Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Ha Long

For one person, living costs are similar in Hanoi and in Ha Long: $796 and $824 a month, rent and utilities included.

39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Ha Long
Learn more

Ha Long Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$796

/mo nomad

Ha Long

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $796 per month in Hanoi vs $824 in Ha Long, rent included.

Hanoi $796
Ha Long $824

A couple spends around $1,239 per month in Hanoi vs $1,329 in Ha Long, rent included.

Hanoi $1,239
Ha Long $1,329

A family of three spends $1,682 per month in Hanoi vs $1,833 in Ha Long, rent included.

Hanoi $1,682
Ha Long $1,833

Hanoi is about 3% cheaper than Ha Long, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hanoi and Ha Long are more affordable than the global median – Hanoi 41% lower, Ha Long 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₫53.8K

$2.14 ₫55.3K

-2.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.16 ₫599.5K

$20.13 ₫521.2K

15.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ₫115.4K

$4.67 ₫121.0K

-4.50%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₫48.5K

$1.95 ₫50.4K

-4.10%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.57 ₫14.8K

-10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,670

$0.31 ₫8,142

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$0.94 ₫24.3K

17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₫48.9K

$1.59 ₫41.3K

18.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₫39.8K

$1.35 ₫34.9K

14.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.11 ₫28.8K

-4.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₫21.1K

$1.06 ₫27.4K

-23.58%

Eggs

$1.44 ₫37.4K

$1.50 ₫38.9K

-4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.4K

$13.38 ₫346.3K

-21.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ₫98.5K

$3.42 ₫88.6K

11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 ₫254.5K

$10.74 ₫278.1K

-8.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₫89.8K

$3.20 ₫82.8K

8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$0.92 ₫23.9K

16.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$1.34 ₫34.7K

-0.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₫30.0K

$1.16 ₫29.9K

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$0.97 ₫25.0K

-6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.15 ₫29.7K

-6.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$0.65 ₫16.8K

-18.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.55 ₫14.2K

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.45 ₫37.4K

$1.59 ₫41.1K

-8.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.39 ₫320.9K

$12.90 ₫334.0K

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.88 ₫22.8K

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.84 ₫47.5K

-7.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.6K

$0.33 ₫8,510

24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.21 ₫238.5K

$5.99 ₫155.0K

53.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.6K

$0.78 ₫20.1K

-2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₫15.3K

$0.67 ₫17.2K

-11.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₫61.1K

$2.53 ₫65.5K

-6.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₫24.1K

$0.93 ₫24.0K

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

$31.2K ₫807.4M

$30.1K ₫779.0M

3.65%

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

$29.4K ₫761.8M

$30.1K ₫779.5M

-2.27%

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

$87.2 ₫2.3M

$82.2 ₫2.1M

6.03%

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

$5.15 ₫133.5K

$6.52 ₫168.8K

-21.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.11 ₫235.9K

$9.49 ₫245.8K

-4.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.70 ₫639.3K

$25.68 ₫664.9K

-3.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.58 ₫248.0K

$8.60 ₫222.7K

11.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ₫117.4K

$3.48 ₫90.2K

30.17%

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

$787 ₫20.4M

$165 ₫4.3M

376.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K ₫705.3M

$13.2K ₫342.4M

105.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.25 ₫1.3M

$39.61 ₫1.0M

24.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.22 ₫678.7K

$24.96 ₫646.1K

5.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ₫2.2M

$89.8 ₫2.3M

-5.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 ₫2.0M

$79.4 ₫2.1M

-0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₫10.7M

$405 ₫10.5M

2.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₫7.2M

$306 ₫7.9M

-9.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₫22.2M

$717 ₫18.6M

19.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₫13.9M

$698 ₫18.1M

-23.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,258 ₫136.1M

$2,340 ₫60.6M

124.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,847 ₫73.7M

$1,119 ₫29.0M

154.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$515 ₫13.3M

$232 ₫6.0M

121.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ha Long: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$277 34.8%

Ha Long

$306 37.1% 10.3% $28

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$197 24.7%

Ha Long

$205 24.9% 4.4% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$108 13.5%

Ha Long

$105 12.8% 2.4% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$101 12.7%

Ha Long

$98 11.9% 3.2% $3.2

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.2%

Ha Long

$66 8% 1.2% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$34 4.2%

Ha Long

$33 4% 3.3% $1.1

Getting Around

Hanoi

$15 1.8%

Ha Long

$11 1.4% 21.6% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Hanoi versus $405 in Ha Long. 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 122% higher in Hanoi, 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 $20.00 in Ha Long. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Hanoi vs $205 in Ha Long – so Hanoi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇻🇳 Ha Long

🕒 Local time

18:37 6:37 PM

Same time as Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

270,054

💱 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 Ha Long 130 km

From you

Hanoi
Ha Long

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 Ha Long: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $796 in Hanoi, $824 in Ha Long – roughly 3% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,194 per month in Hanoi and $1,236 in Ha Long. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 4% more in Ha Long, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Hanoi and $20.00 in Ha Long. 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 $796 in Hanoi and $824 in Ha Long, 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 $796 in Hanoi to $824 in Ha Long. 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 Hanoi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ha Long makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.