Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Bien Hoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Bien Hoa: $673 a month against $796 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Bien Hoa
Learn more

Bien Hoa Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$796

/mo nomad

Bien Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Bien Hoa

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 Bien Hoa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $796 in Hanoi versus $673 in Bien Hoa.

Hanoi $796
Bien Hoa $673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,239 in Hanoi versus $924 in Bien Hoa.

Hanoi $1,239
Bien Hoa $924

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,682 in Hanoi versus $1,175 in Bien Hoa.

Hanoi $1,682
Bien Hoa $1,175

Living in Hanoi is roughly 18% more expensive than in Bien Hoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Bien Hoa 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₫53.8K

$1.89 ₫48.8K

10.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.16 ₫599.5K

$11.80 ₫305.5K

96.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ₫115.4K

$4.76 ₫123.3K

-6.30%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₫48.5K

$1.13 ₫29.3K

65.49%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.46 ₫11.8K

10.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,670

$0.23 ₫5,960

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$0.56 ₫14.6K

96.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₫48.9K

$0.79 ₫20.5K

139.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₫39.8K

$1.27 ₫32.9K

21.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.79 ₫20.5K

34.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₫21.1K

$0.88 ₫22.8K

-7.95%

Eggs

$1.44 ₫37.4K

$1.38 ₫35.7K

4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.4K

$12.17 ₫315.0K

-14.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ₫98.5K

$1.95 ₫50.6K

94.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 ₫254.5K

$9.76 ₫252.6K

0.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₫89.8K

$2.18 ₫56.5K

59.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$1.30 ₫33.5K

-17.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$1.14 ₫29.4K

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₫30.0K

$0.93 ₫24.0K

24.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$1.17 ₫30.3K

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.19 ₫30.8K

-9.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$0.43 ₫11.3K

23.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.50 ₫12.8K

14.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.45 ₫37.4K

$1.26 ₫32.7K

15.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.39 ₫320.9K

$7.49 ₫194.0K

65.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.40 ₫10.3K

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$0.76 ₫19.6K

125.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.6K

$0.31 ₫8,132

32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.21 ₫238.5K

$6.54 ₫169.4K

40.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.6K

$0.48 ₫12.4K

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₫15.3K

$0.56 ₫14.4K

5.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₫61.1K

$1.18 ₫30.5K

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₫24.1K

$0.85 ₫21.9K

9.41%

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

$31.2K ₫807.4M

$31.1K ₫805.7M

0.21%

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

$29.4K ₫761.8M

$29.5K ₫763.1M

-0.17%

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

$87.2 ₫2.3M

$50.6 ₫1.3M

72.43%

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

$5.15 ₫133.5K

$4.35 ₫112.5K

18.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.11 ₫235.9K

$6.53 ₫169.0K

39.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.70 ₫639.3K

$10.82 ₫280.2K

128.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.58 ₫248.0K

$7.91 ₫204.7K

21.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ₫117.4K

$3.35 ₫86.8K

35.22%

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

$787 ₫20.4M

$67.8 ₫1.8M

1061.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K ₫705.3M

$14.5K ₫375.6M

87.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.25 ₫1.3M

$15.21 ₫393.7K

223.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.22 ₫678.7K

$15.37 ₫397.8K

70.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ₫2.2M

$66.6 ₫1.7M

27.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 ₫2.0M

$96.1 ₫2.5M

-17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₫10.7M

$415 ₫10.7M

-0.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₫7.2M

$281 ₫7.3M

-1.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₫22.2M

$421 ₫10.9M

103.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₫13.9M

$306 ₫7.9M

74.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,258 ₫136.1M

$2,228 ₫57.7M

136.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,847 ₫73.7M

$1,235 ₫32.0M

130.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$515 ₫13.3M

$303 ₫7.9M

69.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

7.8

6.15%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bien Hoa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$277 34.8%

Bien Hoa

$281 41.7% 1.2% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$197 24.7%

Bien Hoa

$165 24.5% 16% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$108 13.5%

Bien Hoa

$87 12.9% 19.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$101 12.7%

Bien Hoa

$61 9.1% 39.4% $40

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.2%

Bien Hoa

$50 7.5% 23% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$34 4.2%

Bien Hoa

$18 2.6% 48.1% $16

Getting Around

Hanoi

$15 1.8%

Bien Hoa

$11 1.7% 24% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Hanoi and $415 in Bien Hoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hanoi pays 70% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $23.00 in Hanoi vs $12.00 in Bien Hoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $165 per month, with Bien Hoa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇻🇳 Bien Hoa

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

Same time as Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

1,272,235

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hanoi Bien Hoa 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Hanoi
Bien Hoa

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 Bien Hoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bien Hoa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 70% higher in Hanoi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $414 in Hanoi versus $415 in Bien Hoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Hanoi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bien Hoa – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $23.00 in Hanoi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Bien Hoa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Bien Hoa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hanoi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hanoi and Bien Hoa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bien Hoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Hanoi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.