Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Vung Tau

For one person, living is cheaper in Vung Tau: $625 a month against $801 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Vung Tau
Learn more

Vung Tau Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$801

/mo nomad

Vung Tau

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hanoi and in Vung Tau

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Hanoi versus $625 in Vung Tau.

Hanoi $801
Vung Tau $625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,246 in Hanoi versus $1,035 in Vung Tau.

Hanoi $1,246
Vung Tau $1,035

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,691 in Hanoi versus $1,446 in Vung Tau.

Hanoi $1,691
Vung Tau $1,446

Living in Hanoi is roughly 28% more expensive than in Vung Tau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Vung Tau 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 ₫51.6K

$1.92 ₫49.5K

4.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 ₫602.1K

$15.57 ₫401.8K

49.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ₫113.7K

$3.95 ₫101.8K

11.39%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₫49.9K

$1.88 ₫48.6K

2.66%

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

$0.48 ₫12.3K

$0.45 ₫11.5K

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,605

$0.31 ₫7,943

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.4K

$0.79 ₫20.3K

34.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₫50.6K

$1.02 ₫26.4K

92.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$1.41 ₫36.4K

7.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.05 ₫27.2K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$0.90 ₫23.3K

-11.11%

Eggs

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$1.64 ₫42.4K

-10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 ₫296.3K

$4.93 ₫127.2K

132.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ₫91.7K

$3.59 ₫92.5K

-1.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 ₫260.6K

$9.78 ₫252.4K

3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.1K

$2.95 ₫76.1K

5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$1.28 ₫32.9K

-21.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.3K

$0.64 ₫16.6K

107.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$1.32 ₫34.0K

-20.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$1.13 ₫29.1K

-19.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.6K

$1.20 ₫31.0K

-4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₫14.0K

$0.61 ₫15.7K

-11.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$0.42 ₫10.9K

30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$1.22 ₫31.4K

12.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ₫304.9K

$12.44 ₫320.9K

-4.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$0.86 ₫22.1K

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.0K

$1.02 ₫26.3K

67.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.5K

$0.31 ₫7,968

32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.68 ₫275.4K

$6.99 ₫180.4K

52.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₫20.6K

$0.75 ₫19.4K

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$0.57 ₫14.7K

-1.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₫61.4K

$1.15 ₫29.6K

106.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.4K

$0.87 ₫22.6K

4.60%

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

$31.1K ₫803.1M

$30.4K ₫784.4M

2.38%

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

$28.6K ₫737.8M

$29.1K ₫751.0M

-1.76%

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

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$48.27 ₫1.2M

72.94%

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

$5.22 ₫134.8K

$5.70 ₫147.1K

-8.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.78 ₫226.5K

$8.09 ₫208.7K

8.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.23 ₫702.5K

$17.39 ₫448.6K

56.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.64 ₫248.8K

$9.53 ₫245.9K

1.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 ₫118.9K

$3.94 ₫101.7K

17.01%

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

$867 ₫22.4M

$117 ₫3.0M

642.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K ₫714.3M

$9,727 ₫251.0M

184.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ₫1.2M

$21.28 ₫549.0K

118.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.64 ₫687.3K

$19.44 ₫501.6K

37.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$92.8 ₫2.4M

-10.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ₫2.0M

$67.9 ₫1.8M

12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₫11.1M

$299 ₫7.7M

43.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₫7.4M

$203 ₫5.2M

41.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ₫22.6M

$733 ₫18.9M

19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₫14.2M

$503 ₫13.0M

9.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,936 ₫127.4M

$2,275 ₫58.7M

116.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 ₫73.2M

$1,329 ₫34.3M

113.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ₫13.2M

$585 ₫15.1M

-12.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

8.64

-4.17%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Vung Tau: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$287 35.8%

Vung Tau

$203 32.5% 29.2% $84

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$195 24.3%

Vung Tau

$173 27.7% 11.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$105 13.1%

Vung Tau

$91 14.5% 13.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$97 12.2%

Vung Tau

$62 9.9% 36.3% $35

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.1%

Vung Tau

$59 9.4% 9.4% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$36 4.6%

Vung Tau

$25 4.1% 30.7% $11

Getting Around

Hanoi

$16 2%

Vung Tau

$12 1.9% 25.5% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Hanoi and $299 in Vung Tau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vung Tau pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23 in Hanoi vs $16 in Vung Tau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $173 per month, with Vung Tau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vung Tau

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

Same time as Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

380,000

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hanoi Vung Tau 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Hanoi
Vung Tau

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 Vung Tau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $801 in Hanoi and $625 in Vung Tau, so Vung Tau is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Hanoi. 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: $429 in Hanoi versus $299 in Vung Tau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Vung Tau runs roughly 35% less than in Hanoi. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $867 in Hanoi versus $117 in Vung Tau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $625 in Vung Tau versus $801 in Hanoi, a $800 budget is realistic in Vung Tau but tight or insufficient in Hanoi. The gap between the two cities makes Vung Tau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vung Tau is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hanoi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hanoi and Vung Tau are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Vung Tau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Hanoi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.