Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Boryeong

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.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Boryeong
Learn more

Boryeong Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Boryeong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Boryeong

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

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

Busan $1,842
Boryeong $1,491

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

Busan $3,019
Boryeong $2,407

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

Busan $4,196
Boryeong $3,324

Living in Busan is roughly 24% more expensive than in Boryeong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$8.93 ₩12.0K

-13.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.3K

$68.1 ₩91.4K

-27.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,907

$7.32 ₩9,826

-9.43%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,941

$4.08 ₩5,473

-9.80%

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

$1.86 ₩2,494

$1.56 ₩2,096

19.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,872

$0.75 ₩1,002

85.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,014

$3.77 ₩5,062

-1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,920

$5.85 ₩7,862

-24.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,033

$2.12 ₩2,845

6.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,365

$3.15 ₩4,228

3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,173

$4.19 ₩5,623

-25.78%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,583

$3.53 ₩4,734

-24.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩15.0K

$17.85 ₩24.0K

-37.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.4K

$10.63 ₩14.3K

0.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$26.69 ₩35.8K

-6.41%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$7.90 ₩10.6K

41.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,822

$3.38 ₩4,545

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$5.76 ₩7,735

41.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,199

$6.16 ₩8,270

-0.81%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,324

$3.68 ₩4,945

68.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,466

$2.62 ₩3,519

27.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,870

$2.92 ₩3,927

-1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,732

$1.14 ₩1,532

13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,643

$3.48 ₩4,671

-0.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$18.49 ₩24.8K

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$2.28 ₩3,060

6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,826

$3.27 ₩4,389

9.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,538

$1.16 ₩1,558

-0.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,769

$3.65 ₩4,899

-2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩986

$0.64 ₩863

14.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.8K

$8.75 ₩11.7K

93.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,903

$1.45 ₩1,952

-2.07%

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

$39.9K ₩53.6M

$29.2K ₩39.2M

36.81%

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

$28.5K ₩38.3M

18.84%

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

$206 ₩276.2K

$212 ₩285.3K

-3.16%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$35.99 ₩48.3K

1.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.8K

$20.61 ₩27.7K

32.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.3K

$54.2 ₩72.8K

-4.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$14.07 ₩18.9K

-27.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.14 ₩15.0K

6.64%

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

$638 ₩857.0K

$379 ₩509.4K

68.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.9M

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-0.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.1K

$58.5 ₩78.6K

78.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.4K

$32.86 ₩44.1K

98.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.6K

$69.3 ₩93.1K

33.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.6K

$84.1 ₩112.9K

54.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩1.0M

$489 ₩656.2K

52.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩782.5K

$361 ₩484.9K

61.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,184 ₩1.6M

81.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$758 ₩1.0M

91.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$7,113 ₩9.6M

19.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,616 ₩7.5M

-41.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,484 ₩2.0M

90.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.08

3.43%

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Boryeong: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Boryeong

$361 24.2% 38% $222

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Boryeong

$481 32.2% 1.8% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Boryeong

$269 18% 0.3% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Boryeong

$110 7.4% 37.6% $66

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Boryeong

$182 12.2% 9.6% $16

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Boryeong

$12 * 0.8% 86% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Boryeong

$77 5.1% 1.6% $1.2

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 $746 in Busan and $489 in Boryeong. 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: $49 in Busan vs $68 in Boryeong. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $481, with Boryeong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Boryeong

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

103,620

💱 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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Busan Boryeong 260 km

From you

Busan
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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

Busan vs Boryeong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 90% higher in Busan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $746 in Busan versus $489 in Boryeong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you’ll spend $1,842 per month in Busan versus $1,491 in Boryeong – 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, Busan and Boryeong 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.