Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanoi: $801 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$801

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Hanoi versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Hanoi $801
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,246 in Hanoi versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Hanoi $1,246
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,691 in Hanoi versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Hanoi $1,691
Phuket $3,154

Living in Hanoi costs roughly 37% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 ₫51.6K

$4.47 ฿151

-55.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 ₫602.1K

$32.41 ฿1,093

-27.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ₫113.7K

$8.81 ฿297

-50.06%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₫49.9K

$2.83 ฿95.4

-31.80%

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

$0.48 ₫12.3K

$0.87 ฿29.41

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,605

$0.49 ฿16.65

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.4K

$2.56 ฿86.3

-58.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₫50.6K

$3.68 ฿124

-46.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$1.66 ฿55.9

-9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.46 ฿49.31

-28.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$1.50 ฿50.5

-46.67%

Eggs

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.09 ฿70.5

-30.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 ₫296.3K

$19.07 ฿643

-39.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ₫91.7K

$3.30 ฿111

7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 ₫260.6K

$10.91 ฿368

-7.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.1K

$2.93 ฿98.9

6.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$1.69 ฿57.0

-40.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.3K

$2.25 ฿75.8

-40.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$2.08 ฿70.0

-49.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$1.51 ฿51.0

-39.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.6K

$1.38 ฿46.52

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$1.07 ฿35.96

-49.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$0.52 ฿17.51

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$4.20 ฿142

-67.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ₫304.9K

$18.79 ฿634

-37.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$1.82 ฿61.5

-51.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.0K

$2.84 ฿95.8

-39.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.5K

$1.45 ฿48.98

-71.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.68 ₫275.4K

$56.7 ฿1,912

-81.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₫20.6K

$3.02 ฿102

-73.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$1.02 ฿34.33

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₫61.4K

$3.69 ฿125

-35.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.4K

$1.47 ฿49.76

-38.10%

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

$31.1K ₫803.1M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

16.24%

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

$28.6K ₫737.8M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

7.13%

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

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$96.4 ฿3,251

-13.36%

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

$5.22 ₫134.8K

$11.26 ฿380

-53.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.78 ₫226.5K

$16.85 ฿568

-47.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.23 ₫702.5K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-59.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.64 ₫248.8K

$10.73 ฿362

-10.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 ₫118.9K

$7.50 ฿253

-38.53%

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

$867 ₫22.4M

$476 ฿16.1K

82.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K ₫714.3M

$11.3K ฿380.0K

145.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ₫1.2M

$62.4 ฿2,104

-25.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.64 ₫687.3K

$28.41 ฿958

-6.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$94.3 ฿3,181

-11.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ₫2.0M

$85.8 ฿2,895

-11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₫11.1M

$716 ฿24.2K

-40.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₫7.4M

$491 ฿16.6K

-41.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ₫22.6M

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-54.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₫14.2M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-61.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,936 ₫127.4M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

18.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 ₫73.2M

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-6.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ₫13.2M

$502 ฿16.9K

1.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

5.57

48.65%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$287 35.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 71.2% $204

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$195 24.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 36.8% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$105 13.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 16.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$97 12.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 27.7% $27

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 87.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$36 4.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 126% $46

Getting Around

Hanoi

$16 2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 345% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Hanoi and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Hanoi vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $266 per month, with Hanoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:36 5:36 PM

Same time as Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hanoi Phuket 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hanoi
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $801 in Hanoi and $1,278 in Phuket, so Hanoi is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,201 in Hanoi and $1,917 in Phuket 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 $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hanoi runs roughly 81% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $867 in Hanoi versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $801 in Hanoi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hanoi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Hanoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.