Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ulsan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ulsan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,444 in Ulsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,188 in Ulsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,932 in Ulsan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 53% more expensive than Ulsan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Ulsan 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.46 ₩9,791

146.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$29.90 ₩45.3K

116.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.83 ₩7,313

117.60%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.15 ₩4,766

-8.89%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.12 ₩1,691

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.39 ₩591

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.60 ₩3,935

34.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.29 ₩4,984

17.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.74 ₩2,640

-34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.19 ₩3,315

-20.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.79 ₩2,717

-1.68%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.88 ₩4,362

11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.55 ₩16.0K

27.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$8.30 ₩12.6K

-4.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$27.12 ₩41.1K

-41.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$7.16 ₩10.8K

-67.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$3.28 ₩4,975

-48.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$7.29 ₩11.0K

-72.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.43 ₩6,712

-44.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$3.74 ₩5,662

-50.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.47 ₩3,738

-19.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.08 ₩3,151

-7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.90 ₩1,365

-12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.32 ₩5,032

99.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$16.65 ₩25.2K

-65.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.69 ₩2,560

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.47 ₩5,260

-14.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.94 ₩1,418

152.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.40 ₩3,630

78.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.79 ₩1,191

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$16.48 ₩25.0K

11.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.18 ₩1,785

74.58%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$27.6K ₩41.9M

24.06%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$25.2K ₩38.2M

55.92%

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

$148 €127

$187 ₩283.3K

-20.90%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$50.3 ₩76.2K

-59.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$27.92 ₩42.3K

41.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$59.4 ₩90.0K

-19.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$10.27 ₩15.6K

-10.61%

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

$614 €528

$252 ₩382.6K

143.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$13.9K ₩21.0M

15.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$102 ₩154.3K

2.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$47.53 ₩72.0K

-11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$87.0 ₩131.7K

8.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$115 ₩174.9K

3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$275 ₩416.9K

491.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$371 ₩562.0K

238.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,055 ₩1.6M

187.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$764 ₩1.2M

164.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,918 ₩5.9M

99.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,353 ₩3.6M

81.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,022 ₩3.1M

-20.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-4.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $275 in Ulsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulsan pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Ulsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $403, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lisbon vs Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ulsan differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,444 including rent). Ulsan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ulsan earns 26% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $275 in Ulsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 50% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,444 in Ulsan – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,444 in Ulsan versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ulsan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ulsan 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, Lisbon and Ulsan 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 Ulsan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.