Hanoi is the most expensive but has the worst air quality.

Hanoi's air quality is the most polluted in the world according to IQAir at 4pm on March 31, 2024. Screenshot

That is the result just announced by the General Statistics Office in the 2023 Spatial Cost of Living Index (SCOLI). In which, if only counting the "expensive" group, Hanoi is still "unrivaled" in the group of clothing, hats, shoes and food and beverage. That means the price of two essential items "food - clothing" is still the most expensive in Hanoi.

This recalls a Bloomberg survey a few years ago: Hanoians spend up to 12% of their daily expenses on breakfast, while people in North America and Western Europe spend less than 1.8% of their daily income.

Hanoi's food costs are expensive (compared to income) and rank among the top in the world. Meanwhile, in terms of per capita income, Hanoi ranks behind Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City.

Living in an expensive city, of course, the financial burden will fall on the people's pockets. However, the cost for Hanoians is not only food - clothing - accommodation but also another hidden cost. That is the cost of medical examination and treatment.

There are no official statistics on how much Hanoians spend on medical treatment compared to other cities. However, the risk of having to go to the hospital for Hanoians is higher.

The most recent evidence, on March 31, 2024, on the prestigious air quality monitoring site IQAir, Hanoi ranked first in the world in terms of pollution level with 163 points, the red threshold - unhealthy. In recent years, Hanoi has often been at the top of the rankings, with peak days even reaching the purple threshold - a level harmful to health.

For comparison, at the same time, the air index in Ho Chi Minh City was 53, ranking 65th on the chart.

With such air quality, if there were statistics, the cost of medical examination and treatment, especially respiratory-related, of Hanoians would be the highest in the country.

Reducing the cost of living is an issue that Hanoi needs to pay attention to. And if Hanoi is not “affordable” in terms of prices, at least Hanoians need a breathable environment, not living in a place that is known as the world’s leading place for air quality, but in the… worst category.

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