Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Hue

For one person, living is cheaper in Hue: $491 a month against $796 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
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Hanoi Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Hue
Learn more

Hue Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$796

/mo nomad

Hue

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Hue

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $796 in Hanoi versus $491 in Hue.

Hanoi $796
Hue $491

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,239 in Hanoi versus $857 in Hue.

Hanoi $1,239
Hue $857

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,682 in Hanoi versus $1,224 in Hue.

Hanoi $1,682
Hue $1,224

Living in Hanoi is roughly 62% more expensive than in Hue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Hue 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 ₫53.8K

$1.14 ₫29.6K

82.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.16 ₫599.5K

$11.41 ₫295.3K

102.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ₫115.4K

$3.45 ₫89.4K

29.28%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₫48.5K

$1.07 ₫27.7K

74.77%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.59 ₫15.3K

-13.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,670

$0.32 ₫8,259

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$0.78 ₫20.2K

41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₫48.9K

$1.18 ₫30.5K

60.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ₫39.8K

$1.34 ₫34.7K

14.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$0.80 ₫20.7K

32.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 ₫21.1K

$0.82 ₫21.3K

-1.22%

Eggs

$1.44 ₫37.4K

$1.48 ₫38.4K

-2.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 ₫270.4K

$12.86 ₫332.8K

-18.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ₫98.5K

$4.18 ₫108.3K

-9.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 ₫254.5K

$9.57 ₫247.9K

2.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₫89.8K

$2.46 ₫63.7K

41.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.7K

$1.06 ₫27.4K

0.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$1.27 ₫32.8K

4.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₫30.0K

$0.69 ₫17.9K

68.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$0.99 ₫25.5K

-8.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.16 ₫30.1K

-6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$0.60 ₫15.5K

-11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$0.40 ₫10.5K

42.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.45 ₫37.4K

$1.30 ₫33.7K

11.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.39 ₫320.9K

$7.74 ₫200.3K

60.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$0.74 ₫19.2K

29.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.4K

$1.33 ₫34.4K

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.6K

$0.33 ₫8,566

24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.21 ₫238.5K

$7.26 ₫188.1K

26.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₫19.6K

$0.45 ₫11.6K

68.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₫15.3K

$0.55 ₫14.3K

7.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₫61.1K

$2.47 ₫64.0K

-4.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 ₫24.1K

$0.91 ₫23.7K

2.20%

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

$31.2K ₫807.4M

$31.1K ₫804.2M

0.39%

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

$29.4K ₫761.8M

$27.6K ₫713.4M

6.79%

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

$87.2 ₫2.3M

$38.32 ₫992.1K

127.56%

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

$5.15 ₫133.5K

$6.39 ₫165.5K

-19.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.11 ₫235.9K

$7.77 ₫201.3K

17.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.70 ₫639.3K

$39.39 ₫1.0M

-37.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.58 ₫248.0K

$7.75 ₫200.6K

23.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ₫117.4K

$3.43 ₫88.7K

32.07%

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

$787 ₫20.4M

$164 ₫4.2M

380.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K ₫705.3M

$9,008 ₫233.2M

202.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.25 ₫1.3M

$31.36 ₫811.9K

57.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.22 ₫678.7K

$18.66 ₫483.1K

40.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 ₫2.2M

$39.33 ₫1.0M

115.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 ₫2.0M

$38.55 ₫998.1K

105.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₫10.7M

$133 ₫3.5M

210.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 ₫7.2M

$101 ₫2.6M

175.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ₫22.2M

$518 ₫13.4M

65.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₫13.9M

$353 ₫9.1M

51.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,258 ₫136.1M

$1,511 ₫39.1M

248.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,847 ₫73.7M

$1,147 ₫29.7M

148.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$515 ₫13.3M

$291 ₫7.5M

76.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

6.87

20.52%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hue: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$277 34.8%

Hue

$101 20.5% 63.7% $176

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$197 24.7%

Hue

$180 36.7% 8.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$108 13.5%

Hue

$58 11.7% 46.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$101 12.7%

Hue

$52 10.7% 48.3% $49

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.2%

Hue

$42 8.6% 35.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$34 4.2%

Hue

$46 9.4% 37% $12

Getting Around

Hanoi

$15 1.8%

Hue

$12 2.4% 19% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Hanoi and $133 in Hue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hanoi pays 77% 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 $11.00 in Hue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $180 per month, with Hue cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇻🇳 Hue

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

Same time as Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

1,166,500

💱 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

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Between locations

Hanoi Hue 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hanoi
Hue

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 Hue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hanoi and Hue differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($796 vs $491 including rent). Hue is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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 $133 in Hue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hue runs roughly 27% less than in Hanoi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $787 in Hanoi versus $164 in Hue. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Hue 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 Hue 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 Hue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Hanoi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.