A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Seoul vs. La Paz for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Seoul or La Paz?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Seoul and La Paz can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Seoul or La Paz?

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.

La Paz

La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia, has a breathtaking setting. The city is the highest national capital in the world, with an altitude ranging from about 4,058 m (13,313 ft) above sea level in El Alto, where the airport is located, to 3,100 m (10,170 ft) in the lower residential area. The dynamic and chaotic city was built in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River. La Paz is now a fusion of architectural styles, cultures and beliefs, welcoming everyday new boutique hotels, modern shops, delicious restaurants and reinventing standing establishments. However, generally speaking, Bolivia remains more a backpacker hit than a mainstream tourist destination.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to South Korea, The Best Adventure Tours to South Korea, The Best Luxury Tours to Bolivia, and The Best Budget Tours to Bolivia.


Which place is cheaper, La Paz or Seoul?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Seoul is $109, while the average daily cost in La Paz is $44. 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 Seoul and La Paz in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Seoul $55
    La Paz $16
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Seoul $110
    La Paz $32
Compare Hotels in Seoul and La Paz

Looking for a hotel in Seoul or La Paz? 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.

Hotels in Seoul


Hotels in La Paz


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: Seoul Hotel Prices and La Paz Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Seoul $16
    La Paz $9.47
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Seoul

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Seoul:


  • Subway Card
    $3.69
  • Short Taxi Ride
    $5.16
  • Metro Ride
    $0.99
  • Seoul City Pass Plus
    $7.37

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seoul

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seoul:

  • Transfer Service from Gimpo Airport to Hotel City: $57
  • Private Transfer l Airport to/from Seoul: $100
  • Private Transfer To/From Incheon Airport (1-12pax): $170
  • Private Transfer To/From Incheon Airport: $101
  • Lotte World Ticket with Private Transfer: $181
  • Seoul Incheon International Airport to from Incheon Private Transfer: $85
  • Seoul Airport: Private Departure Transfer from Seoul City Center: $87
  • Private Transfer from Incheon Airport to Seoul up to 12 pax: $181
  • Private Gimpo Airport Transfer to Seoul and Vice Versa: $95
  • Private Airport Transfer: Seoul City to Incheon Airport 1-12 pax: $204
  • Private Airport Transfer: Seoul City to Incheon Airport (1-5 pax): $98
  • Private Airport Transfer: Seoul City to Gimpo Airport (1-12 pax): $167

Typical Local Transportation Prices in La Paz

Some typical examples of transportation costs in La Paz are as follows:


  • Taxi Ride
    $0.58

Hired Cars and Shuttles in La Paz

Also for La Paz, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer Airport to Hotels Service 24/7: $21
  • Transfer in Private Vehicle from La Paz City - La Paz Airport (LPB): $21
  • Airport Transfer In_ Day: $25
  • Bus Station Transfer Out_day: $25
  • Bus Station Transfer Out_night : $25
  • One-Way Private Transfer from La Paz Hotels to Airport : $27
  • Transfer in Private Minivan from La Paz Airport (LPB) - La Paz City: $27
  • Private Transfer La Paz Airport LPB to La Paz City by MiniVan/Bus: $28
  • Private transfer 24/7 El Alto Airport - Hotels La Paz: $28
  • Private Departure Transfer: La Paz Hotels to El Alto International Airport: $37
  • Roundtrip Transfer Private Vehicle La Paz Airport (LPB) - La Paz City: $43
  • Airport Transfer In_night: $47

Is it cheaper to fly into Seoul or La Paz?

Prices for flights to both La Paz and Seoul 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Seoul $30
    La Paz $17
Typical Food Prices in Seoul

Some typical examples of dining costs in Seoul are as follows:


  • Rice with Kimchi & Bacon
    $4.42
  • Waffle
    $0.74
  • Dippin' Dots
    $1.47
  • Chicken Fried Rice
    $4.05
  • Chicken Stick
    $1.47
  • Drinking Yoghurt & Mi Chew
    $1.40
  • Lunch Buffet
    $4.42
  • Donut
    $0.74
  • Mushroom Burger
    $3.83
  • Green Tea Ice Cream
    $2.43
  • Udon & Sushi
    $5.16
  • Fresh Burger
    $3.54
  • Soba Noodles Lunch
    $3.32
  • Bibimbap Lunch
    $3.69
  • Fried Rice
    $4.05
  • Vietnamese Dinner
    $7.00
  • Breakfast and Coffee for 2
    $7.00
  • Donut
    $1.84

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seoul

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seoul.

  • Korean Cooking @ Seoul Cooking Club!: $0.11
  • Gyeongbokgung Palace : Tour, dinner and coffee: $37
  • Seoul Mangwon Market Social Night Food Tour: $44
  • Namdaemun Market: the Largest Traditional Market Food Tour: $47
  • Namdaemun Market Street Food Tour: $48
  • Gwangjang Market Netflix Food Tour: $54
  • Mangwon Market Food tour By Locals;Cheap Eats to Fancy Feast: $54
  • Guided City Wall Sunset Hike with Korean Dinner: $58
  • Sunset Walking Tour in Naksan Park with Dinner: $58
  • Half Day Seoul Afternoon Food Tour and visit 3 landMarks of Seoul: $67
  • Night Market Food Tour: $70
  • Energizing Korean Cooking Class in a Local Home in Seoul: $71

Typical Food Prices in La Paz

For La Paz, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Fruit
    $0.72

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in La Paz

For La Paz, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • La Paz Food Tour + Cable Car Cultural City tour: $45

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Seoul $27
    La Paz $16
Typical Entertainment Prices in Seoul

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Seoul are as follows:


  • Palace Tickets
    $5.90
  • Movie Ticket
    $5.90
  • Kimchi Museum
    $2.21

Tours and Activities in Seoul

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seoul are as follows:

  • Full Day Tour Jeonju Hanok Village, Wansan Park and Gakwonsa: $72
  • Private Tour Nami Island with Petite France 'and/or' The Garden of Morning Calm: $98
  • ‘Itaewon Class’ Night Tour: $24
  • 1 Day Private Full DMZ Tour in Seoul with Crystal Gondola: $220
  • 2-Hour Makgeolli Tasting Experience in Seoul: $37
  • 2-Hour Private Kayaking and Paddleboarding Experience in Hanriver: $30
  • 2D 1N Phoenix Pyeongchang Reseot Stay + Trout Ice-Fishing Festival Tour: $144
  • 3 Hour Walking Tour in Songpa Seoul: $48
  • 3-Hour Self-guided Sokcho Tour with Private Transportation: $33
  • 63 Aqua Planet and 63 Building Seoul Observatory Tickets: $14
  • ARMY must visit BTS tour in Seoul: $55
  • Activity - Mt. Bukhan Hiking Guided Tour: $150

Tours and Activities in La Paz

For La Paz, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Walking city tour La Paz: $2.69
  • La Paz Half-Day Walking Tour: $3.00
  • City Walking Tour in La Paz: $8.00
  • City Tour plus Cable Car La Paz: $10
  • Live Virtual City Tour - La Paz : $10
  • City Highlights Walking Tour with Cable Car Ride: $10
  • La Paz Walking City tour plus Cable cars: $10
  • Gastronomic Tour Vivencial Tour de las Caseras: $13
  • Private Cable Car City Tour: $18
  • Cable Car, Cemetery, Shaman, and El Alto Tour: $20
  • City Tour Essential: $22
  • La Paz, Tiahuanaco tour compartido visita guiada: $23

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Seoul $12
    La Paz $11

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 Tour: $11
  • The Seoul Pub Crawl [official]: $21
  • Pub Crawl: $25
  • The Seoul Pub Crawl [official]: $26
  • Soju Tasting at Distillery - Story of Three Pigs: $43
  • Learn and Craft Makgeolli in a Traditional Brewery: $81

Sample the Local Flavors in La Paz

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in La Paz:

  • Cultural Pub Crawl La Paz Nightlife Tour : $50


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Seoul and La Paz, we can see that Seoul is more expensive. And not only is La Paz much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Seoul is in Asia and La Paz is in South America, 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 La Paz would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in La Paz 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 La Paz.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Seoul Expensive? and Is La Paz Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Seoul or La Paz?

Seoul has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of La Paz. When comparing the sizes of Seoul and La Paz, 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.