Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Ilsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilsan: $1,444 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong and in Ilsan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hong Kong and in Ilsan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,444 in Ilsan, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Ilsan $1,444

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,297 in Ilsan, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Ilsan $2,297

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $3,151 in Ilsan, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Ilsan $3,151

Hong Kong costs about 107% more than Ilsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hong Kong and Ilsan sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 121%, Ilsan by 7%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$7.30 ₩9,705

6.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$67.4 ₩89.6K

-3.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$7.34 ₩9,763

-15.80%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$4.01 ₩5,337

26.68%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.61 ₩2,139

-18.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.77 ₩1,017

41.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.79 ₩5,034

97.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$6.07 ₩8,070

7.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$2.08 ₩2,764

38.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$3.16 ₩4,198

-26.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$2.23 ₩2,971

-4.48%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$3.36 ₩4,466

4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$15.36 ₩20.4K

60.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$7.94 ₩10.6K

7.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$11.21 ₩14.9K

60.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$7.42 ₩9,860

-43.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.25 ₩4,324

-17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$5.75 ₩7,649

-21.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$6.08 ₩8,087

-33.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$3.51 ₩4,666

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$2.37 ₩3,152

32.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.00 ₩2,657

-19.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.14 ₩1,520

52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.41 ₩4,535

295.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$18.73 ₩24.9K

-11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$2.23 ₩2,960

-13.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$3.35 ₩4,449

-34.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.10 ₩1,462

28.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$49.42 ₩65.7K

79.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.64 ₩4,834

1.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.63 ₩833

109.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$9.18 ₩12.2K

71.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.42 ₩1,883

183.80%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$29.3K ₩39.0M

52.33%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$28.3K ₩37.6M

33.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$250 HK$1,959

$213 ₩283.4K

17.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.60 HK$122

$34.95 ₩46.5K

-55.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$20.52 ₩27.3K

6.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$52.0 ₩69.2K

81.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$11.82 ₩15.7K

-21.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$11.30 ₩15.0K

23.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,162 HK$9,122

$520 ₩691.8K

123.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$17.6K ₩23.4M

24.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$57.0 ₩75.8K

19.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$32.76 ₩43.6K

27.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$69.9 ₩93.0K

14.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$83.0 ₩110.3K

46.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$482 ₩640.8K

365.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$365 ₩485.2K

370.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,166 ₩1.6M

332.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$738 ₩981.9K

365.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$7,213 ₩9.6M

304.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$5,518 ₩7.3M

218.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$3,453 ₩4.6M

-5.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

4.1

-4.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ilsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Ilsan

$365 25.3% 78.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Ilsan

$396 27.5% 3.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Ilsan

$269 18.6% 6.4% $18

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Ilsan

$169 11.7% 16% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Ilsan

$109 7.6% 22.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Ilsan

$75 5.2% 38.8% $47

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Ilsan

$61 4.2% 42.1% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $482 in Ilsan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Ilsan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $67.0 in Ilsan. Groceries tell a different story – $411 in Hong Kong vs $396 in Ilsan – so Ilsan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

05:56 5:56 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

1,061,752

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Ilsan 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Ilsan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hong Kong vs Ilsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,444 in Ilsan – roughly 107% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $2,165 in Ilsan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilsan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong and $67.0 in Ilsan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $1,444 in Ilsan. That's a gap of about 107%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ilsan, where all-in costs run around $1,444, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Ilsan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,444 in Ilsan to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ilsan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.