Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Bucheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucheon: $1,490 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 Bucheon
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Bucheon Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Bucheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Bucheon

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 Bucheon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,842 per month in Busan vs $1,490 in Bucheon, rent included.

Busan $1,842
Bucheon $1,490

A couple spends around $3,019 per month in Busan vs $2,399 in Bucheon, rent included.

Busan $3,019
Bucheon $2,399

A family of three spends $4,196 per month in Busan vs $3,308 in Bucheon, rent included.

Busan $4,196
Bucheon $3,308

Busan costs about 24% more than Bucheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Busan and Bucheon sit above the global median – Busan by 35%, Bucheon by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$9.03 ₩12.1K

-14.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.2K

$68.1 ₩91.3K

-27.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,891

$7.49 ₩10.0K

-11.48%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,932

$4.18 ₩5,607

-11.96%

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

$1.86 ₩2,489

$1.54 ₩2,068

20.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,869

$0.81 ₩1,081

71.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

$3.66 ₩4,903

1.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,909

$5.86 ₩7,855

-24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,028

$2.05 ₩2,747

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,357

$3.09 ₩4,142

5.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,166

$4.40 ₩5,901

-29.32%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,576

$3.73 ₩4,996

-28.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$17.50 ₩23.5K

-36.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$10.55 ₩14.1K

1.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$26.16 ₩35.1K

-4.51%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$7.64 ₩10.2K

46.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,813

$3.43 ₩4,593

4.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$5.84 ₩7,834

39.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,185

$6.35 ₩8,516

-3.78%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,310

$3.77 ₩5,052

64.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,458

$2.60 ₩3,481

28.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,863

$2.84 ₩3,805

1.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,729

$1.16 ₩1,558

11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,635

$3.40 ₩4,558

1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$18.79 ₩25.2K

-1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,243

$2.28 ₩3,049

6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,818

$3.24 ₩4,348

10.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$1.16 ₩1,550

-0.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$3.67 ₩4,925

-3.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩985

$0.60 ₩800

21.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$8.84 ₩11.9K

91.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,899

$1.46 ₩1,955

-2.74%

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

$39.9K ₩53.5M

$30.0K ₩40.2M

33.32%

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

$33.9K ₩45.5M

$28.5K ₩38.3M

18.84%

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

$206 ₩275.7K

$215 ₩287.9K

-4.21%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$35.76 ₩47.9K

2.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.7K

$20.84 ₩27.9K

31.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.1K

$55.1 ₩73.8K

-6.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$14.32 ₩19.2K

-29.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.13 ₩14.9K

6.74%

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

$638 ₩855.5K

$374 ₩501.6K

70.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.8M

$23.1K ₩30.9M

-3.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.9K

$59.1 ₩79.2K

76.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.2K

$33.12 ₩44.4K

96.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.3K

$70.3 ₩94.2K

31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.3K

$81.9 ₩109.8K

58.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩999.6K

$497 ₩665.9K

50.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩781.1K

$357 ₩478.9K

63.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,199 ₩1.6M

79.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$740 ₩991.6K

96.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$7,114 ₩9.5M

19.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,501 ₩7.4M

-40.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,529 ₩2.0M

84.82%

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 Bucheon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Bucheon

$357 24% 38.7% $225

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Bucheon

$479 32.1% 2.1% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Bucheon

$271 18.2% 0.6% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Bucheon

$110 7.4% 37.7% $66

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Bucheon

$184 12.4% 11% $18

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Bucheon

$11 * 0.8% 86.3% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Bucheon

$77 5.2% 2.6% $2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $746 in Busan versus $497 in Bucheon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 85% higher in Busan. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Busan versus $68 in Bucheon. Groceries tell a different story – $489 in Busan vs $479 in Bucheon – so Bucheon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Bucheon

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

848,191

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Bucheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,842 in Busan, $1,490 in Bucheon – Bucheon comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,763 per month in Busan and $2,236 in Bucheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucheon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $497 there versus $746 in Busan.

Kindergarten costs $638 per month in Busan and $374 in Bucheon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,842 in Busan and $1,490 in Bucheon. That makes Bucheon about 19% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Bucheon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bucheon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Busan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.