Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanoi: $805 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
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Hanoi Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$805

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Hong Kong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $805 in Hanoi versus $2,984 in Hong Kong.

Hanoi $805
Hong Kong $2,984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in Hanoi versus $4,558 in Hong Kong.

Hanoi $1,254
Hong Kong $4,558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,704 in Hanoi versus $6,132 in Hong Kong.

Hanoi $1,704
Hong Kong $6,132

Living in Hanoi costs roughly 73% less than in Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hanoi is 40% below, Hong Kong is 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 ₫54.0K

$8.46 HK$66.4

-75.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.19 ₫600.5K

$63.2 HK$496

-63.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.49 ₫116.3K

$6.20 HK$48.66

-27.58%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₫48.3K

$4.90 HK$38.42

-61.84%

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

$0.47 ₫12.3K

$1.27 HK$10.01

-62.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,658

$1.06 HK$8.31

-71.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$7.68 HK$60.3

-85.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₫50.3K

$6.28 HK$49.24

-69.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$2.86 HK$22.45

-48.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$2.43 HK$19.10

-54.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₫19.4K

$2.18 HK$17.09

-65.60%

Eggs

$1.50 ₫38.9K

$3.54 HK$27.80

-57.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 ₫268.1K

$25.12 HK$197

-58.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 ₫98.2K

$8.89 HK$69.8

-57.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 ₫256.4K

$17.63 HK$138

-43.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ₫87.2K

$4.11 HK$32.23

-18.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.8K

$2.72 HK$21.32

-62.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$4.59 HK$36.05

-71.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.5K

$4.02 HK$31.52

-71.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.5K

$3.25 HK$25.50

-69.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫28.1K

$3.27 HK$25.70

-66.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ₫14.8K

$1.60 HK$12.54

-64.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$1.73 HK$13.56

-68.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.44 ₫37.2K

$13.14 HK$103

-89.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 ₫329.9K

$16.59 HK$130

-23.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$2.01 HK$15.80

-55.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.6K

$2.18 HK$17.13

-21.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₫10.2K

$1.44 HK$11.31

-72.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.43 ₫244.2K

$89.1 HK$699

-89.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₫19.2K

$3.64 HK$28.54

-79.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₫15.7K

$1.31 HK$10.29

-53.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 ₫59.3K

$15.82 HK$124

-85.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$4.06 HK$31.89

-77.83%

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

$31.2K ₫808.2M

$44.4K HK$348.2K

-29.64%

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

$29.9K ₫772.9M

$37.4K HK$293.2K

-20.11%

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

$86.3 ₫2.2M

$247 HK$1,942

-65.13%

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

$5.30 ₫137.3K

$15.89 HK$125

-66.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.95 ₫231.7K

$21.46 HK$168

-58.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.82 ₫642.6K

$91.4 HK$717

-72.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 ₫249.1K

$9.08 HK$71.3

5.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 ₫110.7K

$13.96 HK$110

-69.34%

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

$755 ₫19.6M

$1,155 HK$9,068

-34.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K ₫716.4M

$22.3K HK$174.6K

24.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.39 ₫1.3M

$68.9 HK$541

-29.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.60 ₫688.6K

$40.44 HK$317

-34.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 ₫2.2M

$79.9 HK$627

5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ₫2.0M

$118 HK$923

-34.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₫10.7M

$2,180 HK$17.1K

-80.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 ₫7.2M

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-83.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 ₫22.6M

$5,047 HK$39.6K

-82.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₫13.9M

$3,543 HK$27.8K

-84.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,285 ₫136.8M

$29.1K HK$228.7K

-81.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,798 ₫72.4M

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-84.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 ₫13.4M

$3,228 HK$25.3K

-83.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

3.91

111.76%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$278 35%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5% 518% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$196 24.7%

Hong Kong

$415 13.9% 112% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$106 13.4%

Hong Kong

$138 4.6% 29.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$101 12.7%

Hong Kong

$285 9.5% 183% $184

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.2%

Hong Kong

$205 6.9% 216% $140

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$33 4.2%

Hong Kong

$119 4% 257% $86

Getting Around

Hanoi

$15 1.9%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 611% $90

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Hanoi and $2,180 in Hong Kong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 524% 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 $63.0 in Hong Kong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $415 per month, with Hanoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

1 h ahead of Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,037 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hanoi Hong Kong 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hanoi
Hong Kong

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 Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hanoi and Hong Kong differ by about 271% in total monthly costs ($805 vs $2,984 including rent). Hanoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 524% lower in Hong Kong. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $414 in Hanoi versus $2,180 in Hong Kong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hanoi runs roughly 844% less than in Hong Kong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $755 in Hanoi versus $1,155 in Hong Kong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $805 in Hanoi versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hanoi but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Hanoi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Hong Kong 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 271% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.