Cost of Hanoi: Our 1 Month Expense Report
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Curious what a full month cost of Hanoi really is for a traveling family?
We spent four weeks in Vietnam’s vibrant capital with our two young kids—and tracked every dong. From street food and Grab rides to vacation rentals and a few mini getaways, here’s the full breakdown of what slow, immersive family travel actually looks like—costs and all.
In total, we spent $3,030.50 for 4 weeks for a total of $108.23 per day for our family of 4. Let’s see how that is broken down. All amounts shown are in US dollars.
Accommodation—$1,391.17 or $49.68 per night.
Our month included a mix of stays:
Post-arrival hostel nap – $23.68
We landed in Hanoi at 6am after a long travel day and were running on fumes. We booked a private room at a hostel for a few hours of sleep before checking into our rental—probably the best $23 we spent that month.
3-week rental in Hanoi – $1,158.15
We based ourselves just outside the Old Quarter near North Train Street. Great location, easy access to everything, and a rental with three bedrooms, a small kitchen, and a living area—perfect for our kind of travel.
Cat Ba Island – $122 for 4 nights
Instead of staying in chaotic Cat Ba Town (hello, nonstop construction), we booked a peaceful spot about 12km away in a quieter village. Total win for our family. We stayed at Rocky Mountain Homestay—simple, quiet, and a breath of fresh air after Hanoi’s bustle.
Final 2 nights back in Hanoi – $87.34
Before flying out, we returned to Hanoi’s Old Quarter for two more nights at the Pilgrim Hotel. Great location, walkable to all our favorite food and coffee spots.
Eating Out – $406.17
Hanoi has incredible food and fantastic coffee. It’s a foodie and coffee lover’s paradise.
We pinned all our favorite spots from Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Cat Ba Island on our Google Maps guide — feel free to check it out.
Here’s how our food spending broke down:
Street food and quick bites
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Sausages, ice cream, and goodies from the weekend night market — $26.53
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GrabFood deliveries straight to our door when we needed a break — $121.87
- King Roti — Soft pastries with melted chocolate. We went several times and each one was less than $1 — $12.60
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Bahn Mi Mama — Worth the 30 to 45 minute wait in that alley. We went twice — $8.56
Coffee shops we loved
- Cong Caphe — A chain with a Vietnam War theme and a good strong brew — $7.77
- Cafe Dinh — Whipped egg coffee sounds weird, tastes amazing. We went twice. Kids got juice too — $8.64
- Hanoi Coffee Station — Went just for their iced coconut coffee. Kids got oat yogurt and a drink — $8.22
- Huong Mai Cafe — Tried the famous weasel coffee. Yes, it’s made from beans pooped out by a weasel. Yes, it was delicious — $4.72
- Giao Mua — Cool architecture and a chill spot in the Old Quarter — $6.27
- Hanoi 1990s — This is where we sat during our Train Street experience. Check out our blog post for more on that — $9.74
- Always Cafe — A Harry Potter-themed spot with Butter Beer and fun potions — $8.56
Sit-down meals and restaurants
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Ngoi Hot Plate — $15.79
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Bun Cha Dac Kim (yes, the Michelin-star one) — $6.69
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Bun Bo Nam Bo — Fast and flavorful — $5.48
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Pho Thin — Found this place on a foodie blog and went twice — $10.18
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May Caphe — Surprisingly one of the best burgers we’ve had in a while. We ate here after our Trang An boat ride — $23.37
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Pizza 4Ps — A splurge meal. Vietnamese and Japanese fusion with wood-fired pizza — $26.58
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Naco Taco — We were craving Mexican and this place hit the spot. Decent tacos for Vietnam — $32.73
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KFC — One of the only places we found that accepted credit cards during a debit card mishap — $15.78
Cat Ba Island favorite
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Binh’s Motorcycles Restaurant — This became our go-to on Cat Ba. Local vibe, toys for the kids, and something for everyone. We ate here daily — $46.15
Groceries – $304.38
Our Airbnb was right across the street from a small convenience store called WinMart, where we were able to get most of what we needed. For anything we couldn’t find there, we’d walk down the street to Seikmart. We also picked up fresh fruit from street vendors and markets throughout the Old Quarter.
On average, we spent about $10.87 per day for groceries for our family of four — and that included snacks for everyone throughout the day.
Here’s what that added up to:
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WinMart — $176.87
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Seikmart — $118.11
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Local markets for fresh fruit — $9.40
Transportation – $271.49
We got around using a mix of trains, limousine buses, and Grab, which is Vietnam’s version of Uber. I didn’t include the cost of our flight into Hanoi since everyone will be arriving from different places. When we fly, we use Daily Drop Pro to help us search for flight redemptions using points from our favorite travel credit card.
Here’s what we spent on getting around during our month in Vietnam:
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Train to Ninh Binh (round trip) — $70.16
We booked our tickets through 12go.asia, which was super convenient but a bit more expensive than buying directly at the train station. That said, the station itself was easy to navigate, and buying tickets in person with cash would have been simple. -
Grab rides — $76.15
We used Grab almost daily in Hanoi. It was affordable, reliable, and best of all — no scamming like you sometimes hear about in other countries. Everything is done through the app and you know the price up front. -
Taxi on Cat Ba Island — $15.38
Grab doesn’t operate on Cat Ba Island, so we took a taxi to and from Cat Ba National Park. It was easy enough and still inexpensive. -
Hanoi to Cat Ba Island (round trip) — $109.80
We booked our transportation with Daiichi Travel, which included a shuttle and ferry combo. It was smooth, easy to coordinate, and perfect for families.
Read more about how we got from Hanoi to Cat Ba Island here
Tourist Attractions – $289.90
Hanoi was incredibly affordable when it came to sightseeing and cultural experiences. Most attractions were just a few dollars. We chose to splurge a little while on Cat Ba Island for a couple of unforgettable boat tours.
Here’s exactly what we spent:
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Quan Thanh Temple — $0.78
A Taoist temple near West Lake. Small entrance fee, worth a quick stop. -
Ho Chi Minh Museum — $3.13
A museum dedicated to Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam’s national pride. Insightful and very well done. -
Hanoi Zoo — $9.44
This price included entrance for two adults at $1.92 each, one child at $1.15, plus some rides inside the park for the kids. -
Hoa Lo Prison — $3.93
Originally built by the French to hold Vietnamese revolutionaries, this place later became known as the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War. Heavy but fascinating. -
Water Puppet Show — $23.60
We paid 200,000 VND per seat for front section tickets and loved every minute. Traditional music, skilled puppetry, and cultural storytelling all rolled into one. Read more about our experience here. -
Trang An Boating Tour — $24.15
A scenic rowboat ride through limestone caves and river valleys, often called “Ha Long Bay on land.” A peaceful and beautiful day. More on that here. -
Mua Cave — $11.74
This price covered entry for two people to hike to the top and explore the caves. One of the best views in Ninh Binh. -
Ethnology Museum — $3.13
Great museum featuring Vietnam’s diverse ethnic groups, complete with full-scale traditional homes and hands-on exhibits. -
Vietnam Military History Museum — Free
We lucked out by visiting on a free entry day. The outdoor section had tanks, helicopters, and planes from the Vietnam War, and the indoor exhibits were extensive. -
HLC Starry Sky Art Museum — $19.40
This is inside Vincom Mall and features a hall of mirrors and a light show. A bit pricey, but the kids were obsessed and it was a nice break from the chaos of Old Quarter. -
Wolfoo World Indoor Playground — $11.72
Vietnam doesn’t have many outdoor playgrounds, but we found this spot inside Vincom Mall. It cost 150,000 VND per child and included one parent entry each. -
Babiland Kidsplay and Cafe — $13.94
Another indoor playground, but this one was conveniently located in the Old Quarter. A nice place for the kids to burn some energy while we got a coffee. -
Cat Ba National Park — $9.23
Entrance fee for two adults to hike to Ngu Lam Peak. Kids were free and the hike was totally worth it for the views. Read more on what to do while in Cat Ba Island, click here. -
Day Cruise in Lan Ha Bay and Ha Long Bay — $69.23
Booked through our hotel, this cruise included stunning views and a great lunch. It cost 600,000 VND per adult and 200,000 VND per kid. Click here to book your day cruise. -
Sunset Kayaking and Plankton Tour — $86.48
This one included a stop at Monkey Island, a sunset kayak, and paddling through glowing bioluminescent plankton after dark. 900,000 VND per adult and 450,000 VND per kid. Our two-year-old was free.
Miscellaneous – $230.57
Here are a few additional things we spent money on during our month in Vietnam. These aren’t daily costs, but they’re the kind of real-life expenses that come up while traveling long-term with kids.
Vietnam eVisas — $102.88
We paid $25.72 each for four eVisas. The process was straightforward and totally worth the time saved at the border.
Airalo eSIM — $13.00
This is our go-to for staying connected abroad. Easy to set up and works great in Vietnam.
Phone cover — $5.84
Just a basic phone case replacement after ours wore out.
Decathlon stop for Cat Ba Island — $34.60
We needed swimsuits and goggles before heading to the island, and Decathlon was the perfect one-stop shop.
Second Decathlon run — $74.25
We lost a swimsuit during a boat cruise and needed to replace it. Plus, after a 7 months of rotating only three shirts each, as we adhere to minimalist packing, we had to swap out some worn-out clothes
Healthcare- $112.56
We always travel with insurance because you just never know, especially with kids.
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SafetyWing Nomad Insurance — $112.56
This is the travel insurance we use to cover medical emergencies and all the unexpected stuff. It gives us peace of mind wherever we are. -
Pharmacy visit — $24.26
An illness made its way through our household, so we picked up some medication from a local pharmacy. Thankfully, it was easy and affordable to get what we needed.
Total: $3,030.50
What we learned:
Transportation
Grab was our go-to anytime something was out of walking range with two young kids. It was easy, reliable, and best of all — no scams or surprises. Most of the time, we walked, which is always our favorite way to explore a new place.
Food
Hanoi is a total dream for food and coffee lovers. As a family, we don’t normally eat out this much, but in a city like this, it was hard not to. It definitely stretched our budget a bit, but we have zero regrets.
Activities
Most of the things to do in Hanoi were super affordable. The only bigger splurges were the two boat tours we did once we got to Cat Ba Island — and even those felt worth every penny.
Want to see exactly where we went? Click here for our FREE Google Map Pinned Guide with all our favorite food spots and things to do in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Cat Ba Island.
Hanoi ended up being such a great experience for our family. We honestly didn’t come in with many expectations, but we were completely blown away. Between the natural beauty, the incredible food and coffee, and a culture that’s so welcoming to kids, we already can’t wait to go back.
