Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Hua Hin

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.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Hua Hin
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Hua Hin Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Hua Hin

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,043

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Seoul $1,794
Hua Hin $1,043

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

Seoul $2,863
Hua Hin $1,626

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

Seoul $3,931
Hua Hin $2,209

Seoul costs about 72% more than Hua Hin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$3.18 ฿106

176.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$21.88 ฿731

212.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$7.36 ฿246

2.45%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$2.11 ฿70.4

100.47%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$0.75 ฿25.03

117.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.37 ฿12.42

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$2.07 ฿69.0

75.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$2.93 ฿98.0

109.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$1.49 ฿49.85

34.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.27 ฿42.42

146.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.28 ฿42.67

237.50%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$1.91 ฿63.8

89.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$12.24 ฿409

45.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$2.49 ฿83.2

319.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$16.03 ฿536

60.95%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$3.59 ฿120

113.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$0.94 ฿31.57

259.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$2.35 ฿78.7

147.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$1.57 ฿52.6

308.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.04 ฿68.3

83.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$1.05 ฿34.97

141.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$0.82 ฿27.25

246.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$0.42 ฿14.01

164.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$4.47 ฿150

-25.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$14.28 ฿477

29.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.69 ฿56.5

42.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$1.79 ฿59.7

88.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$0.43 ฿14.43

165.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$58.5 ฿1,954

-21.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$2.36 ฿78.7

47.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$1.58 ฿52.9

-60.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$8.83 ฿295

0.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.43 ฿47.93

5.59%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$16.4K ฿546.5K

78.99%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$27.0K ฿904.0K

4.29%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$81.5 ฿2,724

166.86%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$9.12 ฿305

285.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$23.41 ฿782

-9.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$46.99 ฿1,571

23.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$23.69 ฿792

-32.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$6.41 ฿214

76.44%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$724 ฿24.2K

169.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$10.9K ฿362.8K

110.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$5.96 ฿199

857.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$36.01 ฿1,203

-7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$70.8 ฿2,366

0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$53.3 ฿1,783

54.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$579 ฿19.3K

55.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$395 ฿13.2K

54.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,372 ฿45.9K

84.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$803 ฿26.8K

57.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$1,805 ฿60.3K

1530.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$1,421 ฿47.5K

737.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$468 ฿15.6K

679.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

6.3

-35.24%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hua Hin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Hua Hin

$395 37.9% 35.4% $217

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Hua Hin

$236 22.6% 50.6% $241

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Hua Hin

$114 10.9% 58.4% $160

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Hua Hin

$94 9% 49.1% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Hua Hin

$75 7.2% 32% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Hua Hin

$60 5.7% 25.9% $21

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Hua Hin

$70 6.8% 22.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇹🇭 Hua Hin

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

2 h behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

50,169

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

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).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Seoul
Hua Hin

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

Seoul vs Hua Hin: 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 $2,692 per month in Seoul and $1,565 in Hua Hin. 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 $1,794 in Seoul and $1,043 in Hua Hin. 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.