Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua Hin and Seoul Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua Hin and Seoul

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $893 per month in Hua Hin vs $1,765 in Seoul, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,431 per month in Hua Hin vs $2,881 in Seoul, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,968 per month in Hua Hin vs $3,997 in Seoul, rent included.

Hua Hin is about 49% cheaper than Seoul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Hua Hin sits 33% below the global median, while Seoul is 32% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 ฿104

$8.73 ₩13.0K

-64.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.87 ฿667

$54.3 ₩80.8K

-63.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.51 ฿286

$6.47 ₩9,624

31.53%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ฿67.0

$3.88 ₩5,764

-48.71%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ฿22.91

$1.65 ₩2,455

-58.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.97

$0.86 ₩1,273

-40.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$3.77 ₩5,608

-46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$5.72 ₩8,514

-35.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$2.26 ₩3,368

-34.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ฿66.1

$3.42 ₩5,093

-42.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.32

$3.09 ₩4,603

-64.08%

Eggs

$1.84 ฿61.9

$3.06 ₩4,546

-39.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 ฿440

$14.51 ₩21.6K

-9.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.72 ฿91.3

$10.76 ₩16.0K

-74.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 ฿480

$34.54 ₩51.4K

-58.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 ฿86.3

$7.65 ₩11.4K

-66.41%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 ฿24.67

$3.54 ₩5,270

-79.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 ฿61.5

$5.42 ₩8,061

-66.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.3

$6.49 ₩9,653

-76.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$3.87 ₩5,752

-56.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 ฿41.03

$2.87 ₩4,271

-57.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 ฿26.96

$2.61 ₩3,888

-69.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿14.07

$1.32 ₩1,959

-68.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 ฿156

$3.32 ₩4,945

39.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.14 ฿475

$16.50 ₩24.5K

-14.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 ฿55.4

$2.38 ₩3,546

-30.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$3.37 ₩5,014

8.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ฿14.93

$1.08 ₩1,600

-59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.45 ฿418

$46.87 ₩69.7K

-73.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ฿35.79

$3.46 ₩5,151

-69.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 ฿25.29

$0.57 ₩847

31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 ฿184

$9.00 ₩13.4K

-39.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿43.66

$1.25 ₩1,861

4.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.7K ฿661.8K

$27.9K ₩41.6M

-29.44%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.3K ฿716.2K

$25.4K ₩37.7M

-15.89%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$73.8 ฿2,478

$160 ₩238.4K

-53.95%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.86 ฿432

$34.41 ₩51.2K

-62.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.45 ฿754

$22.05 ₩32.8K

1.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.27 ฿1,587

$58.0 ₩86.2K

-18.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.50 ฿185

$23.44 ₩34.9K

-76.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ฿257

$10.93 ₩16.3K

-30.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$138 ฿4,626

$417 ₩620.6K

-66.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ฿665.1K

$23.6K ₩35.1M

-16.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.70 ฿661

$59.2 ₩88.0K

-66.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.28 ฿815

$48.41 ₩72.0K

-49.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.8 ฿2,109

$79.9 ₩118.8K

-21.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 ฿1,946

$115 ₩170.8K

-49.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 ฿13.8K

$944 ₩1.4M

-56.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 ฿9,787

$588 ₩874.3K

-50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 ฿33.9K

$2,584 ₩3.8M

-60.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 ฿22.0K

$1,312 ₩2.0M

-50.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,793 ฿60.2K

$26.0K ₩38.7M

-93.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,420 ฿47.7K

$10.7K ₩15.9M

-86.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$473 ฿15.9K

$3,149 ₩4.7M

-84.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

4.14

49.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Hua Hin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $410 in Hua Hin versus $944 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 565% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20.00 in Hua Hin versus $54.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $491 – making Hua Hin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hua Hin vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 98% more than Hua Hin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,340 per month in Hua Hin and $2,647 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hua Hin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $893 in Hua Hin and $1,765 in Seoul. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 276% less in Hua Hin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hua Hin, where all-in costs run around $893, than in Seoul at $1,765. In Hua Hin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hua Hin costs $893 versus $1,765 in Seoul. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hua Hin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.