Popular cities
Ella vs Hua Hin cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฑ๐ฐ Ella
๐น๐ญ Hua Hin
At a glance
- Where Hua Hin is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (55%โ), Massage (45%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (43%โ)
- Where Ella is clearly cheaper: Transit (73%โ), Studio rent (month) (63%โ), Haircut (41%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Hua Hin is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: getting around โ Ella 4 vs Hua Hin 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ella | Hua Hin | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rs 1,000$3.33 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Hua Hin โ9% |
| Street food1 item | Rs 600$2 | เธฟ 60$1.82 | Hua Hin โ9% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rs 3,000$10 | เธฟ 350$10.6 | Ella โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rs 1,000$3.33 | เธฟ 70$2.12 | Hua Hin โ36% |
| Beerone bottle | Rs 1,100$3.67 | เธฟ 85$2.58 | Hua Hin โ30% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rs 2,000$6.67 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Hua Hin โ9% |
| Bottled water | Rs 80$0.27 | เธฟ 10$0.3 | Ella โ12% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rs 180$0.6 | เธฟ 22$0.67 | Ella โ10% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rs 1,500$5 | เธฟ 160$4.85 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rs 800$2.67 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Hua Hin โ43% |
| Transitone ride | Rs 50$0.17 | เธฟ 20$0.61 | Ella โ73% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rs 4,000$13.3 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Hua Hin โ55% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rs 15,000$50 | เธฟ 1,500$45.5 | Hua Hin โ9% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rs 50,000$167 | เธฟ 15,000$455 | Ella โ63% |
| Laundry | Rs 400$1.33 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Ella โ12% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rs 2,500$8.33 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Ella โ8% |
| Haircutcut | Rs 800$2.67 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Ella โ41% |
| Massage1 hour | Rs 5,000$16.7 | เธฟ 300$9.09 | Hua Hin โ45% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rs 6,000$20 | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | Ella โ34% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rs 1,000$3.33 | เธฟ 125$3.79 | Ella โ12% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ella or Hua Hin?
Ella is 22% cheaper than Hua Hin. Daily budget $90.1 vs $83.5; a month $1,090 vs $1,789.
Which is easier to travel, Ella or Hua Hin?
Hua Hin is easier: Hua Hin 2.4/5 vs Ella 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Ella and Hua Hin?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ella is about $1,090 and Hua Hin about $1,789 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.