Hanoi Monthly Budget Calculator (2026): What Living Here Costs for Your Lifestyle
A free calculator for foreigners planning a move to Hanoi in 2026: pick your rent level, how you eat, how you get around and how often you go out, and see a monthly range in VND and USD, with the costs most budgets forget.
"How much do I need a month in Hanoi?" has no single answer, because two people on the same street can spend 7 million and 35 million VND. The difference is almost entirely four choices: where you sleep, how you eat, how you move and how much you go out. The calculator below lets you set those four and see the range.
Hanoi monthly budget calculator
Pick how you live; ranges are estimates from 2026 listings and prices in central Hanoi (checked October 2026), in VND (M = million).
Fixed items included: electricity & water 0.4–1.2 million, phone + home internet 0.25–0.4 million. Not included: flights, visa runs, tuition, one-off deposits (usually 1–2 months' rent).
How the numbers were put together
Rent ranges come from 2026 listings in Cầu Giấy, Đống Đa, Ba Đình, Tây Hồ and Thanh Xuân. A room in a shared local house is the cheapest way to live and the one many young Vietnamese office workers choose; a studio with a lift and a washing machine in a local area is where a lot of newcomers start. Around West Lake and Ba Đình you pay more for bigger rooms, quieter lanes and landlords who are used to foreign tenants.
Food is the second lever. A plate of rice or a bowl of noodles near an office costs about 40,000–55,000 VND. A Western brunch in Tây Hồ costs four to six times that. People who eat mostly local and cook sometimes rarely pass 3.5 million a month; people who live on pizza, burgers and flat whites easily pass 8 million.
Transport depends on whether you ride. A motorbike costs little to run (petrol for a normal commute is under 500,000 VND a month), but you need the right licence and insurance, and many newcomers prefer Grab. Short Grab bike trips are 20,000–40,000 VND; a Grab car across town in traffic can be 120,000–200,000.
Related reading: Income Tax in Vietnam for Foreigners (2026): Resident or Not, the New 5-Bracket Table, and a Worked Payslip · Motorbike Insurance in Vietnam for Foreigners (2026): The Compulsory Policy, What It Pays, and What It Won't
The costs that catch newcomers out
The deposit. Most landlords ask for one or two months' rent up front, plus the first month. Budget for it separately; you get it back only if you leave on the terms in the contract.
Electricity in summer. From May to September the air conditioner runs most of the day. In a room billed at a flat rate per kWh above the official tariff, that alone can add a million VND a month. Ask how electricity is charged before you sign.
Weddings and office life. If you work with Vietnamese colleagues, wedding invitations come all year and pile up in autumn; for a colleague, an envelope of 300,000–500,000 VND is common. Birthdays and farewell dinners add a little every month.
Visa and paperwork. E-visas, work permits and temporary residence cards are not monthly costs, but they come round, and agencies charge far more than the official fees.
Three example months
| Lifestyle | Choices in the calculator | Rough monthly total |
|---|---|---|
| Careful local | shared house, street food + cooking, motorbike, quiet, insurance from employer | about 6.5–10.5 million VND |
| Typical newcomer | studio, local restaurants, Grab bikes, a few nights out, own insurance | about 13–22 million VND |
| Comfortable expat | West Lake serviced apartment, cafés and Western food, Grab cars, gym and trips | about 23–38 million VND |
Your own number will sit somewhere inside these ranges; prices vary by street, season and how hard you bargain.
Estimates checked in October 2026. Prices move, and exchange rates change, so adjust the rate box in the calculator to today's rate.
— John Le
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John Le · Hanoi local · writes about money, work and everyday admin in Vietnam. Spotted an outdated price? Tell us and we will update it.
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