0K
$2.00 Rp 36.3K
-49.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 ₫34.3K
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
-32.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.05 ₫27.1K
$1.03 Rp 18.8K
1.94%
Potato (1kg)
$0.91 ₫23.6K
$0.95 Rp 17.2K
-4.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 ₫29.6K
$1.96 Rp 35.5K
-41.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.54 ₫14.0K
$1.29 Rp 23.4K
-58.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₫14.1K
$0.44 Rp 8,044
25.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.37 ₫35.3K
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
-49.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.82 ₫304.9K
$13.78 Rp 250.0K
-14.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 ₫22.8K
$1.68 Rp 30.5K
-47.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 ₫44.0K
$2.33 Rp 42.3K
-26.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Hanoi
Batam
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.41 ₫10.5K
$0.41 Rp 7,427
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.68 ₫275.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.80 ₫20.6K
$1.13 Rp 20.5K
-29.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.56 ₫14.4K
$0.58 Rp 10.6K
-3.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.38 ₫61.4K
$3.42 Rp 62.1K
-30.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 ₫23.4K
$0.84 Rp 15.2K
8.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.1K ₫803.1M
$27.6K Rp 500.0M
12.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6K ₫737.8M
$24.6K Rp 446.2M
16.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hanoi
Batam
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 ₫2.2M
$67.8 Rp 1.2M
23.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.22 ₫134.8K
$4.09 Rp 74.3K
27.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.78 ₫226.5K
$22.58 Rp 409.6K
-61.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hanoi
Batam
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.23 ₫702.5K
$27.03 Rp 490.3K
0.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.64 ₫248.8K
$5.66 Rp 102.6K
70.32%
Cinema Ticket
$4.61 ₫118.9K
$2.66 Rp 48.3K
73.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hanoi
Batam
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$867 ₫22.4M
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
944.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.7K ₫714.3M
$3,186 Rp 57.8M
768.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hanoi
Batam
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.55 ₫1.2M
$31.46 Rp 570.6K
47.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.64 ₫687.3K
$17.99 Rp 326.3K
48.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.5 ₫2.2M
$64.4 Rp 1.2M
29.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.3 ₫2.0M
$23.72 Rp 430.3K
221.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hanoi
Batam
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$429 ₫11.1M
$265 Rp 4.8M
61.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$287 ₫7.4M
$145 Rp 2.6M
97.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$874 ₫22.6M
$796 Rp 14.4M
9.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$549 ₫14.2M
$499 Rp 9.1M
10.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,936 ₫127.4M
$542 Rp 9.8M
811.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,835 ₫73.2M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hanoi
Batam
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$512 ₫13.2M
$334 Rp 6.1M
53.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.28
13.17
-37.13%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Batam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hanoi
$287
Batam
$145 49.4% $142
Groceries & Markets
Hanoi
$195
Batam
$172 11.8% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Hanoi
$105
Batam
$62 41% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hanoi
$97
Batam
$94 3.1% $3
Eating Out
Hanoi
$65
Batam
$75 15.7% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Hanoi
$36
Batam
$32 11.2% $4.1
Getting Around
Hanoi
$16
Batam
$5.7 * 64.2% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Hanoi and $265 in Batam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hanoi pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Hanoi vs $8 in Batam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $172 per month, with Batam cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Hanoi
🇮🇩 Batam
🕒 Local time
15:00 3:00 PM
15:00 3:00 PM
Same time as Hanoi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,587,100 Capital
1,196,396
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,794 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hanoi Batam 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hanoi
  • Batam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Hanoi vs Batam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Batam cheaper than Hanoi?
Batam is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Hanoi or Batam?
Average pay runs 53% higher in Hanoi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Hanoi and Batam?
Rent for a central apartment: $429 in Hanoi versus $265 in Batam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Hanoi and in Batam?
Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Hanoi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Hanoi and in Batam?
All in, you’ll spend $801 per month in Hanoi versus $586 in Batam – Batam is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 enough for either Hanoi or Batam?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Batam gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Hanoi or in Batam?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Batam wins on affordability, Hanoi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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