Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Cheongju Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Cheongju

😐 Solo nomad: Busan is 35% more expensive than Cheongju without rent, and 16.2% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Busan is 3.9% more expensive than Cheongju without rent, and 30.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Busan
Cheongju
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.18 β‚©10.5K
$7.00 β‚©10.2K
2.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.16 β‚©52.8K
$36.83 β‚©53.7K
-1.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.02 β‚©8,791
$4.76 β‚©6,949
26.47%
Cappuccino
$4.09 β‚©5,965
$4.07 β‚©5,940
0.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 β‚©2,730
$1.82 β‚©2,653
2.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 β‚©1,969
$1.38 β‚©2,014
-2.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.77 β‚©5,509
$3.74 β‚©5,456
0.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.92 β‚©8,639
$5.82 β‚©8,489
1.72%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Busan
Cheongju
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.27 β‚©3,308
$2.10 β‚©3,061
8.10%
White Bread (500g)
$3.59 β‚©5,244
$3.48 β‚©5,079
3.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.96 β‚©4,324
$1.82 β‚©2,652
62.64%
Eggs
$2.96 β‚©4,313
$2.14 β‚©3,120
38.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.38 β‚©15.1K
$10.67 β‚©15.6K
-2.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.45 β‚©12.3K
$8.19 β‚©11.9K
3.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$27.52 β‚©40.2K
$14.96 β‚©21.8K
83.96%
Apples (1kg)
$8.58 β‚©12.5K
$2.87 β‚©4,195
198.95%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 β‚©4,585
$2.87 β‚©4,193
9.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$7.20 β‚©10.5K
$7.38 β‚©10.8K
-2.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.32 β‚©7,766
$5.23 β‚©7,632
1.72%
Potato (1kg)
$5.03 β‚©7,348
$5.18 β‚©7,555
-2.90%
Onion (1kg)
$3.03 β‚©4,420
$2.95 β‚©4,301
2.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.11 β‚©3,079
$2.11 β‚©3,077
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 β‚©1,689
$0.46 β‚©667
152.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.40 β‚©4,956
$3.26 β‚©4,752
4.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.01 β‚©24.8K
$13.43 β‚©19.6K
26.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 β‚©2,451
$1.67 β‚©2,436
0.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 β‚©4,915
$2.17 β‚©3,167
55.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Busan
Cheongju
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 β‚©1,702
$1.16 β‚©1,698
0.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.88 β‚©64.0K
$73.6 β‚©107.5K
-40.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.45 β‚©5,037
$2.60 β‚©3,790
32.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.80 β‚©1,166
$0.83 β‚©1,215
-3.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.83 β‚©24.6K
$16.26 β‚©23.7K
3.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 β‚©1,770
$1.18 β‚©1,722
2.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K β‚©40.0M
$27.4K β‚©40.0M
-0.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.3K β‚©36.9M
$24.6K β‚©35.9M
2.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Busan
Cheongju
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 β‚©273.6K
$193 β‚©282.1K
-3.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.2 β‚©73.3K
$24.07 β‚©35.1K
108.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.30 β‚©39.8K
$14.67 β‚©21.4K
86.09%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Busan
Cheongju
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.7 β‚©75.4K
$62.2 β‚©90.8K
-16.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.06 β‚©19.1K
$33.47 β‚©48.8K
-60.98%
Cinema Ticket
$11.31 β‚©16.5K
$7.30 β‚©10.7K
54.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Busan
Cheongju
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$482 β‚©704.0K
$493 β‚©719.0K
-2.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.4K β‚©21.0M
$14.0K β‚©20.4M
3.06%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Busan
Cheongju
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 β‚©151.5K
$36.82 β‚©53.7K
181.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$66.4 β‚©96.8K
$48.08 β‚©70.2K
38.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 β‚©127.6K
$88.8 β‚©129.6K
-1.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 β‚©173.2K
$111 β‚©162.4K
6.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Busan
Cheongju
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$510 β‚©744.1K
$293 β‚©428.1K
73.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$316 β‚©460.5K
$242 β‚©352.6K
30.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,015 β‚©1.5M
$416 β‚©607.3K
143.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 β‚©951.1K
$297 β‚©434.0K
119.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,960 β‚©13.1M
$8,728 β‚©12.7M
2.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,927 β‚©10.1M
$6,360 β‚©9.3M
8.93%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Busan
Cheongju
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,499 β‚©3.6M
$2,394 β‚©3.5M
4.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.22
4.22
-

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

Last update for Busan: March 1, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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