Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilsan and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,451 in Ilsan, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. The total is higher in Ilsan despite lower rent and utilities.

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Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index

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Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,451

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilsan and in Jeju

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 Jeju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Ilsan versus $1,118 in Jeju.

Ilsan $1,451
Jeju $1,118

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ilsan versus $1,917 in Jeju.

Ilsan $2,327
Jeju $1,917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,204 in Ilsan versus $2,715 in Jeju.

Ilsan $3,204
Jeju $2,715

Living in Ilsan is roughly 30% more expensive than in Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilsan is 7% above, Jeju is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.71 ₩10.3K

$7.33 ₩9,822

5.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 ₩89.9K

$51.9 ₩69.5K

29.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$5.61 ₩7,525

36.54%

Cappuccino

$4.02 ₩5,386

$5.87 ₩7,865

-31.52%

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

$1.63 ₩2,191

$2.19 ₩2,935

-25.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,054

$2.06 ₩2,764

-61.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

$3.93 ₩5,266

-5.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 ₩8,202

$3.07 ₩4,118

99.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₩2,849

$2.26 ₩3,029

-5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₩4,057

$2.31 ₩3,091

31.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₩3,014

$2.31 ₩3,097

-2.60%

Eggs

$3.38 ₩4,535

$2.62 ₩3,512

29.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 ₩21.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.5K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ₩15.2K

Apples (1kg)

$7.74 ₩10.4K

Banana (1kg)

$3.31 ₩4,440

$2.20 ₩2,951

50.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 ₩7,581

Tomato (1kg)

$6.25 ₩8,382

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 ₩4,647

$2.97 ₩3,976

16.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,241

$1.87 ₩2,505

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$2.28 ₩3,050

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₩1,471

$0.47 ₩627

134.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,465

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.2K

$11.48 ₩15.4K

63.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,975

$1.85 ₩2,475

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,342

$1.72 ₩2,304

88.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,476

$0.99 ₩1,326

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.46 ₩66.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ₩4,848

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩893

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 ₩12.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,806

$1.37 ₩1,842

-1.46%

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

$30.1K ₩40.3M

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

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

$213 ₩286.0K

$214 ₩286.8K

-0.31%

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

$35.99 ₩48.2K

$54.0 ₩72.3K

-33.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.31 ₩28.6K

$19.65 ₩26.3K

8.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₩73.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.03 ₩18.8K

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 ₩15.3K

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

$380 ₩509.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.8M

$25.3K ₩33.9M

-29.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ₩79.4K

$52.7 ₩70.6K

12.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.99 ₩44.2K

$29.78 ₩39.9K

10.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₩95.1K

$66.6 ₩89.2K

6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ₩112.3K

$90.8 ₩121.6K

-7.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₩660.5K

$461 ₩617.7K

6.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₩479.1K

$388 ₩520.3K

-7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 ₩1.6M

$1,372 ₩1.8M

-15.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₩1.0M

$1,192 ₩1.6M

-36.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,170 ₩9.6M

$10.8K ₩14.4M

-33.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,436 ₩7.3M

$6,659 ₩8.9M

-18.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,539 ₩4.7M

$1,883 ₩2.5M

87.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

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

Last update for Ilsan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ilsan

$400 27.5%

Jeju

–

Accommodation & Living

Ilsan

$357 24.6%

Jeju

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilsan

$271 18.7%

Jeju

–

Eating Out

Ilsan

$173 12%

Jeju

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ilsan

$111 7.7%

Jeju

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ilsan

$78 5.4%

Jeju

–

Getting Around

Ilsan

$61 4.2%

Jeju

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $493 in Ilsan and $461 in Jeju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 88% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Ilsan vs $52 in Jeju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $142 per month, with Jeju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as Ilsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,061,752

469,279

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ilsan
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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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeju is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Ilsan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $493 in Ilsan versus $461 in Jeju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 182% higher in Ilsan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Jeju – a meal for two runs $52 versus $67 in Ilsan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Safety-wise, Ilsan and Jeju are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Jeju wins on affordability, Ilsan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.