Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Ilsan

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.

89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
Learn more

Ilsan Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Ilsan

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

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

Seoul $1,848
Ilsan $1,451

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

Seoul $2,986
Ilsan $2,327

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

Seoul $4,125
Ilsan $3,204

Living in Seoul is roughly 27% more expensive than in Ilsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 ₩12.1K

$7.71 ₩10.3K

17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 ₩91.6K

$67.1 ₩89.9K

1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 ₩9,851

$7.66 ₩10.3K

-4.05%

Cappuccino

$4.12 ₩5,520

$4.02 ₩5,386

2.49%

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

$1.64 ₩2,203

$1.63 ₩2,191

0.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₩1,081

$0.79 ₩1,054

2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.71 ₩4,971

$3.73 ₩5,005

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 ₩8,221

$6.12 ₩8,202

0.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$2.13 ₩2,849

-4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,303

$3.03 ₩4,057

5.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 ₩5,881

$2.25 ₩3,014

95.11%

Eggs

$3.59 ₩4,814

$3.38 ₩4,535

6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 ₩24.4K

$16.05 ₩21.5K

13.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₩14.1K

$7.80 ₩10.5K

34.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.89 ₩36.0K

$11.37 ₩15.2K

136.50%

Apples (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$7.74 ₩10.4K

1.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,730

$3.31 ₩4,440

6.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,646

$5.66 ₩7,581

0.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.18 ₩8,281

$6.25 ₩8,382

-1.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,044

$3.47 ₩4,647

8.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 ₩3,367

$2.42 ₩3,241

3.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,773

$2.04 ₩2,737

38.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,487

$1.10 ₩1,471

0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 ₩4,424

$3.33 ₩4,465

-0.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 ₩25.0K

$18.82 ₩25.2K

-0.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,242

$2.22 ₩2,975

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 ₩4,501

$3.24 ₩4,342

3.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,597

$1.10 ₩1,476

8.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.13 ₩61.8K

$49.46 ₩66.3K

-6.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$3.62 ₩4,848

-1.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩809

$0.67 ₩893

-10.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.08 ₩12.2K

$9.11 ₩12.2K

-0.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 ₩1,927

$1.35 ₩1,806

6.67%

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

$30.3K ₩40.6M

$30.1K ₩40.3M

0.57%

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

$28.9K ₩38.7M

$28.2K ₩37.8M

2.42%

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

$213 ₩284.9K

$213 ₩286.0K

-0.38%

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

$35.83 ₩48.0K

$35.99 ₩48.2K

-0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.39 ₩28.7K

$21.31 ₩28.6K

0.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.6K

$55.1 ₩73.8K

11.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

$14.03 ₩18.8K

16.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 ₩15.3K

$11.39 ₩15.3K

0.26%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$380 ₩509.2K

412.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩30.5M

$17.7K ₩23.8M

28.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₩80.1K

$59.3 ₩79.4K

0.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 ₩45.8K

$32.99 ₩44.2K

3.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₩88.4K

$71.0 ₩95.1K

-6.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 ₩109.8K

$83.8 ₩112.3K

-2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 ₩1.2M

$493 ₩660.5K

87.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₩883.5K

$357 ₩479.1K

84.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,012 ₩4.0M

$1,157 ₩1.6M

160.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 ₩1.9M

$758 ₩1.0M

89.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.4M

$7,170 ₩9.6M

278.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

$5,436 ₩7.3M

107.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,570 ₩4.8M

$3,539 ₩4.7M

0.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.1

-0.49%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ilsan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$659 35.7%

Ilsan

$357 24.6% 45.8% $302

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$483 26.2%

Ilsan

$400 27.5% 17.3% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$270 14.6%

Ilsan

$271 18.7% 0.3% $0.9

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10%

Ilsan

$173 12% 6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$109 5.9%

Ilsan

$111 7.7% 2.1% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$84 4.6%

Ilsan

$78 5.4% 7.8% $6.6

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Ilsan

$61 4.2% 5.8% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,061,752

💱 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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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Ilsan: 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 $2,771 in Seoul and $2,176 in Ilsan 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: $924 in Seoul versus $493 in Ilsan. 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 $1,848 per month in Seoul versus $1,451 in Ilsan – 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, Seoul and Ilsan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.