Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Ninh Binh

For one person, living is cheaper in Ninh Binh: $734 a month against $801 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $800 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Ninh Binh
Learn more

Ninh Binh Living Index

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Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$801

/mo nomad

Ninh Binh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Ninh Binh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Hanoi versus $734 in Ninh Binh.

Hanoi $801
Ninh Binh $734

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,246 in Hanoi versus $1,173 in Ninh Binh.

Hanoi $1,246
Ninh Binh $1,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,691 in Hanoi versus $1,612 in Ninh Binh.

Hanoi $1,691
Ninh Binh $1,612

Living in Hanoi is roughly 9% more expensive than in Ninh Binh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Ninh Binh 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 ₫51.6K

$1.89 ₫48.8K

5.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 ₫602.8K

$21.29 ₫550.1K

9.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ₫113.8K

$4.53 ₫117.1K

-2.87%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₫50.0K

$1.79 ₫46.3K

7.82%

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

$0.48 ₫12.3K

$0.47 ₫12.2K

2.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,615

$0.30 ₫7,777

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.4K

$0.92 ₫23.6K

15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₫50.6K

$1.51 ₫39.0K

29.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$1.42 ₫36.7K

6.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$0.97 ₫25.0K

8.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$0.95 ₫24.5K

-15.79%

Eggs

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.40 ₫36.3K

4.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 ₫296.6K

$11.65 ₫300.8K

-1.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ₫91.8K

$3.66 ₫94.5K

-3.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 ₫260.9K

$9.94 ₫256.8K

1.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.2K

$2.79 ₫72.0K

11.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$1.06 ₫27.5K

-4.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$1.35 ₫34.8K

-1.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$1.11 ₫28.8K

-5.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$1.04 ₫26.9K

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.6K

$1.01 ₫26.0K

13.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₫14.1K

$0.65 ₫16.7K

-16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$0.48 ₫12.4K

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$1.32 ₫34.1K

3.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ₫305.3K

$11.36 ₫293.4K

4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$0.75 ₫19.3K

17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.1K

$1.58 ₫40.8K

8.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.5K

$0.32 ₫8,176

28.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.68 ₫275.8K

$6.37 ₫164.5K

67.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₫20.6K

$0.70 ₫18.1K

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.62 ₫16.1K

-9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₫61.4K

$2.75 ₫71.0K

-13.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$0.84 ₫21.6K

8.33%

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

$31.1K ₫804.0M

$34.5K ₫891.1M

-9.77%

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

$28.6K ₫738.6M

$32.4K ₫836.0M

-11.65%

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

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$75.5 ₫2.0M

10.55%

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

$5.22 ₫134.9K

$5.88 ₫151.8K

-11.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.78 ₫226.8K

$8.71 ₫225.1K

0.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.23 ₫703.3K

$21.58 ₫557.5K

26.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.64 ₫249.1K

$7.61 ₫196.5K

26.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 ₫119.0K

$3.01 ₫77.7K

53.16%

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

$867 ₫22.4M

$262 ₫6.8M

230.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K ₫715.1M

$11.7K ₫302.4M

136.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ₫1.2M

$41.29 ₫1.1M

12.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.64 ₫688.1K

$23.38 ₫604.0K

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$85.2 ₫2.2M

-1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ₫2.0M

$74.2 ₫1.9M

2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₫11.1M

$358 ₫9.3M

19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₫7.4M

$252 ₫6.5M

13.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ₫22.6M

$732 ₫18.9M

19.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₫14.2M

$542 ₫14.0M

1.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,936 ₫127.5M

$2,090 ₫54.0M

136.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 ₫73.2M

$1,224 ₫31.6M

131.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ₫13.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

9.1

-9.01%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ninh Binh: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$287 35.8%

Ninh Binh

$252 34.4% 11.9% $34

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$195 24.3%

Ninh Binh

$191 26% 2% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$105 13.1%

Ninh Binh

$101 13.7% 3.8% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$97 12.2%

Ninh Binh

$90 12.3% 7.6% $7.4

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.1%

Ninh Binh

$61 8.3% 6.1% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$36 4.6%

Ninh Binh

$28 3.8% 24.3% $8.8

Getting Around

Hanoi

$16 2%

Ninh Binh

$11 1.6% 27.9% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Hanoi and $358 in Ninh Binh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Hanoi vs $21 in Ninh Binh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $191 per month, with Ninh Binh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇻🇳 Ninh Binh

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

Same time as Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

148,406

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hanoi Ninh Binh 87 km

From you

Hanoi
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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 Ninh Binh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $801 in Hanoi and $734 in Ninh Binh, so Ninh Binh is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,201 in Hanoi and $1,101 in Ninh Binh 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: $429 in Hanoi versus $358 in Ninh Binh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $867 in Hanoi versus $262 in Ninh Binh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ninh Binh – a meal for two runs $21 versus $23 in Hanoi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.