KR flag
Seoul

South Korea

vs
KR flag
Ulsan

South Korea

Climate

Seoul logs 97 frost days a year to Ulsan's 50 — Ulsan wins by 47. Ulsan also leads on hot days by 6.

SeoulUlsan
Sunny days
190214
Hot days
3832
Frost days
9750
Rainy days
101103
Snow days
40
Outdoor dinner months
3/123/12
Avg wind
2.3 m/s3.1 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,1292,265
Darkest month sun
139 hrs/mo147 hrs/mo
UV peak month
6.17.0

Seoul

Feels-like °C

-6
-1
5
12
19
25
28
28
24
16
5
-5

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

Seoul averages $1,853/mo for balanced living; Ulsan has no cost baseline yet.

Seoul

$1,853

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,420Comfort $2,954
Top 93%in Among 40 Asia cities

Ulsan

monthly · balanced

Mobility

Seoul scores 4.6 on mobility (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no mobility baseline.

4.6/5
vs
/5
SeoulUlsan
WalkabilityTransitCyclingFlightsAirport

Culture

Seoul's culture score of 3.1 sits well above Ulsan's 0.0.

3.1/5
vs
0.0/5
SeoulUlsan
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Seoul leads

Nature & Outdoors

Seoul scores 4.3 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no nature & outdoors baseline.

4.3/5
vs
/5
SeoulUlsan
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSkiingClimbing

Safety

Seoul scores 4.1 on safety (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no safety baseline.

4.1/5
vs
/5
SeoulUlsan
Flooding

Career

Seoul scores 4.3 on career (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no career baseline.

4.3/5
vs
/5
SeoulUlsan
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Seoul scores 2.8 on social & community (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no social & community baseline.

2.8/5
vs
/5
SeoulUlsan
Expat-First CommunityUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Seoul scores 4.0 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no food & dining baseline.

4.0/5
vs
/5
SeoulUlsan
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Seoul scores 4.1 on family (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no family baseline.

4.1/5
vs
/5
SeoulUlsan
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

Seoul scores 4.1 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Ulsan has no healthcare baseline.

4.1/5
vs
/5
SeoulUlsan
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Seoul averages 26.6 µg/m³ (unhealthy) PM2.5 annually versus Ulsan's 21.1 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Ulsan breathes ~21% cleaner air (5.5 µg/m³ lower).

Seoul

Ulsan

26.6µg/m³
21.1µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Unhealthy
Sensitive Groups

WHO classification

City Scale

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

Seoul (22.3M) and Ulsan (888K) are 25x in population — Seoul is the larger metro, Ulsan the smaller; on land area Seoul spans roughly 11x more ground.

17x

Seoul is roughly 17x the scale of Ulsan

Combined population & area comparison

KR flagSeoul
17x
KR flagUlsan
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.KR flagSeoul22.3M25x
2.KR flagUlsan888K1x
Area
1.KR flagSeoul2,282 km²11x
2.KR flagUlsan199 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
60 km75 km

KR flagSeoul

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

KR flagUlsan

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Seoul vs Ulsan

Which is cheaper, Seoul or Ulsan?
Seoul has an estimated monthly cost of $1,853.
How does the climate compare between Seoul and Ulsan?
Sunny days: 190 vs 214 d — Ulsan higher Annual sunshine: 2,129 vs 2,265 hrs — Ulsan higher Winter sunshine: 139 vs 147 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 38 vs 32 d — Ulsan lower Frost days: 97 vs 50 d — Ulsan lower Rainy days: 101 vs 103 d — Similar Snowy days: 4 vs 0 d — Ulsan lower
Is Seoul or Ulsan safer?
Seoul has a safety score of 4.1/5.
Should I move to Seoul or Ulsan?
Seoul 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 Seoul 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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