Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulsan and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulsan: $1,339 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ulsan
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Ulsan Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,339

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulsan and in Hong Kong

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

A single person spends $1,339 per month in Ulsan vs $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Ulsan $1,339
Hong Kong $2,984

A couple spends around $2,185 per month in Ulsan vs $4,584 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Ulsan $2,185
Hong Kong $4,584

A family of three spends $3,030 per month in Ulsan vs $6,183 in Hong Kong, rent included.

Ulsan $3,030
Hong Kong $6,183

Ulsan is about 55% cheaper than Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Ulsan sits 1% below the global median, while Hong Kong is 121% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 ₩10.1K

$7.75 HK$60.8

-1.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.63 ₩59.3K

$64.7 HK$508

-31.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 ₩7,882

$6.18 HK$48.51

-4.05%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₩4,410

$5.08 HK$39.85

-34.65%

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

$0.88 ₩1,175

$1.31 HK$10.31

-32.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩619

$1.09 HK$8.56

-56.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₩4,006

$7.47 HK$58.6

-59.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₩5,826

$6.50 HK$51.0

-32.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,139

$2.89 HK$22.71

-18.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,315

$2.31 HK$18.14

40.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,207

$2.13 HK$16.71

48.36%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,634

$3.52 HK$27.65

-22.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₩14.5K

$24.72 HK$194

-55.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 ₩14.1K

$8.52 HK$66.9

24.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.54 ₩32.6K

$18.00 HK$141

36.33%

Apples (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.1K

$4.18 HK$32.79

172.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.74 ₩4,975

$2.68 HK$21.07

39.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.09 ₩10.8K

$4.49 HK$35.22

80.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.05 ₩8,048

$4.03 HK$31.66

50.12%

Potato (1kg)

$6.01 ₩7,992

$3.12 HK$24.51

92.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 ₩4,328

$3.15 HK$24.72

3.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 ₩3,844

$1.62 HK$12.75

78.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,707

$1.74 HK$13.66

-26.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₩4,154

$13.50 HK$106

-76.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.52 ₩24.6K

$16.54 HK$130

11.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₩3,264

$1.94 HK$15.19

26.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ₩4,577

$2.18 HK$17.11

57.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,511

$1.41 HK$11.04

-19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 ₩3,849

$3.69 HK$28.94

-21.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,040

$1.32 HK$10.36

-40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.96 ₩22.6K

$15.77 HK$124

7.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,899

$4.03 HK$31.65

-64.52%

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

$30.0K ₩39.9M

$44.7K HK$350.5K

-32.79%

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

$34.1K ₩45.4M

$37.8K HK$296.6K

-9.67%

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

$197 ₩261.8K

$250 HK$1,959

-21.11%

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

$37.06 ₩49.3K

$15.60 HK$122

137.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₩36.2K

$21.77 HK$171

24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ₩80.3K

$94.2 HK$739

-35.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

Cinema Ticket

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$13.91 HK$109

-25.95%

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

$263 ₩349.3K

$1,162 HK$9,122

-77.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.3M

$21.9K HK$171.6K

0.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₩68.5K

$68.0 HK$534

-24.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.56 ₩60.6K

$41.91 HK$329

8.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 ₩81.2K

$79.7 HK$626

-23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 ₩99.7K

$122 HK$956

-38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₩495.3K

$2,241 HK$17.6K

-83.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 ₩324.7K

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-85.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 ₩1.0M

$5,041 HK$39.6K

-84.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 ₩861.8K

$3,435 HK$27.0K

-81.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,483 ₩6.0M

$29.2K HK$229.0K

-84.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,479 ₩3.3M

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-85.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,331 ₩3.1M

$3,271 HK$25.7K

-28.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.91

7.93%

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

Last update for Ulsan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ulsan

$489 36.5%

Hong Kong

$411 13.8% 16% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulsan

$261 19.5%

Hong Kong

$287 9.6% 9.9% $26

Accommodation & Living

Ulsan

$244 18.2%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6% 604% $1.5K

Eating Out

Ulsan

$148 11%

Hong Kong

$201 6.8% 36.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Ulsan

$105 7.8%

Hong Kong

$140 4.7% 33.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ulsan

$81 6.1%

Hong Kong

$122 4.1% 50.5% $41

Getting Around

Ulsan

$11 * 0.9%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 821% $93

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $373 in Ulsan versus $2,241 in Hong Kong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Ulsan versus $65.0 in Hong Kong. Groceries tell a different story – $489 in Ulsan vs $411 in Hong Kong – so Hong Kong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

03:06 3:06 AM

1 h behind Ulsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,129,827

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, 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 = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ulsan Hong Kong 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulsan
Hong Kong

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 Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,339 in Ulsan, $2,984 in Hong Kong – roughly 123% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,009 per month in Ulsan and $4,476 in Hong Kong. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Ulsan and $65.0 in Hong Kong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Hong Kong – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ulsan, where all-in costs run around $1,339, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Ulsan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,339 in Ulsan to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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