Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boryeong and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Boryeong: $1,491 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Boryeong
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Boryeong Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Boryeong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,491

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,491 in Boryeong versus $1,842 in Busan.

Boryeong $1,491
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,407 in Boryeong versus $3,019 in Busan.

Boryeong $2,407
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,324 in Boryeong versus $4,196 in Busan.

Boryeong $3,324
Busan $4,196

Living in Boryeong costs roughly 19% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boryeong 10% above, Busan 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.93 ₩12.0K

$7.69 ₩10.3K

16.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 ₩91.4K

$49.41 ₩66.3K

37.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 ₩9,826

$6.63 ₩8,907

10.41%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,473

$3.68 ₩4,941

10.87%

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

$1.56 ₩2,096

$1.86 ₩2,494

-16.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₩1,002

$1.39 ₩1,872

-46.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,062

$3.73 ₩5,014

1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 ₩7,862

$4.41 ₩5,920

32.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 ₩2,845

$2.26 ₩3,033

-6.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 ₩4,228

$3.25 ₩4,365

-3.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.19 ₩5,623

$3.11 ₩4,173

34.73%

Eggs

$3.53 ₩4,734

$2.67 ₩3,583

32.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.85 ₩24.0K

$11.14 ₩15.0K

60.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 ₩14.3K

$10.70 ₩14.4K

-0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.69 ₩35.8K

$24.98 ₩33.5K

6.85%

Apples (1kg)

$7.90 ₩10.6K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

-29.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,545

$3.59 ₩4,822

-5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.76 ₩7,735

$8.17 ₩11.0K

-29.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 ₩8,270

$6.11 ₩8,199

0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 ₩4,945

$6.20 ₩8,324

-40.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ₩3,519

$3.33 ₩4,466

-21.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,927

$2.88 ₩3,870

1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,532

$1.29 ₩1,732

-11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 ₩4,671

$3.46 ₩4,643

0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$18.56 ₩24.9K

-0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,060

$2.42 ₩3,248

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ₩4,389

$3.59 ₩4,826

-8.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,558

$1.15 ₩1,538

0.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ₩4,899

$3.55 ₩4,769

2.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩863

$0.73 ₩986

-12.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 ₩11.7K

$16.97 ₩22.8K

-48.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₩1,952

$1.42 ₩1,903

2.11%

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

$29.2K ₩39.2M

$39.9K ₩53.6M

-26.91%

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

$28.5K ₩38.3M

$33.9K ₩45.6M

-15.85%

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

$212 ₩285.3K

$206 ₩276.2K

3.26%

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

$35.99 ₩48.3K

$36.67 ₩49.2K

-1.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 ₩27.7K

$27.39 ₩36.8K

-24.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ₩72.8K

$51.6 ₩69.3K

5.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.07 ₩18.9K

$10.15 ₩13.6K

38.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.14 ₩15.0K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

-6.23%

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

$379 ₩509.4K

$638 ₩857.0K

-40.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$22.3K ₩29.9M

0.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 ₩78.6K

$104 ₩140.1K

-43.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.86 ₩44.1K

$65.1 ₩87.4K

-49.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 ₩93.1K

$92.8 ₩124.6K

-25.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ₩112.9K

$130 ₩174.6K

-35.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₩656.2K

$746 ₩1.0M

-34.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩484.9K

$583 ₩782.5K

-38.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 ₩1.6M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-44.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₩1.0M

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-47.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,113 ₩9.6M

$8,485 ₩11.4M

-16.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,616 ₩7.5M

$3,272 ₩4.4M

71.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,484 ₩2.0M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-47.47%

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 Boryeong: 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

Boryeong

$481 32.2%

Busan

$489 26.6% 1.8% $8.7

Accommodation & Living

Boryeong

$361 24.2%

Busan

$583 31.6% 61.4% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boryeong

$269 18%

Busan

$270 14.7% 0.3% $0.7

Eating Out

Boryeong

$182 12.2%

Busan

$166 9% 8.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Boryeong

$110 7.4%

Busan

$177 9.6% 60.3% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Boryeong

$77 5.1%

Busan

$75 4.1% 1.6% $1.2

Getting Around

Boryeong

$12 * 0.8%

Busan

$82 4.5% 616% $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 $489 in Boryeong and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 90% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Boryeong vs $49 in Busan. Groceries flip the comparison at $481 vs $489, with Boryeong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Boryeong

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

Same time as Boryeong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,620

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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Between locations

Boryeong Busan 260 km

From you

Boryeong
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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

Boryeong vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,491 in Boryeong and $1,842 in Busan, so Boryeong is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Boryeong. 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: $489 in Boryeong versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $379 in Boryeong versus $638 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,491 per month in Boryeong versus $1,842 in Busan – Boryeong is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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