Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $722 a month against $796 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hanoi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
Learn more

Chongqing Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$796

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Chongqing

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

A single person spends $796 per month in Hanoi vs $722 in Chongqing, rent included.

Hanoi $796
Chongqing $722

A couple spends around $1,239 per month in Hanoi vs $1,175 in Chongqing, rent included.

Hanoi $1,239
Chongqing $1,175

A family of three spends $1,682 per month in Hanoi vs $1,629 in Chongqing, rent included.

Hanoi $1,682
Chongqing $1,629

Hanoi costs about 10% more than Chongqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hanoi and Chongqing are more affordable than the global median – Hanoi 41% lower, Chongqing 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₫53.8K

$2.64 ¥17.62

-21.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.16 ₫599.5K

$22.26 ¥149

4.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ₫115.4K

$4.83 ¥32.27

-7.66%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₫48.5K

$2.07 ¥13.81

-9.66%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.46 ¥3.11

10.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,670

$0.31 ¥2.09

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$1.22 ¥8.15

-9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₫48.9K

$1.77 ¥11.84

6.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₫39.8K

$2.01 ¥13.44

-23.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.66 ¥11.07

-36.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₫21.1K

$0.61 ¥4.05

32.79%

Eggs

$1.44 ₫37.4K

$2.25 ¥15.04

-36.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.4K

$17.76 ¥119

-41.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ₫98.5K

$3.31 ¥22.11

14.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 ₫254.5K

$10.03 ¥67.1

-1.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₫89.8K

$1.49 ¥10.00

132.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$1.28 ¥8.57

-16.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$1.23 ¥8.26

8.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₫30.0K

$1.21 ¥8.07

-4.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$0.61 ¥4.08

49.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.02 ¥6.79

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$0.90 ¥6.02

-41.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.62 ¥4.12

-8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.45 ₫37.4K

$3.04 ¥20.32

-52.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.39 ₫320.9K

$8.98 ¥60.1

37.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.76 ¥5.10

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.73 ¥11.55

-1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.6K

$0.36 ¥2.38

13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.21 ₫238.5K

$22.52 ¥151

-59.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.6K

$1.46 ¥9.74

-47.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₫15.3K

$0.31 ¥2.09

90.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₫61.1K

$2.91 ¥19.46

-18.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₫24.1K

$1.32 ¥8.80

-29.55%

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

$31.2K ₫807.4M

$19.4K ¥129.8K

60.59%

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

$29.4K ₫761.8M

$17.2K ¥115.0K

71.12%

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

$87.2 ₫2.3M

$45.07 ¥301

93.48%

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

$5.15 ₫133.5K

$7.26 ¥48.52

-29.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.11 ₫235.9K

$7.19 ¥48.09

26.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.70 ₫639.3K

$49.49 ¥331

-50.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.58 ₫248.0K

$10.40 ¥69.6

-7.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ₫117.4K

$5.95 ¥39.81

-23.87%

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

$787 ₫20.4M

$289 ¥1,929

172.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K ₫705.3M

$25.1K ¥167.8K

8.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.25 ₫1.3M

$39.99 ¥267

23.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.22 ₫678.7K

$29.64 ¥198

-11.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ₫2.2M

$66.0 ¥441

28.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 ₫2.0M

$64.4 ¥430

23.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₫10.7M

$426 ¥2,851

-2.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₫7.2M

$196 ¥1,313

41.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₫22.2M

$894 ¥5,977

-4.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₫13.9M

$422 ¥2,823

26.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,258 ₫136.1M

$2,741 ¥18.3K

91.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,847 ₫73.7M

$1,741 ¥11.6K

63.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$515 ₫13.3M

$1,102 ¥7,371

-53.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

3.34

147.90%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$277 34.8%

Chongqing

$196 27.2% 29.1% $81

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$197 24.7%

Chongqing

$214 29.7% 9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$108 13.5%

Chongqing

$90 12.5% 16.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$101 12.7%

Chongqing

$60 8.3% 41.3% $42

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.2%

Chongqing

$73 10.1% 12.3% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$34 4.2%

Chongqing

$61 8.5% 81.9% $28

Getting Around

Hanoi

$15 1.8%

Chongqing

$27 3.7% 85.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Hanoi versus $426 in Chongqing. 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 114% higher in Chongqing, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Hanoi versus $22.00 in Chongqing. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Hanoi vs $214 in Chongqing – so Hanoi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

22:00 10:00 PM

23:00 11:00 PM

1 h ahead of Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

1,564,449

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hanoi Chongqing 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hanoi
Chongqing

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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hanoi is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,194 per month in Hanoi and $1,082 in Chongqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $787 per month in Hanoi and $289 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Hanoi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $796 in Hanoi and $722 in Chongqing, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Chongqing – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Chongqing. 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.