Which place is cheaper, Hanoi or Nairobi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Nairobi or Hanoi?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Nairobi and Hanoi 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: Nairobi or Hanoi?
Nairobi
Nairobi is Kenya's capital as well as the country's largest city. With a population of about 3 million, it is also one of the largest cities in Africa. It is a prominent city both politically and financially within the region. There are many international companies that are located in Nairobi and the Nairobi Securities and Exchange is one of the largest in Africa.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Safaris in Kenya, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Adventure Tours to Vietnam, and The Best Eco Tours in Vietnam.
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Nairobi Prices
Kenya PricesHanoi Prices
Vietnam Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNairobi $67Hanoi $58
The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $67, while the average daily cost in Hanoi is $58. 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 Nairobi and Hanoi in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNairobi $12Hanoi $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNairobi $24Hanoi $50
Compare Hotels in Nairobi and Hanoi
Looking for a hotel in Nairobi or Hanoi? 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: Nairobi Hotel Prices and Hanoi Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Nairobi $11Hanoi $6.64
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:
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Taxi from Airport$9.24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi
Also for Nairobi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport Transfer (one Way): $80
- Airport Transfers: $40
- Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $28
- Airport transfer; NBO to nairobi hotels: $27
- From JKIA Airport Nairobi Private Transfer in a Car 3 Pax Max: $35
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Private Transfer: $27
- Mwashi Airport Transfer & Taxi: $27
- Nairobi Airport Transfers: $69
- Nairobi Airport Transfers to Wilson Airport and Hotels: $40
- Nairobi National Park Tour with Game Drive and Transfer: $95
- NBO Airport Private Transfer to/from Nairobi City Center: $8.85
- Private Airport Transfers To or From Nairobi Airports.: $25
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$1.15
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Shuttle Bus From Airport (for Two)$3.08
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Local Bus Ride (for Two)$0.38
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Short Taxi Ride$1.31
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Short Motorbike Ride (10 Minutes)$0.77
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hanoi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hanoi:
- Transfer to or from Sapa in a Sleeper Bus from Hanoi: $30
- Transfer Hanoi to Halong Super Limousine Morning Bus: $33
- Small Group Halong Islands, Cave, Kayak. Seafood Lunch. Transfers: $141
- Shared Transfer Hanoi - Halong/Ninh Binh Limousine Car: $17
- Sea Octopus - Luxury Halong Cruise From Hanoi Roundtrip Transfer: $110
- Sapa Tour 2 Days from Hanoi by Luxury Limousine Transfer: $123
- Sapa Private Trek Tour 2 Day Luxury Limousine Transfer from Hanoi: $127
- Sapa 2 Days 1 Night Tour Included Transfer and Hotel Overnight: $90
- Private/Shared Transfers From/To Hanoi - Ha Long - Ninh Binh: $16
- Private transfers from Hanoi to Ninh Binh or Ninh Binh to Hanoi: $58
- Private transfers Hanoi - Ninh Binh Sightseeings - Hanoi Full Day: $89
- Private transfers Hanoi - Hai Phong One Way (Free Hotel Pickup): $75
Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or Hanoi?
Prices for flights to both Hanoi and Nairobi 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 dayNairobi $13Hanoi $23
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner for Two$5.00
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Carnivore Restaurant: Lunch or Dinner Experience in Nairobi: $21
- Kenyan Cooking Class & Authentic Dining Experience with a Local: $40
- Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour: $55
- Popular Kenyan Food Cooking Class and Local Market Experience: $60
- Private Interactive Cooking Class and Market Tour in Kinoo: $65
- Carnivore restaurant Dinner or lunch from Nairobi: $65
- Carnivore Resturant Dinner Experience: $68
- Dinner Experience with Cat Show at Safari Park Hotel: $90
- Safari Park Dinner with Safari Cats Dance Show: $97
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class in Nairobi with a Local: $98
- Safari Cat Dancers Show And Dinner: $100
- Barbecue Lunch/ Dinner At The Carnivore Restaurant - Nairobi: $100
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)$4.23
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Bowl of Pho$0.77
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Italian Dinner (for Food)$5.96
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hanoi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hanoi.
- Private Hanoi Old Quarter Street Food Tour with Student Guide: $1.90
- Hanoi Street Food Tour: Old Quarter Food & Local Experiences: $19
- Hanoi Walking Street Food Tour with Train-Street Visit: $21
- Hanoi Street Food Tour: Hidden Local Eats & Full Meal Experience: $22
- Hanoi food tour-Local street food tour (food&guide included): $23
- Hanoi Street Food Tour with Train Street Visit: $23
- Hanoi Farm-to-Table Cooking Class with Village Cycling: $24
- Hanoi Street Food Tour with Experience Guide & Real Foodie: $24
- Hanoi Food Tours: $24
- 3 Hours Hanoi Street Food Tour: Authentic Food, Culture and Guide: $25
- Hanoi Food Tour - Local Street Food Walking Tour: $25
- Hanoi Street Food Tour with Real Foodies & Guide (3 Hours): $25
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Nairobi $46Hanoi $8.20
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Village Visit$15
Tours and Activities in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Fashion African Fabric & Souvenir Market Tour: $12
- Nairobi Matatu Culture Experience: $18
- Nairobi City Tour +Pickup: $19
- Nairobi Walking City Tour +pick-up: $20
- Nairobi’s ultimate Walking City Tour with Hotel pickup: $20
- Kibera Chocolate City Tour: $22
- Nairobi City Walk Tour +pickup: $22
- Nairobi Green Bus City Sightseeing Tour 4 Hours: $23
- Giraffe Center Karen Blixen and Kobe Beads Day Tour: $25
- Nairobi City Tour: $25
- Discover Nairobi City with Student Led Walking Tour: $25
- Mathare Community Slum Tour: $26
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$1.54
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The Hanoi Hilton Entrance$1.54
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National History Museum$1.54
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Puppet Theater Ticket$2.69
Tours and Activities in Hanoi
Here are a few actual costs in Hanoi for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- (Private) Hanoi French Quarter walking Tour: $5.13
- (Private) Hanoi War Sites Tour: $5.13
- (Private) MUSEUM TOUR in HANOI: $5.13
- 03 Hours Hanoi Private Walking Tour with Local Culture: $26
- 07 Hours Explore Halong Bay on Pamela Luxury Cruises: $75
- 1 Day Bai Dinh Trang An Mua Cave Luxury Tour from Hanoi: $75
- 1 Day Guided Tour to Ha Noi City: $48
- 1 Day Halong and Lan Ha Bay Hera Luxury Day Cruise from Hanoi: $90
- 1 Day Luxury Tour in Bai Dinh,Trang An & Mua Cave Amazing View: $69
- 1 Day Luxury Tour in Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua Cave Amazing View: $58
- 1 Day Luxury Tour to Ninh Binh Bai Dinh Trang An Mua Cave: $58
- 1 Day Luxury Tour to Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu Tam Coc Mua Cave Tour: $49
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayNairobi $16Hanoi $7.42
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nairobi and Hanoi, we can see that Nairobi is more expensive. And not only is Hanoi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Nairobi is in Africa and Hanoi is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Hanoi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Hanoi and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Nairobi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Nairobi than you might in Hanoi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Nairobi Expensive? and Is Hanoi Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Nairobi or Hanoi?
Nairobi has a larger population, and is about 92% larger than the population of Hanoi. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi and Hanoi, 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.