Hanoi Budget Calculator
- Housing + utilities $707 47%
- Food & drink $392 26%
- Getting around $127 8%
- Work + connectivity $133 9%
- Health, gym, fun $153 10%
These are mid-market figures. Paying with a typical bank card in Hanoi adds roughly 3% on top, about $45 a month on this budget. Find the best travel card for Hanoi →
A solo digital-nomad month, per person, side by side with places in the region.
A month here is about 54% of a mid-size US city.
See the cost breakdown
- Rent (1-bed) 1× 1-bed $612
- Utilities + internet flat estimate $95
- Eating out (local) 32 × $2.37 $76
- Eating out (mid-range) 16 × $6.64 $106
- Groceries (cooking in) 32 meals × $2.20 $70
- Coffees 45 × $2.74 $123
- Beers out 10 × $1.68 $17
- Getting around scooter + 12 taxis $127
- Coworking $107/mo $107
- SIM / data 7-day SIM × 4 $26
- Gym $35/mo $35
- Massages 2 × $16 $31
- Health (amortised) GP + dentist ÷ 12 $6.71
- Nightlife / buffer flat estimate $80
Figures assume a long-term stay (30+ days) and cover rent, food, transport, internet and everyday spending. Flights, visas and insurance aren't included. Rent, utilities and internet are shared across the household; everything else is per person. Rent, food and transport use the tracked prices below; utilities, the buffer and amortised health are modelled estimates.
Updated August 2026
Average prices in Hanoi
A comfortable mid-range visit to Hanoi costs roughly $50-100 USD per day. This covers decent accommodation, local food, transport, and a few attractions.
Rent in Hanoi by area
Rent is where Hanoi's districts differ most. These run from pricier to cheaper than the city average, using our own estimates from local listings:
- Tay Ho (West Lake) Pricier Tay Ho around West Lake is the main expat area, with lake-view apartments, Western cafes and the highest rents in the city. Most long-stay foreigners start here.
- Hoan Kiem (Old Quarter) Pricier Hoan Kiem and the Old Quarter put you in the historic heart, walkable and full of life, with rents above average for the location.
- Ba Dinh Mid Ba Dinh is central and a little more formal, home to the government quarter, with rents around or just above the city average.
- Dong Da Mid Dong Da is a busy, very local district close to the center, with rents below Tay Ho and the Old Quarter. Good value if you want central without the expat premium.
- Cau Giay Cheaper Cau Giay to the west has universities, newer apartment blocks and cheaper rents, popular with students and younger locals.
- Long Bien Cheaper Long Bien across the Red River has the lowest rents on this list. The trade-off is the bridge crossing and a longer scooter ride into the center.
Is Hanoi expensive?
Hanoi is cheap for rent, street food, coffee and a scooter, and closer to home prices only for imported goods and Western dining. Even a bia hoi night out costs next to nothing.
A comfortable month costs a fraction of a Western city. On our numbers Hanoi runs a touch above Ho Chi Minh City and above coastal spots like Da Nang, while staying below Thailand. The Vietnam cost of living page has the full picture.
Sending money to Hanoi
If you earn abroad, you are converting to dong, where the numbers run large: rent is in the millions and a beer is 25,000. A weak rate plus a transfer fee can cost 3 to 5% each time, which matters more the more you send.
Landlords usually want one to three months up front, in cash or by bank transfer. Line up a cheap way to move money before you sign a lease. Check what you would receive today, then the full Vietnam money guide covers ATMs, cards and cash.
What you'll receive today
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Paying rent, using ATMs, tapping a card? See the full Vietnam money guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How much do you need per month to live in Hanoi?
For one person, plan on about $750 for a basic setup, $1,510 for a comfortable digital-nomad month with a one-bed and coworking, and $2,540 for a West Lake apartment with taxis and eating out. Set your own household size, district and currency in the calculator above.
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Can you live in Hanoi on $1,000 a month?
Yes, with room to spare. Rent outside Tay Ho, eat local and ride a scooter, and $1,000 covers it easily. A lake-view apartment and a Western cafe habit are what tighten the budget.
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Is Hanoi cheaper than Ho Chi Minh City?
On our numbers they are close, with Hanoi running a touch higher on rent in the expat areas. Food is similarly cheap in both. Hanoi is more traditional and gets a cool winter; Saigon is warmer and more business-focused year-round.
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What costs do people forget when budgeting for Hanoi?
Health insurance and visa costs are the usual misses, and border runs add up over a long stay. After that it is imported groceries and Western dining, plus the daily cafe coffee that costs several times a local egg coffee. Winter heating is a small extra some places need.
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Do you need a scooter in Hanoi?
Effectively yes. Hanoi runs on scooters and one makes the city easy to get around cheaply, though the traffic takes some nerve. Grab is a fine backup for short trips. The Basic and Digital Nomad settings assume a monthly scooter rental; Luxury uses taxis.