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Southeast Asia71% Lower than the US

Hanoi, Vietnam

Estimated monthly cost

$1,290

Local average wage

$499

what locals earn — not what you need

Monthly cost breakdown

1-bed apartment (city center)$405
1-bed apartment (outside center)$282
Utilities (monthly)$83
Internet$9
Mobile plan$5
Monthly transit pass$9
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2
Meal for two, mid-range$21
Cappuccino$2
Domestic draft beer (1 pint)$1

Source: Numbeo, in USD, fetched 2026-09-15. These are raw market prices — see the estimate box for how they roll up into a monthly budget.

Hanoi vs. a mid-size US city

Hanoi$1,290
US baseline$4,420

You'd keep about $3,130/month in your pocket — roughly 71% lower than the same lifestyle costs in the US.

Baseline is $4,420/mo — the median of 4 mid-size US metros run through this exact same budget model, so both bars are measured the same way.

How we estimate $1,290/mo

One person living a modest Western lifestyle in Hanoi — not a local subsistence budget. Prices are real Numbeo data; the assumptions on top of them are listed at the bottom.

Housing

1-bed, city centre$405
1-bed, outside centre$282
Rent used (centre + 15% furnished)$466

Living costs

Utilities(electric, water, gas, refuse)$83
Internet(60 Mbps+ broadband)$9
Mobile plan(10GB+ data)$5
Groceries(basket for one, +25% pantry staples)$109
Eating out(30 meals @ $2 + 1 nicer dinner)$82
Getting around(transit pass + 8 taxi trips)$38
Leisure(gym + 2 cinema)$32

Health cover

International health insurance(age 55, mid-tier, excludes US coverage)$350

An estimate, not a scraped price — premiums swing hard with age and plan. Budget more if you're over 60 or want US coverage included.

Subtotal$1,173
+10% buffer(clothing, household, pharmacy, haircuts)$117
Estimated total$1,290/mo

Still excluded: visa and residency fees, flights, shipping your belongings, and one-time setup costs — these vary far too much by nationality and route to average. See the country guide for those.

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