Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanoi: $794 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$794

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Shanghai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $794 in Hanoi versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Hanoi $794
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,229 in Hanoi versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Hanoi $1,229
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,664 in Hanoi versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Hanoi $1,664
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Hanoi costs roughly 36% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 ₫54.6K

$4.56 ¥30.43

-53.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.20 ₫600.7K

$30.21 ¥202

-23.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.47 ₫115.6K

$5.25 ¥35.08

-14.86%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₫47.4K

$3.28 ¥21.91

-44.21%

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

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$0.57 ¥3.84

-10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,638

$0.36 ¥2.38

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₫28.6K

$1.23 ¥8.22

-10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₫50.4K

$2.27 ¥15.16

-14.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$1.84 ¥12.28

-16.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₫27.6K

$1.96 ¥13.06

-45.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₫21.1K

$1.03 ¥6.86

-20.39%

Eggs

$1.48 ₫38.4K

$1.67 ¥11.15

-11.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 ₫268.2K

$16.96 ¥113

-38.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ₫94.2K

$3.19 ¥21.30

14.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 ₫255.1K

$12.90 ¥86.1

-23.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 ₫84.6K

$2.24 ¥14.98

45.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₫27.8K

$1.66 ¥11.12

-35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 ₫35.8K

$2.02 ¥13.52

-31.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ₫28.5K

$1.66 ¥11.07

-33.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 ₫25.3K

$0.77 ¥5.17

27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$0.93 ¥6.20

16.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$0.63 ¥4.18

-15.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.60 ¥3.98

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 ₫35.2K

$3.80 ¥25.40

-64.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₫326.2K

$10.87 ¥72.6

15.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$0.82 ¥5.50

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ₫42.8K

$1.61 ¥10.75

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.6K

$0.61 ¥4.11

-32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.45 ₫244.5K

$29.40 ¥196

-67.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₫19.1K

$2.11 ¥14.09

-64.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.43 ¥2.86

30.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 ₫58.7K

$9.06 ¥60.5

-74.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 ₫24.7K

$1.33 ¥8.88

-28.57%

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

$30.4K ₫786.1M

$19.0K ¥127.0K

59.59%

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

$29.8K ₫770.4M

$18.7K ¥124.9K

59.06%

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

$86.5 ₫2.2M

$57.8 ¥386

49.54%

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

$5.16 ₫133.6K

$8.09 ¥54.0

-36.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.13 ₫236.3K

$10.48 ¥69.9

-12.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.26 ₫628.2K

$65.7 ¥439

-63.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.21 ₫238.4K

$17.82 ¥119

-48.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 ₫109.2K

$8.95 ¥59.8

-52.85%

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

$779 ₫20.2M

$1,414 ¥9,438

-44.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K ₫712.4M

$27.9K ¥186.0K

-1.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.25 ₫1.2M

$54.0 ¥360

-10.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.18 ₫677.7K

$37.09 ¥248

-29.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 ₫2.1M

$74.3 ¥496

11.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$106 ¥705

-25.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₫10.4M

$1,055 ¥7,046

-61.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ₫7.3M

$585 ¥3,904

-52.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ₫22.1M

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-65.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 ₫13.7M

$1,232 ¥8,228

-57.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,117 ₫132.5M

$13.9K ¥93.0K

-63.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,859 ₫74.0M

$6,253 ¥41.7K

-54.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ₫13.7M

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-69.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

3.36

146.43%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$280 35.3%

Shanghai

$585 47% 109% $304

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$194 24.5%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 20.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$106 13.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 15% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$101 12.7%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 24.2% $24

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.2%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 63.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$33 4.1%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 156% $51

Getting Around

Hanoi

$15 1.9%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 147% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Hanoi and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 224% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $235 per month, with Hanoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

22:33 10:33 PM

1 h ahead of Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

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Between locations

Hanoi Shanghai 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hanoi
Shanghai

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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hanoi and Shanghai differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($794 vs $1,244 including rent). Hanoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 224% lower in Shanghai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Hanoi versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hanoi runs roughly 211% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $779 in Hanoi versus $1,414 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $794 in Hanoi versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hanoi but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. 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 Shanghai 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 Hanoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.