Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ansan and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ansan: $1,415 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ansan
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Ansan Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index

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Ansan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,415

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ansan 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 Ansan and in Busan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Ansan versus $1,842 in Busan.

Ansan $1,415
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Ansan versus $3,019 in Busan.

Ansan $2,177
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,939 in Ansan versus $4,196 in Busan.

Ansan $2,939
Busan $4,196

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ansan 4% above, Busan 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.43 ₩9,958

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-3.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.75 ₩46.6K

$49.41 ₩66.2K

-29.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.70 ₩8,976

$6.63 ₩8,891

1.06%

Cappuccino

$4.09 ₩5,486

$3.68 ₩4,932

11.14%

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

$1.58 ₩2,113

$1.86 ₩2,489

-15.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₩1,027

$1.39 ₩1,869

-44.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 ₩4,769

$3.73 ₩5,005

-4.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ₩6,166

$4.41 ₩5,909

4.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,743

$2.26 ₩3,028

-9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,128

$3.25 ₩4,357

-5.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 ₩3,158

$3.11 ₩4,166

-24.12%

Eggs

$3.68 ₩4,938

$2.67 ₩3,576

37.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 ₩21.5K

$11.14 ₩14.9K

44.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 ₩10.7K

$10.70 ₩14.3K

-25.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 ₩23.0K

$24.98 ₩33.5K

-31.22%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

-31.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 ₩4,334

$3.59 ₩4,813

-10.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,785

$8.17 ₩11.0K

-28.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 ₩8,621

$6.11 ₩8,185

5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,815

$6.20 ₩8,310

-42.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,546

$3.33 ₩4,458

-20.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 ₩2,864

$2.88 ₩3,863

-25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,544

$1.29 ₩1,729

-10.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,514

$3.46 ₩4,635

-2.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.15 ₩25.7K

$18.56 ₩24.9K

3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 ₩3,085

$2.42 ₩3,243

-4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₩4,420

$3.59 ₩4,818

-8.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$1.15 ₩1,535

-0.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 ₩5,052

$3.55 ₩4,761

6.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩857

$0.73 ₩985

-12.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 ₩12.4K

$16.97 ₩22.7K

-45.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₩1,886

$1.42 ₩1,899

-0.70%

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

$29.9K ₩40.1M

$39.9K ₩53.5M

-25.08%

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

$29.0K ₩38.9M

$33.9K ₩45.5M

-14.46%

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

$213 ₩285.8K

$206 ₩275.7K

3.63%

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

$35.59 ₩47.7K

$36.67 ₩49.2K

-2.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.25 ₩28.5K

$27.39 ₩36.7K

-22.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.00 ₩49.6K

$51.6 ₩69.1K

-28.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 ₩15.2K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

-4.29%

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

$299 ₩400.9K

$638 ₩855.5K

-53.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ₩24.4M

$22.3K ₩29.8M

-18.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ₩77.2K

$104 ₩139.9K

-44.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.41 ₩44.8K

$65.1 ₩87.2K

-48.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₩95.9K

$92.8 ₩124.3K

-22.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 ₩110.4K

$130 ₩174.3K

-36.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₩617.3K

$746 ₩999.6K

-38.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ₩504.0K

$583 ₩781.1K

-35.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 ₩1.5M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-48.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 ₩1.0M

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-47.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$21.1K ₩28.3M

$8,485 ₩11.4M

149.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,493 ₩2.0M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-47.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.22

-3.32%

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

Last update for Ansan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ansan

$423 29.9%

Busan

$489 26.6% 15.7% $66

Accommodation & Living

Ansan

$376 26.6%

Busan

$583 31.6% 55% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ansan

$270 19.1%

Busan

$270 14.7% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Ansan

$165 11.7%

Busan

$166 9% 0.7% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Ansan

$110 7.8%

Busan

$177 9.6% 60.1% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Ansan

$60 4.2%

Busan

$75 4.1% 26.1% $16

Getting Around

Ansan

$12 * 0.8%

Busan

$82 4.5% 614% $71

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 $461 in Ansan and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 89% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Ansan vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $489 per month, with Ansan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ansan

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

Same time as Ansan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

677,710

3,586,079

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

Ansan
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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

Ansan vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ansan is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Ansan. 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: $461 in Ansan versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Ansan 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 Ansan – a meal for two runs $35 versus $49 in Busan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

For families, Ansan 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, Ansan and Busan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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