Which place is cheaper, Cusco or Hanoi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Hanoi or Cusco?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Hanoi and Cusco can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Hanoi or Cusco?
Hanoi
Hanoi is the chaotic capital of Vietnam, and it serves as a great introduction to the country for many travelers. It's the second largest city in the country after Saigon and is an interesting combination of East meets West. There's traditional Vietnamese culture with subtle influences brought by the French. The city continues to grow and change rapidly and it's easy to get lost amidst the chaos.
Cusco
Cusco is most famous as the historic capital of the Inca Empire. It is in the southern Sierras and is one of the most popular travel destinations within Peru. The city is located at 3,400 meters above sea level so it is best to acclimate yourself slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
Cusco is the starting point for many travelers making their way to the famed Machu Picchu or other Inca sites in the surrounding area.
The city is very beautiful and has impressive architecture throughout. The history is obvious as you walk around town and there are impressive ruins nearby, with the most impressive being Sacsayhuaman. The city also has a significant indigenous population that is obvious from their traditional clothing and style.
Cusco has a subtropical highland climate with a pleasant daytime temperature year around. There are two distinct seasons with the dry season being between May and August and the wet season between December and March. During the dry season there is plenty of sun with occasional nighttime freezes. Frost is less common in the wet season.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Vietnam, The Best Eco Tours in Vietnam, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Cusco, and The Best 3-Day Tours from Cusco.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHanoi $48Cusco $50
The average daily cost (per person) in Hanoi is $48, while the average daily cost in Cusco is $50. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Hanoi and Cusco in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHanoi $25Cusco $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHanoi $50Cusco $46
Compare Hotels in Hanoi and Cusco
Looking for a hotel in Hanoi or Cusco? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Hanoi Hotel Prices and Cusco Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Hanoi $6.79Cusco $9.96
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Hanoi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Hanoi:
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Taxi to Bus Station$1.18
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Shuttle Bus From Airport (for Two)$3.15
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Local Bus Ride (for Two)$0.39
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Short Taxi Ride$1.34
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Short Motorbike Ride (10 Minutes)$0.79
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hanoi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hanoi:
- Amazing Hanoi Private TransferTaxi-Cheap Vietnam SimCard Internet: $6.90
- Hanoi Private Car Airport Transfer To Hotel: $7.16
- Noi Bai Airport transfer to Hanoi Center and more: $8.00
- Noi Bai International Airport Private Transfer: $8.18
- Hanoi City Center to Noi Bai Airport - Private Transfer: $8.43
- Hanoi Airport Departure Shared Transfer: $10
- Bus Transfer Hanoi to Halong Bay and Vice Versa : $11
- Private Noi Bai International Airport Transfer: $11
- Private Car Ha Noi Airport Transfer : $12
- Hanoi Airport Transfer: $13
- Noi Bai airport to Ha Noi city transfer by private car: $13
- Private Airport Transfer in Hanoi: $13
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Cusco
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Cusco:
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Taxi Ride$1.07
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cusco
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cusco:
- Cusco – Puno Direct Transfers: $24
- Cusco Airport Arrival Transfer: $15
- Cusco Airport Arrival or Departure Transfer : $13
- Cusco Airport Pickup and Private Transfer: $15
- Cusco Airport: Private 1-Way Transfer: $15
- Cusco Bus Station Arrival or Departure Transfer: $13
- Cusco Private Transfer to Poroy Railway Station: $15
- Cusco to Ollantaytambo: One-Way Private Transfer: $55
- Abode of the Gods ATV Tour with Transfer: $30
- Alpaca and Llama Farm Tour w/ Transfer & Weaving Demo: $34
- Full-Day Trip to Machu Picchu with Hotel Transfers: $290
- One-Way Airport Transfer to Hotel: $9.50
Is it cheaper to fly into Hanoi or Cusco?
Prices for flights to both Cusco and Hanoi change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayHanoi $13Cusco $13
Typical Food Prices in Hanoi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Hanoi:
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High End Dinner (for Two)$11
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$4.33
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Bowl of Pho$0.79
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Italian Dinner (for Food)$6.10
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hanoi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hanoi.
- Hanoi free food tour - Old Quarter food walking tour: $5.00
- Street Food Tour (Group/Individual): $5.11
- Hanoi Street Food Tour Visit Train Street Add Old Quarter: $19
- Hanoi Walking Street Food Tour: $20
- Walking Street Food Tour Small Group with Local Guide: $22
- Hanoi Street Food Tour: $22
- Hanoi street food tour small group tour: $22
- Hanoi Street Food Tour: $23
- Ngon ngon & Authentic Hanoi Food Tour: $23
- Hanoi food tour-Local street food tour (food&guide included): $23
- Guided Street Food Tour with Train Street Experience: $23
- Vietnamese Street Food Tour with a Local Guide: $23
Typical Food Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of dining costs in Cusco are as follows:
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Sandwich$2.15
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Mango$0.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cusco
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cusco.
- Small-Group Virtual Ceviche Cooking Experience: $25
- Folkloric Andean Show & 3-Course Dinner at Tunupa: $35
- CUSCO COOKING CLASS LUNCH - Quick Culinary Dive: $37
- 3-Hour Peruvian Cooking Class: $49
- Market Tour & Traditional Peruvian Cooking Class in Cusco: $53
- Cooking Class and market tour with a local chef: $56
- Peruvian Cooking Class and Local Market in Cusco: $59
- Dinner at Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba Hotel: $65
- Peruvian Market Tour And Cooking Class in Cusco: $65
- Peruvian Cooking Class, Cocktails & Local Market Tour: $65
- Peruvian Cooking Class & Market Tour: $65
- Awamaki Cooking Class: $68
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Hanoi $8.38Cusco $29
Typical Entertainment Prices in Hanoi
Here are a few typical costs in Hanoi for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Puppet Theater$1.57
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The Hanoi Hilton Entrance$1.57
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National History Museum$1.57
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Puppet Theater Ticket$2.75
Tours and Activities in Hanoi
Here are a few actual costs in Hanoi for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Bus Ticket Cat Ba - Hanoi ( Bus+ Ferry ) - Best Selling: $0.02
- Hanoi Old Quarter Free walking tour: $5.00
- Private Hanoi Street Food Walking Tour: $5.00
- Half Day Hanoi Old Quarter Private Walking Tour : $5.00
- Hanoi Street Food Experience: $5.00
- (Evening) HANOI CUSTOMIZED Walking Tour: $5.00
- Half-day Private Walking Tour of Hanoi's Old Quarter: $5.00
- Sightseeing Walking Tour in Hanoi: $5.00
- Private Walking Tour of Hanoi City: $5.00
- Street Food Walking Tour in Hanoi: $5.00
- Half Day Hanoi Old Quarter Private Walking Tour: $5.00
- Hanoi Old Quarter Half-day Private Walking Tour : $5.00
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cusco
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Cusco are as follows:
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Salsa Class$2.69
Tours and Activities in Cusco
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cusco are as follows:
- Free Walking Tour of Cusco: $2.00
- Cusco : Half Day City Tour: $9.00
- Walking Tour Cusco: $10
- Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary Admission Ticket: $10
- CUSCO CITY TOUR 2024 Half Day Tour in Cuzco: $10
- Cusco City Half-Day Tour: $12
- Open Bus Tour of the City’s Wonder’s: $12
- Sightseeing Tour of the City on an Open-Top Bus: $12
- City Tour Cusco / Tour in the City: $12
- Open-Top Bus City Tour: $12
- Mirabus Cusco city tour | Panoramic view |: $12
- Historic Walking Tour with Pisco Sour and Music Show: $13
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHanoi $7.58Cusco $9.46
Sample the Local Flavors in Hanoi
Also in Hanoi, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Half-Day Guided Tour Australian Beef with Wine Tasting & Rickshaw in Hanoi: $107
Sample the Local Flavors in Cusco
Also in Cusco, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Cusco Pub Crawl - Bar Tour Cusco : $18
- Cusco Pub Crawl: Cusco Bar Hopping Experience : $18
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with 10+ benefits: $18
- Pub Crawl with Skip-the-Line Access and Drinks: $18
- Exclusive Pub Crawl with more than 10 Benefits: $25
When comparing the travel costs between Hanoi and Cusco, we can see that Cusco is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Even though Hanoi is in Asia and Cusco is in South America, both of these destinations have relatively similar prices of travel. Generally, the levels of luxury and expenses are the same for these cities even though they are geographically far apart.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Hanoi Expensive? and Is Cusco Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Hanoi or Cusco?
Hanoi has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Cusco. When comparing the sizes of Hanoi and Cusco, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.