Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Popayan

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanoi: $801 a month against $1,381 in Popayan, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
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Hanoi Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Popayan
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Popayan Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$801

/mo nomad

Popayan

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Popayan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Hanoi versus $1,381 in Popayan.

Hanoi $801
Popayan $1,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,246 in Hanoi versus $2,141 in Popayan.

Hanoi $1,246
Popayan $2,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,691 in Hanoi versus $2,902 in Popayan.

Hanoi $1,691
Popayan $2,902

Living in Hanoi costs roughly 42% less than in Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 ₫51.6K

$7.91 COP 25.5K

-74.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 ₫602.1K

$48.54 COP 156.5K

-51.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ₫113.7K

$10.37 COP 33.4K

-57.57%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₫49.9K

$2.74 COP 8,842

-29.56%

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

$0.48 ₫12.3K

$1.29 COP 4,160

-62.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,605

$1.16 COP 3,746

-71.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.4K

$2.80 COP 9,044

-62.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₫50.6K

$3.80 COP 12.2K

-48.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$1.66 COP 5,358

-9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$2.59 COP 8,363

-59.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$1.56 COP 5,021

-48.72%

Eggs

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$3.00 COP 9,664

-51.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 ₫296.3K

$7.16 COP 23.1K

60.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ₫91.7K

$9.63 COP 31.0K

-63.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 ₫260.6K

$12.17 COP 39.2K

-17.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.1K

$4.02 COP 13.0K

-22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$1.51 COP 4,854

-33.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.3K

$1.91 COP 6,152

-30.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$2.08 COP 6,692

-49.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$1.77 COP 5,691

-48.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.6K

$1.71 COP 5,529

-32.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$1.06 COP 3,429

-49.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$1.30 COP 4,194

-57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$4.43 COP 14.3K

-69.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ₫304.9K

$13.37 COP 43.1K

-11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$1.43 COP 4,625

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.0K

$2.25 COP 7,258

-24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.5K

$1.21 COP 3,903

-66.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.68 ₫275.4K

$73.5 COP 236.9K

-85.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₫20.6K

$1.61 COP 5,202

-50.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$2.34 COP 7,557

-76.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₫61.4K

$8.90 COP 28.7K

-73.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.4K

$1.36 COP 4,376

-33.09%

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

$31.1K ₫803.1M

$35.9K COP 115.7M

-13.26%

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

$28.6K ₫737.8M

$37.0K COP 119.3M

-22.69%

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

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$108 COP 347.5K

-22.55%

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

$5.22 ₫134.8K

$13.08 COP 42.2K

-60.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.78 ₫226.5K

$25.36 COP 81.8K

-65.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.23 ₫702.5K

$34.59 COP 111.5K

-21.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.64 ₫248.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 ₫118.9K

$7.06 COP 22.8K

-34.70%

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

$867 ₫22.4M

$616 COP 2.0M

40.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K ₫714.3M

$8,853 COP 28.5M

212.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ₫1.2M

$79.1 COP 255.0K

-41.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.64 ₫687.3K

$45.54 COP 146.9K

-41.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$143 COP 461.1K

-41.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ₫2.0M

$101 COP 325.1K

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₫11.1M

$737 COP 2.4M

-41.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₫7.4M

$489 COP 1.6M

-41.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ₫22.6M

$1,349 COP 4.3M

-35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₫14.2M

$889 COP 2.9M

-38.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,936 ₫127.4M

$2,461 COP 7.9M

100.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 ₫73.2M

$1,879 COP 6.1M

50.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ₫13.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

-31.00%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Popayan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$287 35.8%

Popayan

$489 35.4% 70.5% $202

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$195 24.3%

Popayan

$281 20.4% 44.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$105 13.1%

Popayan

$166 12% 58.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$97 12.2%

Popayan

$146 10.6% 50% $49

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.1%

Popayan

$159 11.5% 145% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$36 4.6%

Popayan

$49 3.5% 33.6% $12

Getting Around

Hanoi

$16 2%

Popayan

$92 6.6% 477% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Hanoi and $737 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Hanoi vs $49 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $281 per month, with Hanoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇨🇴 Popayan

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

04:03 4:03 AM

12 h behind Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

318,059

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, 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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hanoi Popayan 17,390 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $801 in Hanoi and $1,381 in Popayan, so Hanoi is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,201 in Hanoi and $2,071 in Popayan 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 $737 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hanoi runs roughly 85% less than in Popayan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $867 in Hanoi versus $616 in Popayan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $801 in Hanoi versus $1,381 in Popayan, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hanoi but tight or insufficient in Popayan. 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.

Expats usually find Hanoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Popayan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.