Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Hoi An

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanoi: $796 a month against $876 in Hoi An, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hoi An outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
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Hanoi Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Hoi An
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Hoi An Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$796

/mo nomad

Hoi An

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Hoi An

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $796 in Hanoi versus $876 in Hoi An.

Hanoi $796
Hoi An $876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,239 in Hanoi versus $1,279 in Hoi An.

Hanoi $1,239
Hoi An $1,279

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,682 in Hanoi versus $1,682 in Hoi An.

Hanoi $1,682
Hoi An $1,682

Living in Hanoi costs roughly 9% less than in Hoi An, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Hoi An 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₫53.8K

$2.28 ₫59.1K

-8.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.16 ₫599.5K

$18.56 ₫480.5K

24.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ₫115.4K

$3.77 ₫97.7K

18.30%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₫48.5K

$1.74 ₫44.9K

7.47%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.62 ₫16.0K

-17.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,670

$0.34 ₫8,896

-2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$1.36 ₫35.2K

-19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₫48.9K

$1.31 ₫34.0K

44.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₫39.8K

$1.58 ₫40.8K

-2.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$1.20 ₫31.2K

-11.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₫21.1K

$1.00 ₫25.9K

-19.00%

Eggs

$1.44 ₫37.4K

$1.49 ₫38.5K

-3.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.4K

$12.96 ₫335.6K

-19.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ₫98.5K

$4.09 ₫105.8K

-7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 ₫254.5K

$9.27 ₫239.9K

6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₫89.8K

$2.63 ₫68.2K

31.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$1.11 ₫28.6K

-3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$1.00 ₫26.0K

33.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₫30.0K

$1.44 ₫37.4K

-19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$1.18 ₫30.6K

-22.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.09 ₫28.1K

-0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-14.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.49 ₫12.8K

16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.45 ₫37.4K

$1.50 ₫38.7K

-3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.39 ₫320.9K

$7.57 ₫196.1K

63.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.92 ₫23.9K

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.52 ₫39.4K

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.6K

$0.22 ₫5,666

86.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.21 ₫238.5K

$3.82 ₫98.8K

141.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.6K

$0.99 ₫25.6K

-23.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₫15.3K

$0.57 ₫14.7K

3.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₫61.1K

$3.96 ₫102.6K

-40.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₫24.1K

$0.94 ₫24.3K

-1.06%

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

$31.2K ₫807.4M

$30.9K ₫800.8M

0.83%

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

$29.4K ₫761.8M

$28.4K ₫736.2M

3.48%

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

$87.2 ₫2.3M

$77.8 ₫2.0M

12.14%

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

$5.15 ₫133.5K

$6.45 ₫167.1K

-20.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.11 ₫235.9K

$8.03 ₫207.9K

13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.70 ₫639.3K

$16.74 ₫433.5K

47.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.58 ₫248.0K

$4.74 ₫122.8K

102.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ₫117.4K

$3.06 ₫79.1K

48.04%

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

$787 ₫20.4M

$116 ₫3.0M

579.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K ₫705.3M

$17.1K ₫441.8M

59.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.25 ₫1.3M

$46.44 ₫1.2M

6.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.22 ₫678.7K

$27.51 ₫712.2K

-4.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ₫2.2M

$68.8 ₫1.8M

23.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 ₫2.0M

$80.9 ₫2.1M

-2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₫10.7M

$433 ₫11.2M

-4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₫7.2M

$395 ₫10.2M

-29.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₫22.2M

$533 ₫13.8M

61.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₫13.9M

$626 ₫16.2M

-14.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,258 ₫136.1M

$1,561 ₫40.4M

236.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,847 ₫73.7M

$982 ₫25.4M

189.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$515 ₫13.3M

$294 ₫7.6M

75.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

10.34

-19.92%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hoi An: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$277 34.8%

Hoi An

$395 45.1% 42.7% $118

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$197 24.7%

Hoi An

$193 22% 1.9% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$108 13.5%

Hoi An

$101 11.5% 6.6% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$101 12.7%

Hoi An

$92 10.5% 9.1% $9.2

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.2%

Hoi An

$64 7.3% 2.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$34 4.2%

Hoi An

$23 2.6% 32.3% $11

Getting Around

Hanoi

$15 1.8%

Hoi An

$8.5 1% 41.6% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Hanoi and $433 in Hoi An. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hanoi pays 75% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Hanoi vs $19.00 in Hoi An for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $193 per month, with Hoi An cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇻🇳 Hoi An

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

Same time as Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

120,000

💱 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 Hoi An 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hanoi
Hoi An

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 Hoi An: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hanoi and Hoi An differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($796 vs $876 including rent). Hanoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 75% 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 $433 in Hoi An. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hanoi runs roughly 141% less than in Hoi An. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $787 in Hanoi versus $116 in Hoi An. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Hanoi 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 Hoi An 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 Hanoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Hoi An. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.