Hanoi, Vietnam
In Hanoi, $10 buys almost six bowls of phở bò on its own, or a cà phê trứng egg coffee plus a water puppet theatre ticket with plenty of change back.
Index score 380 (rank 2 of 20) — the full basket totals $13.13, so $10 covers about 76.2% of it.
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The basket
| Item | Hanoi | NYC | vs NYC |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread (500g) | $0.98 | $4.61 | -79% |
| Milk (1L) | $1.47 | $1.44 | +2% |
| Eggs (12) | $1.43 | $5.90 | -76% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.05 | $2.10 | -50% |
| Bottled water (1.5L) | $0.52 | $2.50 | -79% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, store) | $0.89 | $3.21 | -72% |
| Cappuccino (cafe) | $1.84 | $6.09 | -70% |
| White rice (1kg) | $0.80 | $6.64 | -88% |
| Chicken breast (1kg) | $3.85 | $14.41 | -73% |
| Public transit, one-way ticket | $0.30 | $3.00 | -90% |
| Total | $13.13 | $49.90 |
What $10 actually buys here
- A bowl of phở bò at a street shop~$1.71
Vietnam's iconic beef noodle soup.
- A cà phê trứng (egg coffee) at Café Giảng~$1.10
Hanoi's signature coffee drink.
- A standard-tier Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre ticket~$3.80
A traditional Vietnamese performance art.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a basic grocery basket cost in Hanoi?
$13.13 for a basic grocery basket in Hanoi — one of the lowest totals in the Index, about $37 less than New York City's $49.90.
What can $10 buy in Hanoi?
Almost six bowls of phở bò at a street shop, at about $1.71 a bowl, or a cà phê trứng egg coffee at Café Giảng plus a Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre ticket for under $5 combined.
Is Hanoi cheaper than New York for everyday expenses?
Yes — Hanoi's index score of 380 means a dollar goes roughly 3.8 times as far in Hanoi as in New York.
How much is a cà phê trứng (egg coffee) in Hanoi?
About $1.10 at Café Giảng, Hanoi's signature coffee drink.
What's the cheapest item in Hanoi's basket?
Public transit at $0.30 a ride, while chicken breast is the priciest item at $3.85 per kilo — among the lowest ceilings of any city in the Index.
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Keep exploring
In Mumbai, $10 covers a round-trip ferry to Elephanta Island with cave-temple entry, a full street-food crawl of vada pav and pav bhaji, or a Bollywood movie with popcorn.
In New York City, $10 covers a halal-cart chicken-and-rice platter, three subway or bus rides, or a pay-what-you-wish museum ticket — the baseline this whole index is measured against.
In Cairo, $10 covers entry to the Cairo Tower observation deck with money left over, a koshary feast for two or three people plus sugarcane juice, or a private felucca sailboat for a sunset hour on the Nile.
Prices are researched estimates (July 2026), not live data — treat them as illustrative, not exact. See the methodology page for details.