One of the most common questions I get asked is: - "How much does it actually cost to live in Vietnam?”

So instead of giving you a boring list, I thought I’d just walk you through what my typical month in Hanoi looks like—and what I actually spend.

My Apartment & Bills

I live in a modern apartment here in Hanoi, and to be honest, this is where Vietnam really surprised me.

• Rent: £245 a month

• Service charge (includes parking, internet, security): £5.70

• Water: £4.30

Electricity varies depending on the time of year.  In the cooler months (like December and January), I’m paying around £15 a month.

But in the summer… that’s a different story. With air con running pretty much all day and night, it goes up to about £40 a month.

Even so, compared to the UK, it still feels incredibly reasonable.

Getting Around (My Motorbike Life)

I bought myself a brand new 50cc motorbike when I arrived—cost me about £620.  No road tax to worry about, and insurance is only about £25 a year.  Petrol? Around £7 a month.

Honestly, this is one of the biggest lifestyle changes. Having your own bike here just makes life easy—and cheap.

See my Blogs about renting and buying a motorbike, you will see you can actually buy cheaper new motorbikes.

Eating Out (Which I Do… A Lot!)

This is where Hanoi really shines.

Most mornings, I head out for breakfast—something like bún chả, bánh cuốn, bún mọc, or bún bò Huế—with an iced tea.

That usually costs about £1.75, so roughly £60 a month.

Twice a month, I’ll treat myself to a Full English, which is about £6.50 each time.

Coffee is part of my daily routine now—two a day at about £1.20 each, so around £70 a month.

During the day I might grab a bánh mì, some fruit, or a snack—about £1.20 a day.

Evenings are just as affordable. I’ll eat local food—things like sốt vang, pho ga or pho bo (chicken or beef street food) —with a drink for around £1.70 a night.

Social Life (Yes, This Adds Up!)

Now, this is where you need to be honest with yourself 😄

A beer is from 80p to around  £1.70 a bottle and if you’re having 4 or 5 in a night, a few times a week… it soon adds up.

For me, that’s roughly £160 a month.

You could easily spend less here—but equally, it’s very easy to spend more!

Western Treats & Takeaways

Every now and then, I fancy something from home.

Pizza, fries, or even KFC or McDonald’s will cost about £5 - £6 per meal, and I probably do that a couple of times a week.

Bits for the Apartment

Even though I eat out most of the time, I still spend around £70 a month on food and bits for the apartment - milk, sugar, coffee, toiletries etc 

Health & Essentials

A few everyday things people often forget to include:

• Contact lenses: about £3.10 each (I use 2 a month)

• Solution lasts a couple of months (£4)

• Any basic medication over the counter: around £5

• Laundrette - costs me roungly £1.50 a week

Visa Runs (The Hidden Cost)

This is one you definitely need to factor in.

Every 3 months, I do a visa run—usually to Bangkok.

• Flight: around £90 return

• Hotel: about £25 per night

All in, it comes to roughly £200–£250 every 3 months.

But I am trying a cheaper option this month- mini bus to the Chinese border, £25 return to Hanoi, it takes about 3 to 4 hours each way. I am stopping in China for a night in a hotel fot £25. So if this gors to plan that brings the visa run costs down to around £50/£60 every 3 months.   

Visas cost 25 US dollars (about £19) every 90 days too.

Hobbies & Lifestyle

I still play table tennis regularly—it costs about 90p per session, a couple of times a week. So around £10 a month.

I’ve also joined a top of the range gym, which is about £17.50 a month.  There are small cheaper ones, it all depends what you are wanting.

Cinema - is only about £1.50 to see the latest films.

Clothes & Everyday Bargains

Clothes here are incredibly cheap.

• Flip flops: about £2.85

• T-shirts: £3–£4

• Shorts: around £5

You can spend more, of course—but you really don’t need to.

😄 And Finally…

There’s one extra category…

My Vietnamese girlfriend!! Still cheaper than eating out and buying clothes and things back home in the UK.

So, What’s the Total?

Your lifestyle will be completely different to mine.

• You might drink less 

• You might cook more 

• Or you might prefer a more luxury apartment 

But what I hope this gives you is a real, honest picture of everyday life in Hanoi—not just figures pulled from a website.

Vietnam gives you the option to live cheaply—but it also gives you plenty of ways to spend money if you’re not careful.

Average monthly cost to live in Hanoi, Vietnam (based on my lifestyle):

👉 £875 – £990 per month

Typical breakdown:

• 🏠 Rent & bills: £270–£295

• 🍜 Food & coffee: £200–£230

• 🍺 Social & beer: ~£160

• 🍕 Western meals/takeaways: £60–£100

• 🛵 Transport: ~£10

• 🏓 Gym & hobbies: £25–£30

• 🛒 Household food: ~£70

• 💊 Health & essentials: £10–£15

• ✈️ Visa runs (monthly average): £70–£80

👉 Comfortable lifestyle average: ~£900/month

Final Thoughts

For me, the biggest takeaway is this:

• You can live comfortably here on far less than in the UK

• But your lifestyle choices still matter