Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilsan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilsan: $1,451 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,451

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilsan and in Seoul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Ilsan versus $1,848 in Seoul.

Ilsan $1,451
Seoul $1,848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ilsan versus $2,986 in Seoul.

Ilsan $2,327
Seoul $2,986

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,204 in Ilsan versus $4,125 in Seoul.

Ilsan $3,204
Seoul $4,125

Living in Ilsan costs roughly 21% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilsan 7% above, Seoul 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.71 ₩10.3K

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-14.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 ₩89.9K

$68.3 ₩91.6K

-1.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$7.35 ₩9,851

4.22%

Cappuccino

$4.02 ₩5,386

$4.12 ₩5,520

-2.43%

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

$1.63 ₩2,191

$1.64 ₩2,203

-0.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,054

$0.81 ₩1,081

-2.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

$3.71 ₩4,971

0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 ₩8,202

$6.13 ₩8,221

-0.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₩2,849

$2.04 ₩2,737

4.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₩4,057

$3.21 ₩4,303

-5.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₩3,014

$4.39 ₩5,881

-48.75%

Eggs

$3.38 ₩4,535

$3.59 ₩4,814

-5.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 ₩21.5K

$18.23 ₩24.4K

-11.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.5K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-25.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ₩15.2K

$26.89 ₩36.0K

-57.72%

Apples (1kg)

$7.74 ₩10.4K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.31 ₩4,440

$3.53 ₩4,730

-6.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 ₩7,581

$5.70 ₩7,646

-0.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.25 ₩8,382

$6.18 ₩8,281

1.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 ₩4,647

$3.76 ₩5,044

-7.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,241

$2.51 ₩3,367

-3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$2.82 ₩3,773

-27.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₩1,471

$1.11 ₩1,487

-0.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,465

$3.30 ₩4,424

0.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.2K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

0.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,975

$2.42 ₩3,242

-8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,342

$3.36 ₩4,501

-3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,476

$1.19 ₩1,597

-7.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.46 ₩66.3K

$46.13 ₩61.8K

7.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ₩4,848

$3.55 ₩4,761

1.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩893

$0.60 ₩809

11.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 ₩12.2K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

0.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,806

$1.44 ₩1,927

-6.25%

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

$30.1K ₩40.3M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-0.56%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$28.9K ₩38.7M

-2.36%

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

$213 ₩286.0K

$213 ₩284.9K

0.38%

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

$35.99 ₩48.2K

$35.83 ₩48.0K

0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.31 ₩28.6K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

-0.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₩73.8K

$61.6 ₩82.6K

-10.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.03 ₩18.8K

$16.41 ₩22.0K

-14.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

-0.26%

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

$380 ₩509.2K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-80.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.8M

$22.8K ₩30.5M

-22.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ₩79.4K

$59.8 ₩80.1K

-0.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.99 ₩44.2K

$34.19 ₩45.8K

-3.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₩95.1K

$66.0 ₩88.4K

7.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ₩112.3K

$81.9 ₩109.8K

2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₩660.5K

$924 ₩1.2M

-46.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₩479.1K

$659 ₩883.5K

-45.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 ₩1.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-61.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₩1.0M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-47.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,170 ₩9.6M

$27.2K ₩36.4M

-73.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,436 ₩7.3M

$11.3K ₩15.1M

-51.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,539 ₩4.7M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-0.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

4.08

0.49%

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

Last update for Ilsan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ilsan

$400 27.5%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 21% $84

Accommodation & Living

Ilsan

$357 24.6%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 84.4% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilsan

$271 18.7%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Ilsan

$173 12%

Seoul

$184 10% 6.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Ilsan

$111 7.7%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 2.1% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ilsan

$78 5.4%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 8.5% $6.6

Getting Around

Ilsan

$61 4.2%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 5.5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $493 in Ilsan and $924 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67 in Ilsan vs $68 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $483 per month, with Ilsan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

Same time as Ilsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,061,752

9,509,458 Capital

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Ilsan vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilsan is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,176 in Ilsan and $2,771 in Seoul to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $493 in Ilsan versus $924 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,451 per month in Ilsan versus $1,848 in Seoul – Ilsan is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Ilsan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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