Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua Hin and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Hua Hin: $1,043 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Hua Hin
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Hua Hin Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Hua Hin

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,043

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hua Hin and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hua Hin and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,043 per month in Hua Hin vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Hua Hin $1,043
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,626 per month in Hua Hin vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Hua Hin $1,626
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $2,209 per month in Hua Hin vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Hua Hin $2,209
Seoul $3,931

Hua Hin is about 42% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hua Hin sits 23% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.18 ฿106

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-63.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.88 ฿731

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-68.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 ฿246

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-2.39%

Cappuccino

$2.11 ฿70.4

$4.23 ₩5,624

-50.12%

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

$0.75 ฿25.03

$1.63 ₩2,167

-53.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.42

$0.74 ₩985

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ฿69.0

$3.64 ₩4,843

-43.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ฿98.0

$6.15 ₩8,175

-52.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$2.01 ₩2,679

-25.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ฿42.42

$3.13 ₩4,164

-59.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.67

$4.32 ₩5,744

-70.37%

Eggs

$1.91 ฿63.8

$3.61 ₩4,794

-47.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 ฿409

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-31.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.49 ฿83.2

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-76.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.03 ฿536

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-37.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 ฿120

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-53.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ฿31.57

$3.38 ₩4,499

-72.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ฿78.7

$5.81 ₩7,723

-59.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ฿52.6

$6.41 ₩8,520

-75.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 ฿68.3

$3.75 ₩4,983

-45.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ฿34.97

$2.54 ₩3,375

-58.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 ฿27.25

$2.84 ₩3,782

-71.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 ฿14.01

$1.11 ₩1,472

-62.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 ฿150

$3.35 ₩4,455

33.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 ฿477

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-22.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$2.40 ₩3,185

-29.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.7

$3.37 ₩4,480

-46.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ฿14.43

$1.14 ₩1,521

-62.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 ฿1,954

$46.11 ₩61.3K

26.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$3.49 ₩4,643

-32.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.63 ₩840

150.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.83 ฿295

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.93

$1.51 ₩2,005

-5.30%

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

$16.4K ฿546.5K

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-44.13%

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

$27.0K ฿904.0K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-4.12%

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

$81.5 ฿2,724

$218 ₩289.2K

-62.53%

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

$9.12 ฿305

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-74.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.41 ฿782

$21.29 ₩28.3K

9.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.99 ฿1,571

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-19.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.69 ฿792

$16.10 ₩21.4K

47.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 ฿214

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-43.32%

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

$724 ฿24.2K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-62.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ฿362.8K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-52.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$5.96 ฿199

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-89.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 ฿1,203

$33.39 ₩44.4K

7.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ฿2,366

$71.5 ₩95.0K

-0.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 ฿1,783

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-35.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 ฿19.3K

$901 ₩1.2M

-35.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 ฿13.2K

$612 ₩813.5K

-35.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 ฿45.9K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-45.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 ฿26.8K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-36.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,805 ฿60.3K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-93.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,421 ฿47.5K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-88.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 ฿15.6K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-87.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

4.08

54.41%

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

Last update for Hua Hin: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hua Hin

$395 37.9%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 54.8% $217

Groceries & Markets

Hua Hin

$236 22.6%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 102% $241

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hua Hin

$114 10.9%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 140% $160

Eating Out

Hua Hin

$94 9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 96.5% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Hua Hin

$75 7.2%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 47.2% $35

Getting Around

Hua Hin

$70 6.8%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 18.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Hua Hin

$60 5.7%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 34.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $579 in Hua Hin versus $901 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 680% 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 $22.00 in Hua Hin versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $477 – making Hua Hin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Hua Hin

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

04:02 4:02 AM

06:02 6:02 AM

2 h ahead of Hua Hin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,169

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hua Hin Seoul 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hua Hin
Seoul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 72% more than Hua Hin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,565 per month in Hua Hin and $2,692 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 $1,043 in Hua Hin and $1,794 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 72%.

Public transport costs about 27% 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 $1,043, than in Seoul at $1,794. 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 $1,043 versus $1,794 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.