Which is better to live in: Hua Hin or Krabi Town?

Hua hin to live . Krabi to visit often is my style. I did consider retirement in Ao Nang but fortunately came to my senses

Krabi / Ao Nang is a good mix of quality beaches & Islands with Krabi having nice Thai old style vibe

You are not comparing like with like.

Rayavadee is unique but you can't understand why it still has value until you stay there. As a youngster, I stayed outside the railings and wondered why anyone would pay (then) $250 a night to stay there but less than a decade later, I was paying $500 a night staying there wondering why anyone would not stay there. I've since been back multiple times.

I was last in Krabi in September and around Ao Nang, it has been destroyed. Step back a few years and there was a mix of everything, bottom end, mid market, hovering top end and some top tier places but now, half of everything is catering to the Indian market which, it seems, is budget orientated and refugees from the expense of Phuket. Restaurants are half Indian, of all varieties, those which are not can struggle or find it hard to differentiate but we found some by travelling. I also lived in the South Andaman and Krabi for some years and visited a lot over more than 2 decades so I have seen the deterioration. Sadly, I won't be back soon.

My advise would be to get off the mainland on onto the islands. Koh Lanta is easy and from there you can go further south and unsurprisingly, the farther you get from the mass tourist market, the better it gets. What you lose in a choice of convenience food places and identikit hotels, you win in local cuisine, warmer people and a truer Thai experience.

Are you asking about living there, or visiting?