Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Semey Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Semey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $765 in Hanoi versus $686 in Semey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,245 in Hanoi versus $1,092 in Semey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Hanoi versus $1,498 in Semey.

Living in Hanoi is roughly 12% more expensive than in Semey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 43% lower, Semey 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.88 ₫49.5K

$4.39 ₸2,080

-57.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.26 ₫716.6K

$27.29 ₸12.9K

-0.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.52 ₫119.0K

$4.89 ₸2,317

-7.57%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫48.6K

$1.58 ₸748

17.09%

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

$0.49 ₫12.9K

$0.92 ₸437

-46.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₫7,103

$0.56 ₸265

-51.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₫25.5K

$1.20 ₸569

-19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ₫49.3K

$1.83 ₸866

2.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₫36.5K

$0.68 ₸320

104.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₫25.8K

$0.32 ₸150

206.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₫23.5K

$1.60 ₸757

-44.38%

Eggs

$1.55 ₫40.6K

$1.35 ₸640

14.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 ₫234.2K

$8.84 ₸4,190

0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 ₫101.9K

$4.72 ₸2,238

-17.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 ₫249.6K

$7.24 ₸3,431

31.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ₫85.2K

$1.28 ₸608

153.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₫28.0K

$1.96 ₸931

-45.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 ₫42.9K

$1.98 ₸938

-17.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₫29.4K

$1.97 ₸933

-43.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ₫27.2K

$0.59 ₸280

76.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 ₫26.3K

$0.38 ₸179

163.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ₫14.5K

$0.94 ₸445

-41.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₫14.9K

$0.77 ₸366

-25.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 ₫35.8K

$2.57 ₸1,216

-47.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.17 ₫346.2K

$6.82 ₸3,235

93.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₫25.2K

$0.92 ₸437

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₫47.6K

$1.58 ₸749

14.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,882

$0.21 ₸99.8

61.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.72 ₫203.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₫20.6K

$0.94 ₸448

-15.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.8K

$0.63 ₸299

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 ₫42.3K

$4.79 ₸2,272

-66.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.9K

$0.50 ₸236

82.00%

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

$38.7K ₫1.0B

$19.8K ₸9.4M

95.42%

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

$31.2K ₫821.1M

$24.6K ₸11.7M

26.85%

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

$80.7 ₫2.1M

$50.8 ₸24.1K

59.07%

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

$5.14 ₫135.0K

$8.86 ₸4,200

-41.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.48 ₫223.1K

$12.85 ₸6,091

-34.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 ₫745.5K

$33.68 ₸16.0K

-15.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 ₫290.7K

$10.02 ₸4,750

10.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.72 ₫97.9K

$4.36 ₸2,066

-14.68%

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

$270 ₫7.1M

$212 ₸100.4K

27.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ₫301.8M

$4,962 ₸2.4M

131.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.26 ₫1.2M

$57.2 ₸27.1K

-20.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.01 ₫605.1K

$35.47 ₸16.8K

-35.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 ₫2.3M

$88.3 ₸41.9K

-0.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 ₫1.9M

$77.0 ₸36.5K

-4.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$326 ₫8.6M

$309 ₸146.3K

5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 ₫6.7M

$202 ₸95.8K

25.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 ₫20.2M

$529 ₸250.7K

45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 ₫15.7M

$384 ₸182.1K

55.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,865 ₫127.9M

$1,036 ₸491.0K

369.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,721 ₫71.5M

$893 ₸423.1K

204.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$517 ₫13.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

18.39

-50.52%

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

Last update for Hanoi: July 27, 2026

Last update for Semey: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $326 in Hanoi and $309 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Hanoi vs $27.00 in Semey. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 vs $166, with Semey cheaper for home cooking.

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hanoi and Semey differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($765 vs $686 including rent). Semey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,148 in Hanoi and $1,029 in Semey 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: $326 in Hanoi versus $309 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $270 in Hanoi versus $212 in Semey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Semey – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $27.00 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 Semey 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 Semey 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 Semey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Hanoi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.