Cost of Living Comparison Between Boryeong and Busan Cost of Living Comparison Between Boryeong and Busan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,476 in Boryeong versus $1,494 in Busan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,367 in Boryeong versus $2,332 in Busan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,258 in Boryeong versus $3,171 in Busan.

Living in Boryeong costs roughly 1% less than in Busan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boryeong 10% above, Busan 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 ₩13.1K

$7.33 ₩11.1K

17.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 ₩84.3K

$37.36 ₩56.7K

48.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 ₩9,538

$5.93 ₩9,003

5.90%

Cappuccino

$3.76 ₩5,707

$4.00 ₩6,070

-6.00%

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

$1.74 ₩2,644

$1.88 ₩2,852

-7.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₩1,303

$1.33 ₩2,021

-35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 ₩5,677

$3.64 ₩5,520

2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 ₩9,157

$5.92 ₩8,993

1.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ₩3,258

$2.35 ₩3,574

-8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 ₩5,112

$3.57 ₩5,427

-5.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,969

$3.14 ₩4,766

4.14%

Eggs

$3.16 ₩4,798

$2.86 ₩4,345

10.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.47 ₩22.0K

$10.58 ₩16.1K

36.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.77 ₩16.4K

$8.42 ₩12.8K

27.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.13 ₩51.8K

$27.75 ₩42.1K

22.99%

Apples (1kg)

$8.07 ₩12.3K

$8.37 ₩12.7K

-3.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.60 ₩5,474

$3.23 ₩4,898

11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩8,691

$7.55 ₩11.5K

-24.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.39 ₩9,709

$5.27 ₩8,006

21.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 ₩6,038

$5.10 ₩7,738

-21.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 ₩4,302

$3.05 ₩4,632

-7.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 ₩3,970

$2.04 ₩3,093

27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₩1,838

$1.20 ₩1,827

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩5,068

$3.30 ₩5,008

1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.07 ₩29.0K

$16.14 ₩24.5K

18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₩3,689

$1.77 ₩2,689

37.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,916

$3.33 ₩5,056

-2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,637

$1.13 ₩1,714

-4.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.01 ₩66.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 ₩5,380

$3.50 ₩5,313

1.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩861

$0.84 ₩1,281

-32.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₩13.4K

$16.49 ₩25.0K

-46.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₩1,905

$1.16 ₩1,756

7.76%

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

$28.1K ₩42.7M

$28.0K ₩42.5M

0.61%

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

$25.5K ₩38.7M

$25.3K ₩38.4M

0.62%

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

$163 ₩247.0K

$186 ₩282.7K

-12.64%

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

$34.52 ₩52.4K

$50.8 ₩77.1K

-32.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.29 ₩33.8K

$27.96 ₩42.5K

-20.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.46 ₩73.6K

$52.4 ₩79.6K

-7.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.20 ₩20.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩16.9K

$11.17 ₩17.0K

-0.54%

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

$418 ₩634.2K

$489 ₩743.0K

-14.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K ₩36.2M

$14.3K ₩21.8M

66.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 ₩89.5K

$103 ₩155.7K

-42.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.32 ₩73.4K

$65.2 ₩99.0K

-25.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 ₩120.7K

$86.6 ₩131.5K

-8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₩175.9K

$117 ₩178.2K

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 ₩679.9K

$500 ₩759.8K

-10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 ₩571.3K

$324 ₩491.7K

16.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 ₩1.6M

$991 ₩1.5M

6.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 ₩1.2M

$673 ₩1.0M

14.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,616 ₩14.6M

$9,714 ₩14.8M

-1.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,319 ₩8.1M

$6,961 ₩10.6M

-23.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,310 ₩2.0M

$2,396 ₩3.6M

-45.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

4.22

-1.90%

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

Last update for Boryeong: June 9, 2026

Last update for Busan: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $448 in Boryeong and $500 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 83% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Boryeong vs $37.00 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $497 vs $450 per month, with Busan cheaper across the board.

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

Boryeong and Busan differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,476 vs $1,494 including rent). Boryeong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Busan earns 83% less. 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: $448 in Boryeong versus $500 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $418 in Boryeong versus $489 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Boryeong – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $37.00 in Busan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,476 in Boryeong versus $1,494 in Busan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boryeong but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Boryeong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Boryeong 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.

Expats usually find Boryeong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.