Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilsan and Hong Kong

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.

Ilsan
🇰🇷 South Korea
$1,444
/mo nomad
Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)
$2,984
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

  • Ilsan $1,444
  • Hong Kong $2,984

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

  • Ilsan $2,297
  • Hong Kong $4,584

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

  • Ilsan $3,151
  • Hong Kong $6,183

Ilsan is about 52% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ilsan
Hong Kong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.30 ₩9,705
$7.75 HK$60.8
-5.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.4 ₩89.6K
$64.7 HK$508
4.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.34 ₩9,763
$6.18 HK$48.51
18.77%
Cappuccino
$4.01 ₩5,337
$5.08 HK$39.85
-21.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ₩2,139
$1.31 HK$10.31
22.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 ₩1,017
$1.09 HK$8.56
-29.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.79 ₩5,034
$7.47 HK$58.6
-49.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 ₩8,070
$6.50 HK$51.0
-6.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ilsan
Hong Kong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.08 ₩2,764
$2.89 HK$22.71
-28.03%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 ₩4,198
$2.31 HK$18.14
36.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 ₩2,971
$2.13 HK$16.71
4.69%
Eggs
$3.36 ₩4,466
$3.52 HK$27.65
-4.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.36 ₩20.4K
$24.72 HK$194
-37.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.94 ₩10.6K
$8.52 HK$66.9
-6.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.21 ₩14.9K
$18.00 HK$141
-37.72%
Apples (1kg)
$7.42 ₩9,860
$4.18 HK$32.79
77.51%
Banana (1kg)
$3.25 ₩4,324
$2.68 HK$21.07
21.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.75 ₩7,649
$4.49 HK$35.22
28.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.08 ₩8,087
$4.03 HK$31.66
50.87%
Potato (1kg)
$3.51 ₩4,666
$3.12 HK$24.51
12.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.37 ₩3,152
$3.15 HK$24.72
-24.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.00 ₩2,657
$1.62 HK$12.75
23.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 ₩1,520
$1.74 HK$13.66
-34.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.41 ₩4,535
$13.50 HK$106
-74.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.73 ₩24.9K
$16.54 HK$130
13.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.23 ₩2,960
$1.94 HK$15.19
14.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.35 ₩4,449
$2.18 HK$17.11
53.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Ilsan
Hong Kong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 ₩1,462
$1.41 HK$11.04
-21.99%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.42 ₩65.7K
$88.6 HK$696
-44.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 ₩4,834
$3.69 HK$28.94
-1.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.63 ₩833
$1.32 HK$10.36
-52.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.18 ₩12.2K
$15.77 HK$124
-41.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ₩1,883
$4.03 HK$31.65
-64.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K ₩39.0M
$44.7K HK$350.5K
-34.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.3K ₩37.6M
$37.8K HK$296.6K
-25.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ilsan
Hong Kong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 ₩283.4K
$250 HK$1,959
-14.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.95 ₩46.5K
$15.60 HK$122
124.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.52 ₩27.3K
$21.77 HK$171
-5.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ilsan
Hong Kong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.0 ₩69.2K
$94.2 HK$739
-44.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.82 ₩15.7K
$9.29 HK$72.9
27.23%
Cinema Ticket
$11.30 ₩15.0K
$13.91 HK$109
-18.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ilsan
Hong Kong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$520 ₩691.8K
$1,162 HK$9,122
-55.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K ₩23.4M
$21.9K HK$171.6K
-19.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ilsan
Hong Kong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.0 ₩75.8K
$68.0 HK$534
-16.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.76 ₩43.6K
$41.91 HK$329
-21.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.9 ₩93.0K
$79.7 HK$626
-12.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.0 ₩110.3K
$122 HK$956
-31.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ilsan
Hong Kong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$482 ₩640.8K
$2,241 HK$17.6K
-78.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$365 ₩485.2K
$1,718 HK$13.5K
-78.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,166 ₩1.6M
$5,041 HK$39.6K
-76.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$738 ₩981.9K
$3,435 HK$27.0K
-78.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,213 ₩9.6M
$29.2K HK$229.0K
-75.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,518 ₩7.3M
$17.6K HK$137.9K
-68.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ilsan
Hong Kong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,453 ₩4.6M
$3,271 HK$25.7K
5.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.1
3.91
4.86%

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

Last update for Ilsan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Ilsan
$396
Hong Kong
$411 3.6% $14
Accommodation & Living
Ilsan
$365
Hong Kong
$1.7K 371% $1.4K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ilsan
$269
Hong Kong
$287 6.8% $18
Eating Out
Ilsan
$169
Hong Kong
$201 19.1% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Ilsan
$109
Hong Kong
$140 28.3% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Ilsan
$75
Hong Kong
$122 63.5% $47
Getting Around
Ilsan
$61
Hong Kong
$105 72.6% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Ilsan versus $2,241 in Hong Kong. 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 $67.0 in Ilsan versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. Groceries tell a different story – $396 in Ilsan vs $411 in Hong Kong – so Ilsan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇰🇷 Ilsan
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
🕒 Local time
05:07 5:07 AM
04:07 4:07 AM
1 h behind Ilsan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,061,752
1,367,900 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ilsan Hong Kong 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ilsan
  • Hong Kong

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
Ilsan vs Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ilsan and in Hong Kong compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,444 in Ilsan, $2,984 in Hong Kong – roughly 107% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in Ilsan compared to Hong Kong?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,165 per month in Ilsan and $4,476 in Hong Kong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ilsan and Hong Kong?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Ilsan and $65.0 in Hong Kong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ilsan or Hong Kong?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,444 in Ilsan and $2,984 in Hong Kong. That's a gap of about 107%.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Ilsan and Hong Kong?
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.
Is Ilsan or Hong Kong safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Ilsan and Hong Kong?
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.

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