Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Cheonan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheonan: $1,467 a month against $1,628 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Cheonan
Learn more

Cheonan Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,628

/mo nomad

Cheonan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Cheonan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,628 in Busan versus $1,467 in Cheonan.

Busan $1,628
Cheonan $1,467

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Busan versus $2,259 in Cheonan.

Busan $2,543
Cheonan $2,259

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,457 in Busan versus $3,051 in Cheonan.

Busan $3,457
Cheonan $3,051

Living in Busan is roughly 11% more expensive than in Cheonan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 21% above, Cheonan 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 ₩10.1K

$7.53 ₩10.0K

0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 ₩65.8K

$22.63 ₩30.1K

118.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 ₩8,717

$4.28 ₩5,693

53.27%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩4,882

$1.47 ₩1,951

149.66%

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

$1.85 ₩2,459

$1.16 ₩1,538

59.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,911

$1.40 ₩1,867

2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,008

$2.28 ₩3,031

65.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 ₩5,696

$4.40 ₩5,853

-2.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,137

$1.60 ₩2,125

47.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 ₩4,340

$3.22 ₩4,287

1.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 ₩4,193

$3.07 ₩4,078

2.61%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,509

$2.61 ₩3,476

1.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 ₩14.4K

$11.19 ₩14.9K

-3.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₩14.1K

$10.38 ₩13.8K

1.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 ₩33.7K

$25.11 ₩33.4K

0.84%

Apples (1kg)

$11.22 ₩14.9K

$11.23 ₩14.9K

-0.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 ₩4,837

$3.73 ₩4,965

-2.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.21 ₩10.9K

$8.07 ₩10.7K

1.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,763

$6.04 ₩8,035

-3.31%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 ₩7,831

$6.10 ₩8,106

-3.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,357

$3.34 ₩4,438

-1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 ₩3,696

$2.75 ₩3,651

1.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,707

$1.33 ₩1,765

-3.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,458

$3.38 ₩4,494

-0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.91 ₩25.1K

$18.30 ₩24.3K

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₩3,181

$2.43 ₩3,229

-1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₩4,679

$3.35 ₩4,454

5.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,515

$1.14 ₩1,509

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 ₩80.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩4,759

$3.05 ₩4,050

17.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₩984

$0.78 ₩1,036

-5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 ₩22.8K

$16.69 ₩22.2K

2.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,793

$1.24 ₩1,650

8.87%

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

$29.1K ₩38.7M

$29.7K ₩39.5M

-2.19%

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

$33.1K ₩44.0M

$34.2K ₩45.5M

-3.26%

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

$202 ₩268.2K

$199 ₩264.9K

1.27%

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

$37.03 ₩49.2K

$35.67 ₩47.4K

3.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.43 ₩36.5K

$27.08 ₩36.0K

1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 ₩84.0K

$51.6 ₩68.6K

22.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 ₩13.4K

$11.77 ₩15.6K

-14.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 ₩15.9K

$12.13 ₩16.1K

-1.65%

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

$639 ₩850.3K

$636 ₩845.7K

0.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.2M

$21.5K ₩28.6M

2.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩136.9K

$66.2 ₩88.0K

55.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩86.1K

$59.5 ₩79.1K

8.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.4K

$92.6 ₩123.1K

0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩171.4K

$127 ₩168.9K

1.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 ₩946.6K

$478 ₩636.1K

48.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ₩497.5K

$361 ₩479.5K

3.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 ₩1.7M

$1,153 ₩1.5M

13.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₩955.1K

$739 ₩982.3K

-2.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,884 ₩13.1M

$7,244 ₩9.6M

36.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,279 ₩8.3M

$5,422 ₩7.2M

15.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 ₩3.7M

$1,824 ₩2.4M

52.95%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Cheonan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$488 30%

Cheonan

$480 32.8% 1.7% $8.2

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$374 23%

Cheonan

$361 24.6% 3.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$266 16.4%

Cheonan

$262 17.9% 1.6% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$175 10.8%

Cheonan

$155 10.6% 11.3% $20

Eating Out

Busan

$165 10.1%

Cheonan

$121 8.3% 26.5% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$87 5.3%

Cheonan

$76 5.2% 12.8% $11

Getting Around

Busan

$73 4.5%

Cheonan

$11 * 0.8% 84.2% $61

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 $712 in Busan and $478 in Cheonan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 53% 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: $49.00 in Busan vs $23.00 in Cheonan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $480 per month, with Cheonan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Cheonan

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

658,486

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Busan Cheonan 250 km

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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 Cheonan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheonan wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheonan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $712 in Busan versus $478 in Cheonan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,628 per month in Busan versus $1,467 in Cheonan – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,467 in Cheonan versus $1,628 in Busan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheonan but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Cheonan 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, Busan and Cheonan 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 Cheonan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.