Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Changwon

For one person, living is cheaper in Changwon: $1,529 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
73

Cost of Living Index in Changwon
Learn more

Changwon Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Changwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Changwon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,529 in Changwon.

Busan $1,842
Changwon $1,529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,381 in Changwon.

Busan $3,019
Changwon $2,381

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,233 in Changwon.

Busan $4,196
Changwon $3,233

Living in Busan is roughly 20% more expensive than in Changwon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Changwon 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.34 ₩9,806

4.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.0K

$27.81 ₩37.1K

77.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,856

$5.34 ₩7,126

24.16%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,912

$3.78 ₩5,050

-2.65%

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

$1.86 ₩2,479

$1.87 ₩2,499

-0.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,861

$1.01 ₩1,351

37.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩4,986

$3.02 ₩4,027

23.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,886

$4.37 ₩5,836

0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,016

$2.35 ₩3,143

-3.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,340

$3.24 ₩4,332

0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,149

$3.20 ₩4,278

-2.81%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,562

$2.63 ₩3,517

1.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$11.08 ₩14.8K

0.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$10.52 ₩14.1K

1.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.4K

$25.38 ₩33.9K

-1.58%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

$11.39 ₩15.2K

-2.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,794

$3.73 ₩4,980

-3.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩10.9K

$7.96 ₩10.6K

2.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,153

$5.86 ₩7,829

4.27%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,277

$5.95 ₩7,945

4.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,440

$3.38 ₩4,509

-1.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,848

$2.85 ₩3,809

1.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,722

$1.32 ₩1,768

-2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,617

$3.37 ₩4,494

2.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.8K

$18.88 ₩25.2K

-1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,230

$2.47 ₩3,298

-2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,799

$3.38 ₩4,513

6.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,529

$1.16 ₩1,549

-0.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,742

$2.98 ₩3,985

19.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩981

$0.78 ₩1,046

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$16.79 ₩22.4K

1.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,892

$1.36 ₩1,819

4.41%

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

$39.9K ₩53.3M

$39.0K ₩52.1M

2.36%

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

$33.9K ₩45.3M

-0.01%

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

$206 ₩274.7K

$200 ₩266.8K

2.95%

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

$36.67 ₩49.0K

$36.15 ₩48.3K

1.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.6K

$27.46 ₩36.7K

-0.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.9K

$53.3 ₩71.2K

-3.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$14.13 ₩18.9K

-28.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.29 ₩15.1K

5.23%

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

$638 ₩852.1K

$646 ₩862.1K

-1.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.7M

$21.5K ₩28.7M

3.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.3K

$104 ₩139.5K

-0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩86.9K

$65.5 ₩87.5K

-0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.9K

$92.3 ₩123.3K

0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩173.6K

$129 ₩171.6K

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩995.6K

$484 ₩646.1K

54.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩778.0K

$356 ₩475.3K

63.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,160 ₩1.5M

85.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$756 ₩1.0M

91.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.3M

$7,009 ₩9.4M

21.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,457 ₩7.3M

-40.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,713 ₩2.3M

64.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Changwon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Changwon

$356 23.3% 38.9% $227

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Changwon

$491 32.1% 0.3% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Changwon

$263 17.2% 2.4% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Changwon

$176 11.5% 0.3% $0.6

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Changwon

$156 10.2% 6.4% $11

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Changwon

$12 * 0.8% 86% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Changwon

$76 5% 0.8% $0.6

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 $484 in Changwon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $28 in Changwon. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $491, with Busan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Changwon

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

1,055,839

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Changwon 36 km

From you

Busan
Changwon

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 Changwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changwon wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Changwon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 65% 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 $484 in Changwon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,842 per month in Busan versus $1,529 in Changwon – Changwon is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Changwon – a meal for two runs $28 versus $49 in Busan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Safety-wise, Busan and Changwon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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