Which place is cheaper, Seoul or Doha?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Doha or Seoul?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Doha and Seoul can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Doha or Seoul?
Doha
Doha is the capital city of Qatar, modern and rapidly developing with much construction underway. It is home to Doha International Airport, the main point of entry for Qatar, as well as many of the country's best museums and examples of cultural heritage.
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 dayDoha $199Seoul $111
The average daily cost (per person) in Doha is $199, while the average daily cost in Seoul is $111. 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 Doha and Seoul in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDoha $119Seoul $56
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDoha $238Seoul $112
Compare Hotels in Doha and Seoul
Looking for a hotel in Doha 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: Doha Hotel Prices and Seoul Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Doha $23Seoul $16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Doha
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Doha:
- Shared Arrival Transfer - Doha City: $14
- Shared Departure Transfer from Doha: $14
- Sharing Arrival Transfer - Doha city: $14
- Shared Departure Transfer in West Bay : $20
- Sharing Arrival Transfer - West bay: $20
- Shared Departure Transfer in West Bay: $20
- Airport Transfer - TO or FROM Hammad International Airport: $25
- Sharing Arrival Transfer - Pearl Qatar: $27
- Sharing Arrival Transfer - Pearl Qatar: $27
- Shared Departure Transfer - Pearl Qatar: $27
- Guided City Tour From Cruise Terminal & Transfer: $30
- Airport Transfer (To and From Doha City): $35
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$3.74
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Short Taxi Ride$5.23
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Metro Ride$1.01
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Seoul City Pass Plus$7.47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seoul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seoul:
- Gimpo Airport (GMP）to Seoul downtown Private Transfer: $200
- Airport Private Transfer: Incheon Airport ⇔ Seoul Hotel (More member, Less cost): $78
- Everland Transfer + Admission ticket with Meal Coupon: $75
- Everland theme park : private transfer(up to 12passengers): $359
- From Everland Admission Ticket with Transfer: $66
- From Half-Day MBC Dae Jang Geum Park Transfer: $50
- Incheon Airport Transfer: $96
- Private Airport Transfer * Incheon Airport <-> Seoul (1-5 people): $98
- Private Airport Transfer - Incheon Airport ⇔ Seoul (Up to 7 or 11 people): $138
- Private Airport Transfer - Incheon Airport from/to Hotel in Seoul: $192
- Private Airport Transfer : Incheon airport to/from Seoul(~7 pax): $98
- Private Airport Transfer From Incheon Airport To Seoul(up to 12): $190
Is it cheaper to fly into Doha or Seoul?
Prices for flights to both Seoul and Doha 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 dayDoha $61Seoul $31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Doha
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Doha.
- Private Dinner on Safliya Island: $76
- Private Dinner on Al Safliya Island: $76
- Food Tour in The Pearl Qatar Island: $119
- The Pearl-Qatar Food Tour & Boat Ride: $139
- BBQ Dinner at desert resort +Dune bashing & camel ride: $165
- Full-Day Desert Safari with Buffet Dinner: $175
- Full Day Desert Safari Doha/dinner included: $190
- Doha Private Full Day Desert Safari Lunch | Dinner Included: $190
- Full Day Desert Safari with Camp Access, Buffet Dinner,Camel Ride: $195
- Private Desert Safari with BBQ Lunch/Dinner at Souk Al Wakra: $202
- Private Desert Safari with BBQ Lunch/Dinner at Souk Al Wakra Tour: $202
- Doha Overnight Desert Safari Dinner/Breakfast included: $215
Typical Food Prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seoul are as follows:
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Rice with Kimchi & Bacon$4.48
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Waffle$0.75
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Dippin' Dots$1.49
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Chicken Fried Rice$4.11
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Chicken Stick$1.49
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Drinking Yoghurt & Mi Chew$1.42
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Lunch Buffet$4.48
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Donut$0.75
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Mushroom Burger$3.88
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Green Tea Ice Cream$2.47
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Udon & Sushi$5.23
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Fresh Burger$3.59
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Soba Noodles Lunch$3.36
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Bibimbap Lunch$3.74
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Fried Rice$4.11
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Vietnamese Dinner$7.10
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Breakfast and Coffee for 2$7.10
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Donut$1.87
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: $39
- Seoul Mangwon Market Social Night Food Tour: $45
- 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: $49
- Mangwon Market Food tour By Locals; Cheap Eats to Fancy Feast: $49
- Oriental Medicine&Optional Temple Vegan Cooking Class: $49
- Gwangjang Market Netflix Food Tour: $54
- Mangwon Market Food tour By Locals;Cheap Eats to Fancy Feast: $55
- Guided City Wall Sunset Hike with Korean Dinner: $59
- 1 Day Trek & Trip, Inwangsan Sunset Hiking and Dinner: $62
- Vegan Korean Food Cooking Class: $64
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Doha $18Seoul $27
Tours and Activities in Doha
Here are a few actual costs in Doha for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Discover Souq Waqif and Musherib: An Almost Free Walking Tour: $5.00
- Doha Tour App Hidden Gems Game and Big Qatar Quiz: $20
- Al Safliya Island Photo Tour: $25
- Al Safliya Island Boat Tour: $25
- Guided Walking Tour of Souq Waqif: $30
- Transit Exclusive Discover Doha Tour: $32
- City Highlights Layover Tour: $32
- From Doha Cruise Terminal: Doha City Tour (Private Tour): $35
- City Highlights Sharing Tour: $35
- Doha City Tour - Airport or Cruise Terminal Pick Up/Drop Off: $35
- Doha Geocaching & City Tour Combo: $35
- From Doha Cruise Terminal: Doha Private or Group City Tour: $35
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$5.98
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Movie Ticket$5.98
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Kimchi Museum$2.24
Tours and Activities in Seoul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seoul are as follows:
- Anseong UNESCO Performance/Kimchi Making One Day Tour from Seoul: $1.00
- Alternative A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.20
- Changdeokgung Palace Hanbok Rental Experience in Seoul: $7.00
- Gyeongbokgung Palace Hanbok Rental Experience Hanboknam (내국인불가): $7.30
- Alive Museum Discount Ticket at Insa-dong(내국인불가): $9.40
- Dynamic Maze Discount Ticket Insa-dong(내국인불가): $10
- [Seoul] Football Faentasium Admission Ticket (내국인 불가): $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: $11
- Skip the Line: Figure Museum W Ticket (내국인 불가): $11
- The 61st Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival One Day Tour: $15
- Itaewon Night Life Tour: $17
- Yare Yare Ojosama - Butler/Maid Cafe Experience: $18
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDoha $14Seoul $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Seoul
Also in Seoul, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Chunpoong Makgeolli Brewery Visitor Ticket: $11
- The Seoul Pub Crawl [official]: $21
- Pub Crawl: $25
- The Seoul Pub Crawl [official]: $26
- Chunpoong Brewery Tour:Award Winning Makgeolli(rice wine): $34
- Soju Tasting at Distillery - story of 3 pigs: $43
- Soju Tasting at Distillery - Story of Three Pigs: $44
- DMZ and Makgeolli Brewery Tour with Tasting Course: $69
- Learn and Craft Makgeolli in a Traditional Brewery: $82
- DMZ and Makgeolli Brewery Tour with Tasting and Brewing Class: $96
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Doha and Seoul, we can see that Doha is more expensive. And not only is Seoul much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Doha is in Middle East 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 Seoul would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Seoul 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 Doha would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Doha than you might in Seoul.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Doha Expensive? and Is Seoul Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Doha or Seoul?
Seoul has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Doha. When comparing the sizes of Doha 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.