Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilsan and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,444 in Ilsan, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Ilsan despite lower rent and utilities.

70

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,444

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilsan and in Shanghai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Ilsan versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Ilsan $1,444
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ilsan versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Ilsan $2,297
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,151 in Ilsan versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Ilsan $3,151
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Ilsan is roughly 16% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilsan is 7% above, Shanghai is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 ₩9,738

$4.56 ¥30.43

60.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 ₩89.9K

$30.21 ¥202

122.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 ₩9,797

$5.25 ¥35.08

39.81%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ₩5,355

$3.28 ¥21.91

22.26%

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

$1.61 ₩2,147

$0.57 ¥3.84

182.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₩1,021

$0.36 ¥2.38

113.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 ₩5,052

$1.23 ¥8.22

208.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 ₩8,098

$2.27 ¥15.16

167.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₩2,774

$1.84 ¥12.28

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₩4,212

$1.96 ¥13.06

61.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ₩2,981

$1.03 ¥6.86

116.50%

Eggs

$3.36 ₩4,482

$1.67 ¥11.15

101.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 ₩20.5K

$16.96 ¥113

-9.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 ₩10.6K

$3.19 ¥21.30

148.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 ₩15.0K

$12.90 ¥86.1

-13.10%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,894

$2.24 ¥14.98

231.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,339

$1.66 ¥11.12

95.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 ₩7,675

$2.02 ¥13.52

184.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 ₩8,115

$1.66 ¥11.07

266.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 ₩4,682

$0.77 ¥5.17

355.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 ₩3,162

$0.93 ¥6.20

154.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ₩2,666

$0.63 ¥4.18

217.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,525

$0.60 ¥3.98

90.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₩4,551

$3.80 ¥25.40

-10.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.73 ₩25.0K

$10.87 ¥72.6

72.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₩2,970

$0.82 ¥5.50

171.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,464

$1.61 ¥10.75

108.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,467

$0.61 ¥4.11

80.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.42 ₩65.9K

$29.40 ¥196

68.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,851

$2.11 ¥14.09

72.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩836

$0.43 ¥2.86

46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.18 ₩12.2K

$9.06 ¥60.5

1.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,890

$1.33 ¥8.88

6.77%

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

$29.3K ₩39.1M

$19.0K ¥127.0K

54.10%

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

$28.3K ₩37.7M

$18.7K ¥124.9K

51.09%

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

$213 ₩284.4K

$57.8 ¥386

268.71%

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

$34.95 ₩46.6K

$8.09 ¥54.0

332.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.52 ₩27.4K

$10.48 ¥69.9

95.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₩69.4K

$65.7 ¥439

-20.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₩15.8K

$17.82 ¥119

-33.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 ₩15.1K

$8.95 ¥59.8

26.26%

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

$520 ₩694.2K

$1,414 ¥9,438

-63.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K ₩23.5M

$27.9K ¥186.0K

-36.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.0K

$54.0 ¥360

5.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.76 ₩43.7K

$37.09 ¥248

-11.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 ₩93.3K

$74.3 ¥496

-5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ₩110.7K

$106 ¥705

-21.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₩643.0K

$1,055 ¥7,046

-54.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ₩486.9K

$585 ¥3,904

-37.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 ₩1.6M

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-53.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ₩985.3K

$1,232 ¥8,228

-40.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,213 ₩9.6M

$13.9K ¥93.0K

-48.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,518 ₩7.4M

$6,253 ¥41.7K

-11.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,453 ₩4.6M

$1,711 ¥11.4K

101.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

3.36

22.02%

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

Last update for Ilsan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ilsan

$396 27.5%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 40.8% $162

Accommodation & Living

Ilsan

$365 25.3%

Shanghai

$585 47% 60.2% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilsan

$269 18.6%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 71.6% $192

Eating Out

Ilsan

$169 11.7%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 37.3% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Ilsan

$109 7.6%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 11.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Ilsan

$75 5.2%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 12% $9

Getting Around

Ilsan

$61 4.2%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 40.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Ilsan and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 102% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Ilsan vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $235 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

00:32 12:32 AM

23:32 11:32 PM

1 h behind Ilsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,061,752

24,870,895

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ilsan Shanghai 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ilsan
Shanghai

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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 102% 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: $482 in Ilsan versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,444 per month in Ilsan versus $1,244 in Shanghai – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shanghai runs roughly 68% less than in Ilsan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,444 in Ilsan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Ilsan. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ilsan and Shanghai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Ilsan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.