Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Dien Bien Phu

For one person, living is cheaper in Dien Bien Phu: $731 a month against $807 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Dien Bien Phu
Learn more

Dien Bien Phu Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$807

/mo nomad

Dien Bien Phu

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Dien Bien Phu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $807 in Hanoi versus $731 in Dien Bien Phu.

Hanoi $807
Dien Bien Phu $731

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,246 in Hanoi versus $1,158 in Dien Bien Phu.

Hanoi $1,246
Dien Bien Phu $1,158

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,685 in Hanoi versus $1,584 in Dien Bien Phu.

Hanoi $1,685
Dien Bien Phu $1,584

Living in Hanoi is roughly 10% more expensive than in Dien Bien Phu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 40% lower, Dien Bien Phu 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₫53.6K

$1.80 ₫46.3K

15.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.54 ₫606.2K

$20.48 ₫527.5K

14.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.47 ₫115.0K

$4.70 ₫121.0K

-4.89%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ₫49.3K

$1.42 ₫36.7K

34.51%

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

$0.48 ₫12.5K

$0.56 ₫14.5K

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,506

$0.35 ₫9,007

-5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₫29.4K

$0.95 ₫24.4K

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₫50.5K

$1.49 ₫38.4K

31.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₫39.8K

$1.42 ₫36.7K

8.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$0.92 ₫23.6K

9.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₫19.3K

$0.90 ₫23.2K

-16.67%

Eggs

$1.47 ₫37.8K

$1.70 ₫43.8K

-13.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.47 ₫295.3K

$12.61 ₫324.7K

-9.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ₫94.8K

$3.20 ₫82.4K

15.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 ₫247.3K

$9.55 ₫245.8K

0.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 ₫82.3K

$2.73 ₫70.2K

16.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 ₫26.3K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ₫34.8K

$1.23 ₫31.6K

9.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₫28.8K

$0.94 ₫24.3K

19.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$0.95 ₫24.6K

-7.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.3K

$1.02 ₫26.4K

11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.51 ₫13.0K

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.55 ₫14.1K

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.38 ₫35.6K

$1.57 ₫40.3K

-12.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 ₫276.4K

$6.82 ₫175.7K

57.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$0.92 ₫23.7K

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₫41.1K

$1.62 ₫41.7K

-1.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₫9,743

$0.29 ₫7,564

31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.66 ₫274.4K

$6.15 ₫158.4K

73.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 ₫23.7K

$0.75 ₫19.3K

22.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.3K

$0.64 ₫16.4K

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 ₫59.1K

$2.40 ₫61.7K

-4.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.3K

$1.04 ₫26.8K

-12.50%

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

$30.8K ₫793.4M

$33.2K ₫856.1M

-7.32%

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

$29.1K ₫748.8M

$31.5K ₫810.0M

-7.55%

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

$85.9 ₫2.2M

$89.5 ₫2.3M

-3.96%

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

$5.00 ₫128.9K

$5.64 ₫145.3K

-11.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.82 ₫227.1K

$7.52 ₫193.7K

17.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.37 ₫679.1K

$18.92 ₫487.1K

39.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.26 ₫238.4K

$8.73 ₫224.9K

6.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 ₫121.1K

$2.70 ₫69.4K

74.07%

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

$850 ₫21.9M

$374 ₫9.6M

127.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.9K ₫745.4M

$14.3K ₫367.6M

102.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.17 ₫1.2M

$44.65 ₫1.1M

3.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.06 ₫722.6K

$29.09 ₫749.1K

-3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 ₫2.1M

$93.4 ₫2.4M

-10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.5 ₫1.9M

$71.5 ₫1.8M

1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 ₫11.2M

$464 ₫11.9M

-6.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 ₫7.6M

$248 ₫6.4M

18.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 ₫22.5M

$675 ₫17.4M

29.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 ₫14.1M

$523 ₫13.5M

4.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,160 ₫132.9M

$2,132 ₫54.9M

142.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,912 ₫75.0M

$1,135 ₫29.2M

156.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$522 ₫13.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

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

Last update for Hanoi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dien Bien Phu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$293 36.4%

Dien Bien Phu

$248 33.9% 15.6% $46

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$192 23.8%

Dien Bien Phu

$181 24.7% 6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$104 12.8%

Dien Bien Phu

$107 14.7% 3.7% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$100 12.4%

Dien Bien Phu

$103 14.1% 2.9% $2.9

Eating Out

Hanoi

$66 8.2%

Dien Bien Phu

$57 7.8% 13.6% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$36 4.4%

Dien Bien Phu

$24 3.3% 32.1% $11

Getting Around

Hanoi

$16 2%

Dien Bien Phu

$11 1.5% 30% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Hanoi and $464 in Dien Bien Phu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in Hanoi vs $20 in Dien Bien Phu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $181 per month, with Dien Bien Phu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇻🇳 Dien Bien Phu

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

Same time as Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

80,366

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hanoi Dien Bien Phu 300 km

From you

Hanoi
Dien Bien Phu

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 Dien Bien Phu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dien Bien Phu is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,210 in Hanoi and $1,096 in Dien Bien Phu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $435 in Hanoi versus $464 in Dien Bien Phu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dien Bien Phu – a meal for two runs $20 versus $24 in Hanoi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $807 per month in Hanoi versus $731 in Dien Bien Phu – Dien Bien Phu is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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.

Safety-wise, Hanoi and Dien Bien Phu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.