Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Tarlac City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarlac City: $523 a month against $801 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Tarlac City
Learn more

Tarlac City Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$801

/mo nomad

Tarlac City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$523

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Tarlac City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Hanoi versus $523 in Tarlac City.

Hanoi $801
Tarlac City $523

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,246 in Hanoi versus $801 in Tarlac City.

Hanoi $1,246
Tarlac City $801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,691 in Hanoi versus $1,080 in Tarlac City.

Hanoi $1,691
Tarlac City $1,080

Living in Hanoi is roughly 53% more expensive than in Tarlac City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Tarlac City 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 ₫51.6K

$1.99 ₱127

0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 ₫602.1K

$7.94 ₱506

193.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ₫113.7K

$2.67 ₱170

64.79%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₫49.9K

$1.82 ₱116

6.04%

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

$0.48 ₫12.3K

$0.48 ₱30.72

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,605

$0.30 ₱19.15

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.4K

$0.95 ₱60.6

11.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₫50.6K

$1.58 ₱100

24.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$1.65 ₱105

-8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.13 ₱72.0

-7.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$1.01 ₱64.1

-20.79%

Eggs

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.92 ₱123

-23.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 ₫296.3K

$4.95 ₱315

131.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ₫91.7K

$2.68 ₱171

32.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 ₫260.6K

$6.35 ₱405

59.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.1K

$1.57 ₱100

98.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$1.51 ₱96.4

-33.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.3K

$2.01 ₱128

-33.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.02 ₱64.9

2.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$1.71 ₱109

-46.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.6K

$1.19 ₱75.5

-3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.66 ₱41.80

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$0.52 ₱33.32

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$2.97 ₱189

-53.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ₫304.9K

$3.72 ₱237

217.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$0.89 ₱56.9

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.0K

$1.52 ₱97.1

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.5K

$0.24 ₱15.31

70.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.68 ₫275.4K

$8.05 ₱513

32.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₫20.6K

$0.75 ₱47.49

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.22 ₱13.93

154.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₫61.4K

$1.30 ₱82.7

83.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.4K

$1.11 ₱71.0

-18.02%

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

$31.1K ₫803.1M

$21.2K ₱1.4M

46.60%

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

$28.6K ₫737.8M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

50.45%

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

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$87.4 ₱5,565

-4.46%

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

$5.22 ₫134.8K

$5.34 ₱340

-2.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.78 ₫226.5K

$23.23 ₱1,480

-62.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.23 ₫702.5K

$39.36 ₱2,507

-30.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.64 ₫248.8K

$15.91 ₱1,014

-39.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 ₫118.9K

$5.11 ₱326

-9.78%

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

$867 ₫22.4M

$130 ₱8,272

567.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K ₫714.3M

$10.5K ₱669.1K

163.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ₫1.2M

$28.72 ₱1,829

62.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.64 ₫687.3K

$18.79 ₱1,197

41.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$62.0 ₱3,947

34.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ₫2.0M

$47.50 ₱3,025

60.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₫11.1M

$87.2 ₱5,555

391.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₫7.4M

$70.5 ₱4,492

306.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ₫22.6M

$248 ₱15.8K

252.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₫14.2M

$163 ₱10.4K

236.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,936 ₫127.4M

$370 ₱23.5K

1235.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 ₫73.2M

$284 ₱18.1K

899.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ₫13.2M

$208 ₱13.3K

146.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

6.75

22.67%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Tarlac City: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$287 35.8%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 75.4% $216

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$195 24.3%

Tarlac City

$148 28.4% 23.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$105 13.1%

Tarlac City

$71 13.5% 32.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$97 12.2%

Tarlac City

$116 22.2% 18.9% $18

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.1%

Tarlac City

$57 10.9% 12.5% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$36 4.6%

Tarlac City

$50 9.5% 36.1% $13

Getting Around

Hanoi

$16 2%

Tarlac City

$11 2.1% 31.7% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Hanoi and $87 in Tarlac City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hanoi pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Hanoi vs $8 in Tarlac City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $148 per month, with Tarlac City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇵🇭 Tarlac City

🕒 Local time

09:01 9:01 AM

10:01 10:01 AM

1 h ahead of Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

385,398

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 25,802 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,810 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Hanoi
Tarlac City

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 Tarlac City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $801 in Hanoi and $523 in Tarlac City, so Tarlac City is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Hanoi is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $429 in Hanoi versus $87 in Tarlac City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tarlac City runs roughly 25% less than in Hanoi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $867 in Hanoi versus $130 in Tarlac City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $523 in Tarlac City versus $801 in Hanoi, a $800 budget is realistic in Tarlac City but tight or insufficient in Hanoi. The gap between the two cities makes Tarlac City 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 Tarlac City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tarlac City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Hanoi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.