In a previous article we covered the cost of living in Bangkok for one month but what’s the difference in cost if you decide to live outside the capital? One of the most popular places for foreigners to live outside Bangkok is the seaside city of Hua Hin. It’s a small city with a population of around 75,000 but has over 5 million tourists visit every year, so it has pretty much everything a foreigner may need.
As we’ve been in Hua Hin for almost two months we now have a pretty good idea of living costs here. We expected it to be cheaper than Bangkok but read on to find out if it really is.
Note that the costs mentioned in this article are for a couple not a single person.
Accommodation
Accommodation costs can vary widely. For our first month, we paid 7,000 baht ($220) for a room at Kwanchanok Ville and for our second month, we paid 12,000 baht ($378) for a 30 sqm condo at Baan Kun Koey As we already covered these in-depth I won’t add any more here.
Utilities
In the two places, we’ve stayed the electricity has average 1,200 baht ($38) and the water 200 baht ($6), for a total cost of 1,400 baht ($44) per month. Wifi was free in both places.
Food
The cost of food is also something that can vary considerably. Generally, we pay between 100 and 300 baht for lunch, with the average being around 150 baht. We prefer to cook at home in the evenings but do eat out a few times a week. Eating out costs a similar amount to lunchtime, while cooking at home is a little cheaper. In total, we spend around 300 baht per day on food. That gives a monthly total of 9,000 baht ($284). That doesn’t include snacks or coffee, which are mentioned below.
Coffee
The price of coffee in Hua Hin varies tremendously and has cost us between 35 and 105 baht. Our average spend on coffee in Hua Hin has been around 200 baht per day, so this is a big expense for us, and more than we spent on coffee in Bangkok. I think this is partly because we’ve spent more time at shopping malls, where the coffee is at the expensive end of the spectrum. Hua Hin is hot, so air-conditioned malls and the obvious place to cool down.
Snacks
We snack quite often on fruit and items from 7-Eleven. This averages out to around 150 baht per day, so around 4,500 baht ($142) a month.
Transport
Public transport in Hua Hin isn’t great, so if you’re planning to stay long term you’ll probably need to have the use of a car, a motorbike or a bicycle. My wife has a car so that is what we have been using to get around in Hua Hin. The cost of petrol has averaged 1,500 baht ($47) a month so far. If you don’t have a car you can hire one locally. To keep costs down you could consider hiring a motorbike instead.
If you do have to rely on public transport your main options are the songthaew taxis, which usually cost 10-15 baht per journey, and motorbike taxis which can range from around 10-50 baht.
Massage
There are lots of massage shops in Hua Hin with prices range from around 200 to 400 baht for a Thai massage. We usually go twice a month and pay around 350 baht each including tips,
Miscellaneous
In the past month, we’ve also spent around 4,000 baht on clothes.
Alcohol
We rarely drink, so our spending on alcohol is pretty non-existent. We haven’t spent anything on alcohol in Hua Hin since we’ve been here. This is a big saving for us.
Total Cost Per Month
So our total cost for living for one month in Hua Hin is as follow:
Accommodation 7,000 to 12,000
Utilities 1,400
Lunch 9,000
Coffee 6,000
Snacks 4,500
Transport 1,500
Massage 1,400
Miscellaneous 4,000
Total 34,800 baht ($1,095) to 39,800 baht ($1,253)
Conclusion
As we expected, the cost of living in Hua Hin is a little cheaper than in Bangkok, but mainly because of the lower cost of accommodation. Other costs are pretty similar in the two cities.
Hua Hin is a great place for an extended break, as it’s pretty easy to find reasonably priced short-term accommodation. The air is cleaner than in Bangkok so this is probably someone we will come for extended stays on a regular basis.