KR flag
Busan

South Korea

vs
KR flag
Ulsan

South Korea

Climate

Busan logs 2 hot days a year to Ulsan's 32 — Busan wins by 30. Busan also leads on frost days by 36.

BusanUlsan
Sunny days
220214
Hot days
232
Frost days
1450
Rainy days
90103
Outdoor dinner months
2/123/12
Avg wind
5.3 m/s3.1 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,3062,265
Darkest month sun
158 hrs/mo147 hrs/mo
UV peak month
7.77.0

Busan

Feels-like °C

-2
1
9
14
20
26
29
30
23
18
8
-2

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Ulsan

Feels-like °C

-3
1
8
14
20
26
29
29
23
17
7
-4

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Busan averages $1,441/mo for balanced living; Ulsan has no cost baseline yet.

Busan

$1,441

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,087Comfort $2,340
Top 78%in Among 40 Asia cities

Ulsan

monthly · balanced

Mobility

Busan scores 3.6 on mobility (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no mobility baseline.

3.6/5
vs
/5
BusanUlsan
WalkabilityTransitCyclingCar EfficiencyFlightsAirport

Culture

Busan's culture score of 2.5 sits well above Ulsan's 0.0.

2.5/5
vs
0.0/5
BusanUlsan
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Busan leads

Nature & Outdoors

Busan scores 4.5 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no nature & outdoors baseline.

4.5/5
vs
/5
BusanUlsan
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing

Safety

Busan scores 3.9 on safety (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no safety baseline.

3.9/5
vs
/5
BusanUlsan
Wildfire

Career

Busan scores 3.1 on career (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no career baseline.

3.1/5
vs
/5
BusanUlsan
JobsEconomyCoworking

Social & Community

Busan scores 2.6 on social & community (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no social & community baseline.

2.6/5
vs
/5
BusanUlsan
Expat-First CommunityUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Busan scores 3.6 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no food & dining baseline.

3.6/5
vs
/5
BusanUlsan
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Busan scores 3.4 on family (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no family baseline.

3.4/5
vs
/5
BusanUlsan
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

Busan scores 3.7 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no healthcare baseline.

3.7/5
vs
/5
BusanUlsan
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare

Air Quality

Busan averages 17.8 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) PM2.5 annually versus Ulsan's 21.1 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Busan breathes ~16% cleaner air (3.3 µg/m³ lower).

Busan

Ulsan

17.8µg/m³
21.1µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Sensitive Groups
Sensitive Groups

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Busan (3.3M) and Ulsan (888K) are 3.7x in population — Busan is the larger metro, Ulsan the smaller; on land area Busan spans roughly 1.8x more ground.

2.6x

Busan is roughly 2.6x the scale of Ulsan

Combined population & area comparison

KR flagBusan
2.6x
KR flagUlsan
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.KR flagBusan3.3M3.7x
2.KR flagUlsan888K1x
Area
1.KR flagBusan355 km²1.8x
2.KR flagUlsan199 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
26 km29 km

KR flagBusan

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
21 km22 km

KR flagUlsan

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Busan vs Ulsan

Which is cheaper, Busan or Ulsan?
Busan has an estimated monthly cost of $1,441.
How does the climate compare between Busan and Ulsan?
Sunny days: 220 vs 214 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 2,306 vs 2,265 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 158 vs 147 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 2 vs 32 d — Busan lower Frost days: 14 vs 50 d — Busan lower Rainy days: 90 vs 103 d — Busan lower
Is Busan or Ulsan safer?
Busan has a safety score of 3.9/5.
Should I move to Busan or Ulsan?
Busan and Ulsan are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Busan and Ulsan stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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