Which place is cheaper, Seoul or Addis Ababa?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Addis Ababa or Seoul?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Addis Ababa or Seoul, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Addis Ababa or Seoul?
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and also the nation's largest when ranked by its population of over three million. There are also more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. Other draws include its thriving marketplaces, spicy food, and rich coffee.
Seoul
With a population of more than 11 million, Seoul is easily the largest city in South Korea. It is also the financial, political, and cultural capital of the country and has much to offer open minded travelers. It is often overlooked by travelers who instead head to Tokyo or Shanghai, but Seoul has a wide range of cultural experiences, food options, and historical sights. Seoul is a city of contrasts with ancient traditions, flashy technology, religious temples and a modern youth culture. It is also more affordable than many of the other Asian metropolis' to which it is often compared. If you're looking for an interesting and different experience that is a little off the tourist trail, Seoul can definitely offer that opportunity.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to South Korea, and The Best Adventure Tours to South Korea.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAddis Ababa $32Seoul $113
The average daily cost (per person) in Addis Ababa is $32, while the average daily cost in Seoul is $113. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Addis Ababa and Seoul in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAddis Ababa $21Seoul $57
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAddis Ababa $42Seoul $114
Compare Hotels in Addis Ababa and Seoul
Looking for a hotel in Addis Ababa or Seoul? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Addis Ababa Hotel Prices and Seoul Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Addis Ababa $3.74Seoul $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Addis Ababa
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Addis Ababa are as follows:
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Short Taxi Ride$0.25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Addis Ababa
Also for Addis Ababa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Addis Shuttles: On-Time & Reliable, Airport Transfers: $20
- City/Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa - Shuttles: $22
- Transfer Services Addis Abeba Airport : $23
- City and Airport Transfer in Addis Ababa: $26
- City/Airport Transfers-Addis Ababa: $26
- Addis Ababa Airport in/out transfer: $49
- Addis Ababa Private Airport-Hotel Transfer: $82
- Private Transfer from Bole Airport Addis Ababa (ADD) to Addis Ababa: $114
- Lalibela Full Day Tour with Guide and Transfer: $130
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Seoul
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Seoul:
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Subway Card$3.82
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Short Taxi Ride$5.34
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Metro Ride$1.03
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Seoul City Pass Plus$7.63
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seoul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seoul:
- Private Transfer in a Cadillac Escalade: $400
- Everland theme park : private transfer(up to 12passengers): $356
- Private Transfer Incheon Airport<->Seoul(12 passengers): $190
- Private Airport Transfer From Incheon Airport To Seoul(up to 12): $190
- Private Transfer To/From Incheon Airport (1-12pax): $171
- Private Airport Transfer - Incheon Airport ⇔ Seoul (Up to 7 or 11 people): $138
- Private Lotte world 1 day pass + Round Transfer In Seoul: $128
- Incheon Airport transfer directly to Seoul city: $111
- Premium Seoul Airport Transfer: Affordable & Convenience: $111
- Private Transfer Incheon Airport <-> Seoul Korea: $110
- Private Transfer To/From Incheon Airport: $101
- Private Airport Transfer * Incheon Airport <-> Seoul (1-5 people): $99
Is it cheaper to fly into Addis Ababa or Seoul?
Prices for flights to both Seoul and Addis Ababa change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAddis Ababa $8.35Seoul $31
Typical Food Prices in Addis Ababa
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Addis Ababa:
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Slice of Cake$0.06
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Addis Ababa
For Addis Ababa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Food tour in Addis Ababa with airport pick-up.: $56
- Mom's cooking class: $60
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour Addis Ababa: $62
- Addis abeba Full Cooking class.: $70
- Yod Abyssinia Cultural Night: Dinner, Music, and Dance: $87
- Ethiopian cooking class: $95
- Cooking class in Addis Ababa: $95
- Local Ethiopian Food Tour: $100
- Food tours in Addis Ababa Ethiopia: $103
- Unique Ethiopian Cooking Class and Coffee Ceremony with a Local in Addis Ababa: $116
- Food tours in Addis Ababa tastever with lunch: $120
- Private Ethiopian Home Cooking Class in Addis Ababa with Transfer: $124
Typical Food Prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seoul are as follows:
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Rice with Kimchi & Bacon$4.58
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Waffle$0.76
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Dippin' Dots$1.53
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Chicken Fried Rice$4.20
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Chicken Stick$1.53
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Drinking Yoghurt & Mi Chew$1.45
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Lunch Buffet$4.58
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Donut$0.76
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Mushroom Burger$3.97
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Green Tea Ice Cream$2.52
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Udon & Sushi$5.34
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Fresh Burger$3.66
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Soba Noodles Lunch$3.43
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Bibimbap Lunch$3.82
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Fried Rice$4.20
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Vietnamese Dinner$7.25
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Breakfast and Coffee for 2$7.25
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Donut$1.91
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seoul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seoul.
- Oriental Medicine&Optional Temple Vegan Cooking Class: $43
- Korean Grandma Cooking Class l Gimbap & Kimchi Pancake l Seoul: $45
- Namdaemun Market: the Largest Traditional Market Food Tour: $47
- Namdaemun Market Street Food Tour: $48
- Gwangjang Market Netflix Food Tour: $51
- Mangwon Market Food tour By Locals;Cheap Eats to Fancy Feast: $54
- Guided City Wall Sunset Hike with Korean Dinner: $59
- Vegan Korean Food Cooking Class: Gimbap, Sundubu Jjigae, and more: $60
- 1 Day Trek & Trip, Inwangsan Sunset Hiking and Dinner: $63
- Vegan Korean Food Cooking Class: $63
- 2-Hour Private K Cooking Class: $67
- Night Market Food Tour with Local Guide: $73
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Addis Ababa $3.86Seoul $28
Tours and Activities in Addis Ababa
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Addis Ababa.
- Private City Tour of Addis Ababa: $39
- Addis Ababa city tour.: $49
- Pup crawl and nightlife tour in Addis Ababa.: $50
- Best of Addis Ababa City Tour: $53
- City Tour with Airport Pick-Up: $56
- Historical and sightseeing tour in Addis Ababa: $57
- Addis Ababa City Tour: $60
- Half Day City Tour of Addis Ababa : $60
- Addis Ababa city Tour: $60
- City Highlights and Market Tour: $60
- Guided Walking Tour with National Museum: $61
- Guided City Tour: $62
Typical Entertainment Prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Seoul are as follows:
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Palace Tickets$6.10
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Movie Ticket$6.10
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Kimchi Museum$2.29
Tours and Activities in Seoul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seoul are as follows:
- Danyang Tour of Guinsa Temple, Bobaljae and Cheongpung Cable Car: $96
- Private Tour Nami Island with Petite France 'and/or' The Garden of Morning Calm: $98
- 'Must Do' Seoul Tram guided Tour with local street food tasting: $60
- (Private tour) Nami Island + Railbike + Garden of morning calm: $220
- 1 Day Private Full DMZ Tour in Seoul with Crystal Gondola: $220
- 3 Hour Walking Tour in Songpa Seoul: $50
- 3-Hour Self-guided Sokcho Tour with Private Transportation: $33
- 365-day DMZ Special Tour including Monday & National Holiday: $55
- 8 Hours Guided Winter Tour in South Korea: $55
- ARMY Bangtan pilgrimage tour in Seoul: $55
- Afternoon Half Day Seoul City Tour, visit Queen's dorm: $67
- Alive Museum Discount Ticket at Insa-dong(내국인불가): $9.40
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAddis Ababa $3.19Seoul $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Addis Ababa
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Addis Ababa:
- Pub-crawl Tour ( locally crafted beer and wine tasting ): $52
- Night Tour Addis Ababa beer and wine tasting: $59
- Pub crawl Addis Ababa: $69
Sample the Local Flavors in Seoul
Also in Seoul, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Gangnam Pub Crawl with 3 Shots and Korean Tapas: $22
- Pub Crawl: $25
- The Seoul Pub Crawl [official]: $26
- Chunpoong Brewery Tour:Award Winning Makgeolli(rice wine): $34
- Soju Tasting at Distillery - Story of Three Pigs: $43
- DMZ and Makgeolli Brewery Tour with Tasting Course: $66
- Learn and Craft Makgeolli in a Traditional Brewery: $82
- DMZ and Makgeolli Brewery Tour with Tasting and Brewing Class: $84
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Addis Ababa and Seoul, we can see that Seoul is more expensive. And not only is Addis Ababa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Addis Ababa is in Africa and Seoul is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Addis Ababa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Addis Ababa and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Seoul would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Seoul than you might in Addis Ababa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Addis Ababa Expensive? and Is Seoul Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Addis Ababa or Seoul?
Seoul has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Addis Ababa. When comparing the sizes of Addis Ababa and Seoul, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.