Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulsan and Pangyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulsan: $1,339 a month against $1,468 in Pangyo, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
72

Cost of Living Index in Pangyo
Learn more

Pangyo Living Index

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Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,339

/mo nomad

Pangyo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulsan and in Pangyo

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

A single person spends $1,339 per month in Ulsan vs $1,468 in Pangyo, rent included.

Ulsan $1,339
Pangyo $1,468

A couple spends around $2,185 per month in Ulsan vs $2,279 in Pangyo, rent included.

Ulsan $2,185
Pangyo $2,279

A family of three spends $3,030 per month in Ulsan vs $3,091 in Pangyo, rent included.

Ulsan $3,030
Pangyo $3,091

Ulsan is about 9% cheaper than Pangyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ulsan sits 1% below the global median, while Pangyo is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 ₩10.1K

$7.24 ₩9,624

5.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.63 ₩59.3K

$35.02 ₩46.6K

27.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 ₩7,882

$6.73 ₩8,950

-11.89%

Cappuccino

$3.32 ₩4,410

$3.78 ₩5,025

-12.17%

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

$0.88 ₩1,175

$1.59 ₩2,118

-44.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩619

$0.71 ₩940

-33.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₩4,006

$3.42 ₩4,547

-11.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 ₩5,826

$4.28 ₩5,685

2.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,139

$2.25 ₩2,998

4.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,315

$3.02 ₩4,015

7.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,207

$2.67 ₩3,555

18.35%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,634

$2.59 ₩3,450

5.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 ₩14.5K

$11.09 ₩14.7K

-1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 ₩14.1K

$7.98 ₩10.6K

33.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.54 ₩32.6K

$20.67 ₩27.5K

18.72%

Apples (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.1K

$7.73 ₩10.3K

47.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.74 ₩4,975

$3.45 ₩4,583

8.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.09 ₩10.8K

$7.25 ₩9,642

11.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.05 ₩8,048

$5.78 ₩7,685

4.67%

Potato (1kg)

$6.01 ₩7,992

$3.60 ₩4,784

66.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 ₩4,328

$2.58 ₩3,431

26.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 ₩3,844

$2.78 ₩3,691

3.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,707

$1.28 ₩1,700

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₩4,154

$3.30 ₩4,385

-5.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.52 ₩24.6K

$18.39 ₩24.4K

0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₩3,264

$2.29 ₩3,047

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ₩4,577

$3.48 ₩4,627

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,511

$1.15 ₩1,527

-0.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.37 ₩64.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 ₩3,849

$3.32 ₩4,412

-12.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,040

$0.66 ₩884

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.96 ₩22.6K

$12.83 ₩17.1K

32.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,899

$1.35 ₩1,797

5.93%

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

$30.0K ₩39.9M

$29.8K ₩39.6M

0.74%

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

$34.1K ₩45.4M

$34.2K ₩45.5M

-0.18%

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

$197 ₩261.8K

$201 ₩267.4K

-2.10%

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

$37.06 ₩49.3K

$36.58 ₩48.6K

1.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.21 ₩36.2K

$21.78 ₩29.0K

24.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ₩80.3K

$51.9 ₩69.0K

16.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 ₩16.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$11.39 ₩15.1K

-9.57%

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

$263 ₩349.3K

$520 ₩691.0K

-49.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.3M

$21.9K ₩29.1M

0.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 ₩68.5K

$65.9 ₩87.6K

-21.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.56 ₩60.6K

$62.8 ₩83.5K

-27.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 ₩81.2K

$74.8 ₩99.4K

-18.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.0 ₩99.7K

$98.3 ₩130.7K

-23.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₩495.3K

$478 ₩636.2K

-22.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 ₩324.7K

$356 ₩473.1K

-31.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 ₩1.0M

$1,171 ₩1.6M

-35.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 ₩861.8K

$739 ₩983.0K

-12.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,483 ₩6.0M

$7,085 ₩9.4M

-36.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,479 ₩3.3M

$5,485 ₩7.3M

-54.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,331 ₩3.1M

$5,307 ₩7.1M

-56.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.1

2.93%

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

Last update for Ulsan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pangyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ulsan

$489 36.5%

Pangyo

$424 28.9% 13.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulsan

$261 19.5%

Pangyo

$259 17.7% 0.7% $1.7

Accommodation & Living

Ulsan

$244 18.2%

Pangyo

$356 24.3% 45.7% $112

Eating Out

Ulsan

$148 11%

Pangyo

$158 10.8% 7.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Ulsan

$105 7.8%

Pangyo

$136 9.3% 29.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ulsan

$81 6.1%

Pangyo

$75 5.1% 7.8% $6.3

Getting Around

Ulsan

$11 * 0.9%

Pangyo

$60 4.1% 425% $48

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 $478 in Pangyo. 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 128% higher in Pangyo, 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 $35.00 in Pangyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $489 vs $424 – making Pangyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🇰🇷 Pangyo

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

Same time as Ulsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,129,827

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Pangyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pangyo is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,009 per month in Ulsan and $2,201 in Pangyo. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,339 in Ulsan and $1,468 in Pangyo. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $263 per month in Ulsan and $520 in Pangyo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ulsan, where all-in costs run around $1,339, than in Pangyo at $1,468. In Ulsan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pangyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulsan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Pangyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.