Where do people in Hanoi buy groceries?
Most Hanoi neighbourhoods have a wet market, busiest from dawn to mid-morning, where households buy meat, fish, tofu, herbs and vegetables. Dong Xuan Market, at the northern edge of the Old Quarter, is one of the city's largest covered markets and works largely as a wholesale hub for clothing, household goods and dried food. Hom Market, south of Hoan Kiem Lake, is known for fabric and food stalls.
Mini-marts and supermarkets fill the gaps for packaged goods, milk and imported products. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, a night market runs through the Old Quarter streets north of Hoan Kiem Lake.
How do you pay for transport and small daily spends in Hanoi?
City buses are low-cost and cover most of Hanoi, and elevated metro lines serve part of the city with single tickets and monthly passes. Motorbike and car ride-hailing apps are widely used and show the fare before you book, which avoids haggling. Many visitors simply walk around the Old Quarter.
Street food is the backbone of daily spending: a bowl of pho, a banh mi or a coffee on a low plastic stool costs far less than a meal in a restaurant aimed at tourists. Egg coffee is a local speciality. Tipping is not expected, though leaving small change in restaurants or tipping guides is appreciated.
How do Hanoi prices differ from the rest of Vietnam?
Hanoi, together with Ho Chi Minh City, has a wider choice of imported food and international shops than smaller Vietnamese towns. Within Hanoi, the Old Quarter and the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake charge more for food, drinks and souvenirs than residential districts, where local cafés and markets serve mostly regulars.
To stretch a budget, eat where locals queue at lunchtime, ask the price before ordering at stalls without menus, buy fruit at markets rather than on tourist streets, and use the comparison tool to see how the local prices we read compare with home.
What things cost in Hanoi
| Product | Local product name | Price per unit | Pack sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk - 1 L | UHT milk, full fat | ₫57,700 / 1 L | 1 L |
| Eggs - 10 pieces | Standard eggs | ₫38,700 / 10 pieces | 10 pieces |
| Rice - 1 kg | Jasmine rice (Hom Mali) | ₫32,600 / 1 kg | 5 kg |
| Pasta - 500 g | Dried pasta | ₫48,075 / 0.5 kg | 500 g, 400 g |
| Bread - 500 g | White sliced bread | ₫38,181.82 / 0.5 kg | 275 g |
| Cooking oil - 1 L | Soybean oil | ₫64,500 / 1 L | 1 L, 2 L |
| Chicken - 1 kg | Whole fresh chicken | ₫129,900 / 1 kg | 1.2 kg |
| Beef - 1 kg | Boneless beef (cubes / cuts) | ₫345,000 / 1 kg | 1 kg |
| Ground beef - 1 kg | Ground beef | ₫379,600 / 1 kg | 250 g |
| Potatoes - 1 kg | Potatoes | ₫29,900 / 1 kg | 1 kg |
| Tomatoes - 1 kg | Tomatoes | ₫19,800 / 1 kg | 500 g |
| Onions - 1 kg | Onions | ₫28,285.71 / 1 kg | 350 g |
| Bananas - 1 kg | Bananas | ₫34,000 / 1 kg | 1 kg |
| Apples - 1 kg | Apples, Jazz | ₫109,000 / 1 kg | 1 kg |
| Oranges - 1 kg | Oranges | ₫39,900 / 1 kg | 1 kg |
| Drinking water - 1.5 L | Bottled drinking water | ₫11,100 / 1.5 L | 1.5 L |
| Shower gel - 400 ml | Shower gel | ₫156,800 / 0.4 L | 500 ml |
| Bar soap - 100 g | Bar soap | ₫21,944.44 / 0.1 kg | 90 g |
| Toothbrush - 1 piece | Toothbrush | ₫43,700 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Toilet paper - 4 rolls | Toilet paper | ₫13,720 / 4 pieces | 10 pieces |
| Paper towels - 2 rolls | Paper towels | ₫35,400 / 2 pieces | 2 pieces |
| Basic cotton T-shirt - 1 piece | Basic cotton T-shirt | ₫149,000 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Jeans - 1 pair | Jeans | ₫799,000 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Trousers - 1 pair | Chino or cotton trousers | ₫699,000 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Casual sneakers - 1 pair | Casual sneakers | ₫465,000 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Towel - 50 x 90 cm | Towel | ₫119,000 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Pillow - 1 piece | Pillow | ₫189,000 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Instant noodles - 1 pack | Instant noodles | ₫4,700 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Biscuits - 1 pack | Biscuits | ₫45,900 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Shirt - 1 piece | Basic long-sleeve shirt | ₫599,000 / 1 piece | 1 piece |
Compared with the other cities
US dollar prices for 30 products that we also have in at least three other cities. The percentage shows the difference from the average of those cities.
Lower in Hanoi
- Instant noodles - 1 pack$0.19-76%
- Tomatoes - 1 kg$0.79-75%
- Toilet paper - 4 rolls$0.54-67%
- Oranges - 1 kg$1.58-56%
- Rice - 1 kg$1.29-48%
- Bananas - 1 kg$1.35-45%
Higher in Hanoi
- Biscuits - 1 pack$1.82+124%
- Apples - 1 kg$4.32+78%
- Milk - 1 L$2.29+58%
- Pasta - 500 g$1.91+45%
- Shower gel - 400 ml$6.22+44%
- Pillow - 1 piece$7.50+43%
Local product types can differ between cities. The comparison tool only matches the same product type.
Compare Hanoi with another country
Same budget, same products: see where your money goes further.
Insights and guides about Hanoi
All articles →Travel and life in Hanoi
How these prices were read
Prices come from public shop pages and haven't been independently verified. The Data & methodology page has the details. Data & methodology
Try your own budget
Pick a budget and two countries to see the same comparison with your own numbers.
Questions people ask
What is the price of milk in Hanoi?
The local shop price we read on November 8, 2026 was ₫57,700 per 1 L, about $2.29 at that day's reference rate.
What is the price of eggs in Hanoi?
The local shop price we read on November 8, 2026 was ₫38,700 per 10 pieces, about $1.54 at that day's reference rate.
What is the price of rice in Hanoi?
The local shop price we read on November 8, 2026 was ₫32,600 per 1 kg, about $1.29 at that day's reference rate.
How much is US$100 in Vietnamese dong?
At the reference rate of November 8, 2026, US$100 comes to about ₫2,520,675.
Which products cost less in Hanoi than in the other cities?
By dollar price, the clearest gaps are instant noodles (-76%), tomatoes (-75%), and toilet paper (-67%).
When is the Hanoi Old Quarter night market open?
The Hanoi Old Quarter night market runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings along the pedestrian streets that lead north from Hoan Kiem Lake towards Dong Xuan Market. It sells clothing, souvenirs and street food, and bargaining is normal at most stalls.
Is tipping expected in Hanoi?
Tipping is not expected in Hanoi, and prices at street stalls and local restaurants are final. Leaving small change in sit-down restaurants or tipping tour guides and drivers in Hanoi is appreciated but optional.
Where do these prices come from?
Prices come from public shop pages and haven't been independently verified. The Data & methodology page has the details.
