Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulsan and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,346 in Ulsan, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ulsan
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Ulsan Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,346

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulsan and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $1,346 per month in Ulsan vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ulsan $1,346
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,197 per month in Ulsan vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ulsan $2,197
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $3,048 per month in Ulsan vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Ulsan $3,048
Chiang Mai $1,979

Ulsan costs about 44% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 ₩10.1K

$2.24 ฿75.6

237.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.87 ₩59.9K

$19.00 ฿641

136.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 ₩8,180

$5.55 ฿187

10.45%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₩4,430

$1.67 ฿56.5

98.80%

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

$0.93 ₩1,239

$0.64 ฿21.54

45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₩580

$0.31 ฿10.31

38.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 ₩3,930

$2.36 ฿79.5

24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 ₩5,767

$3.66 ฿124

18.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,014

$1.95 ฿65.7

15.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 ₩4,362

$1.44 ฿48.46

127.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 ₩4,270

$1.33 ฿45.03

140.60%

Eggs

$2.65 ₩3,540

$2.28 ฿77.1

16.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 ₩15.1K

$16.45 ฿555

-31.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.42 ₩13.9K

$2.78 ฿93.9

274.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.38 ₩33.9K

$9.31 ฿314

172.61%

Apples (1kg)

$11.41 ₩15.2K

$2.35 ฿79.4

385.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.63 ₩4,842

$0.97 ฿32.79

274.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.32 ₩11.1K

$1.60 ฿53.9

420.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 ₩8,116

$1.50 ฿50.6

305.33%

Potato (1kg)

$5.98 ₩7,983

$1.28 ฿43.11

367.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,525

$1.10 ฿37.18

208.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,842

$0.71 ฿23.82

305.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,710

$0.49 ฿16.36

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,390

$4.14 ฿140

-20.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.01 ₩25.4K

$17.52 ฿591

8.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,326

$1.61 ฿54.5

54.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 ₩4,539

$2.78 ฿93.9

22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,550

$0.87 ฿29.30

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,825

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 ₩3,954

$1.16 ฿39.04

155.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩973

$0.53 ฿17.80

37.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.05 ₩22.8K

$2.42 ฿81.7

604.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,912

$1.45 ฿48.88

-1.38%

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

$39.2K ₩52.3M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

86.12%

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

$33.4K ₩44.7M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

24.15%

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

$203 ₩270.4K

$62.2 ฿2,098

225.74%

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

$36.55 ₩48.8K

$12.17 ฿411

200.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.69 ₩37.0K

$20.12 ฿679

37.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 ₩81.5K

$37.31 ฿1,259

63.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$10.50 ₩14.0K

$6.49 ฿219

61.79%

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

$260 ₩346.7K

$736 ฿24.8K

-64.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ₩29.5M

$14.8K ฿498.2K

49.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 ₩70.1K

$53.4 ฿1,801

-1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.45 ₩59.3K

$24.64 ฿831

80.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 ₩79.9K

$91.5 ฿3,087

-34.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.7 ₩99.7K

$71.9 ฿2,427

3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 ₩499.8K

$482 ฿16.3K

-22.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ₩323.3K

$309 ฿10.4K

-21.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 ₩987.7K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-26.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 ₩870.9K

$633 ฿21.4K

2.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,467 ₩6.0M

$2,363 ฿79.7K

89.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,431 ₩3.2M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

52.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,314 ₩3.1M

$590 ฿19.9K

292.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Ulsan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ulsan

$492 36.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 52.4% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulsan

$267 19.8%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 64.6% $172

Accommodation & Living

Ulsan

$242 18%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 27.6% $67

Eating Out

Ulsan

$148 11%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 47.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Ulsan

$104 7.7%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 4.3% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ulsan

$82 6.1%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 38.7% $32

Getting Around

Ulsan

$11 * 0.8%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 445% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $374 in Ulsan versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ulsan are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Ulsan versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $492 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

2 h behind Ulsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,129,827

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ulsan Chiang Mai 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulsan
Chiang Mai

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

Ulsan vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulsan costs about 44% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,019 per month in Ulsan and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulsan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $374 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Ulsan and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 110% more in Ulsan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,346 in Ulsan and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,346 in Ulsan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ulsan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.