Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Andong and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Andong: $1,426 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Andong
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Andong Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Andong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,426

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Andong and in Busan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,426 in Andong versus $1,842 in Busan.

Andong $1,426
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,208 in Andong versus $3,019 in Busan.

Andong $2,208
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,991 in Andong versus $4,196 in Busan.

Andong $2,991
Busan $4,196

Living in Andong costs roughly 23% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Andong 5% above, Busan 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 ₩7,999

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-22.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.72 ₩46.6K

$49.41 ₩66.3K

-29.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 ₩9,309

$6.63 ₩8,907

4.52%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₩4,837

$3.68 ₩4,941

-2.17%

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

$1.61 ₩2,162

$1.86 ₩2,494

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₩859

$1.39 ₩1,872

-53.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 ₩4,771

$3.73 ₩5,014

-4.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 ₩6,163

$4.41 ₩5,920

4.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ₩3,071

$2.26 ₩3,033

1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 ₩4,149

$3.25 ₩4,365

-4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 ₩3,118

$3.11 ₩4,173

-25.40%

Eggs

$3.34 ₩4,489

$2.67 ₩3,583

25.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.55 ₩20.9K

$11.14 ₩15.0K

39.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 ₩10.4K

$10.70 ₩14.4K

-27.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 ₩15.1K

$24.98 ₩33.5K

-54.84%

Apples (1kg)

$7.41 ₩9,948

$11.16 ₩15.0K

-33.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.31 ₩4,440

$3.59 ₩4,822

-7.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.54 ₩10.1K

$8.17 ₩11.0K

-7.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.89 ₩9,258

$6.11 ₩8,199

12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 ₩4,807

$6.20 ₩8,324

-42.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,247

$3.33 ₩4,466

-27.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₩2,849

$2.88 ₩3,870

-26.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,802

$1.29 ₩1,732

3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,459

$3.46 ₩4,643

-4.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.00 ₩25.5K

$18.56 ₩24.9K

2.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,984

$2.42 ₩3,248

-8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₩4,706

$3.59 ₩4,826

-2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,499

$1.15 ₩1,538

-2.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ₩4,059

$3.55 ₩4,769

-14.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩822

$0.73 ₩986

-16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₩12.0K

$16.97 ₩22.8K

-47.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,903

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

$29.3K ₩39.4M

$39.9K ₩53.6M

-26.60%

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

$36.0K ₩48.4M

$33.9K ₩45.6M

6.14%

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

$215 ₩288.6K

$206 ₩276.2K

4.49%

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

$43.95 ₩59.0K

$36.67 ₩49.2K

19.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.59 ₩27.7K

$27.39 ₩36.8K

-24.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 ₩74.5K

$51.6 ₩69.3K

7.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.94 ₩18.7K

$10.15 ₩13.6K

37.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 ₩15.4K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

-3.54%

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

$300 ₩402.5K

$638 ₩857.0K

-53.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₩24.3M

$22.3K ₩29.9M

-18.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 ₩88.3K

$104 ₩140.1K

-36.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 ₩87.2K

$65.1 ₩87.4K

-0.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 ₩100.5K

$92.8 ₩124.6K

-19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 ₩132.1K

$130 ₩174.6K

-24.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ₩651.5K

$746 ₩1.0M

-34.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₩483.2K

$583 ₩782.5K

-38.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ₩1.6M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-44.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₩1.0M

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-47.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,134 ₩9.6M

$8,485 ₩11.4M

-15.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,608 ₩7.5M

$3,272 ₩4.4M

71.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,884 ₩2.5M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-33.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

4.22

-2.84%

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

Last update for Andong: October 24, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Andong

$413 29%

Busan

$489 26.6% 18.4% $76

Accommodation & Living

Andong

$360 25.2%

Busan

$583 31.6% 61.9% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Andong

$280 19.6%

Busan

$270 14.7% 3.5% $9.7

Eating Out

Andong

$148 10.4%

Busan

$166 9% 12.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Andong

$137 9.6%

Busan

$177 9.6% 29.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Andong

$78 5.5%

Busan

$75 4.1% 3.9% $3

Getting Around

Andong

$11 * 0.7%

Busan

$82 4.5% 681% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Andong and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Andong vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $489 per month, with Andong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Andong

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

Same time as Andong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,274

3,586,079

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

Andong
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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

Andong vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Andong wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Andong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Andong. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $485 in Andong versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $300 in Andong versus $638 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Andong – a meal for two runs $35 versus $49 in Busan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Andong is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Andong is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Busan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Andong and Busan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Andong wins on affordability, Busan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.