Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Cheongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheongju: $1,409 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
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Cheongju Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Cheongju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,409 in Cheongju.

Busan $1,842
Cheongju $1,409

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,329 in Cheongju.

Busan $3,019
Cheongju $2,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,249 in Cheongju.

Busan $4,196
Cheongju $3,249

Living in Busan is roughly 31% more expensive than in Cheongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Cheongju 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.47 ₩10.0K

2.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.3K

$48.95 ₩65.7K

0.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,907

$5.88 ₩7,898

12.76%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,941

$3.66 ₩4,909

0.55%

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

$1.86 ₩2,494

$1.84 ₩2,476

1.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,872

$1.40 ₩1,874

-0.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,014

$3.65 ₩4,906

2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,920

$4.33 ₩5,816

1.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,033

$2.25 ₩3,026

0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,365

$3.25 ₩4,370

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,173

$3.05 ₩4,102

1.97%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,583

$2.73 ₩3,672

-2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩15.0K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

-0.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.4K

$10.65 ₩14.3K

0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$24.55 ₩33.0K

1.75%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$11.40 ₩15.3K

-2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,822

$3.59 ₩4,819

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$8.30 ₩11.1K

-1.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,199

$5.85 ₩7,855

4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,324

$5.84 ₩7,842

6.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,466

$3.43 ₩4,602

-2.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,870

$2.87 ₩3,854

0.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,732

$1.33 ₩1,779

-3.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,643

$3.45 ₩4,627

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$18.71 ₩25.1K

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$2.46 ₩3,303

-1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,826

$3.40 ₩4,572

5.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,538

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,769

$3.50 ₩4,701

1.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩986

$0.76 ₩1,021

-3.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.8K

$16.67 ₩22.4K

1.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,903

$1.36 ₩1,823

4.41%

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

$39.9K ₩53.6M

$39.0K ₩52.4M

2.32%

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

$33.7K ₩45.3M

0.57%

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

$206 ₩276.2K

$205 ₩275.0K

0.45%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$24.30 ₩32.6K

50.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.8K

$27.72 ₩37.2K

-1.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.3K

$53.6 ₩71.9K

-3.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$13.97 ₩18.8K

-27.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.81 ₩15.9K

0.59%

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

$638 ₩857.0K

$651 ₩873.5K

-1.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.9M

$21.8K ₩29.3M

2.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.1K

$36.84 ₩49.5K

183.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.4K

$65.4 ₩87.8K

-0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.6K

$93.9 ₩126.0K

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.6K

$113 ₩152.1K

14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩1.0M

$342 ₩459.8K

117.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩782.5K

$275 ₩369.7K

111.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,197 ₩1.6M

79.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$760 ₩1.0M

90.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$7,228 ₩9.7M

17.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,619 ₩7.5M

-41.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$2,613 ₩3.5M

8.15%

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 Cheongju: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Cheongju

$275 19.5% 52.8% $307

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Cheongju

$488 34.6% 0.3% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Cheongju

$257 18.2% 4.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Cheongju

$139 9.9% 21.1% $37

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Cheongju

$161 11.4% 3% $4.9

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8% 85.6% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Cheongju

$77 5.5% 2.5% $1.9

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 $342 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 8% 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 in Busan vs $49 in Cheongju. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $488, with Cheongju cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

835,669

💱 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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Between locations

Busan Cheongju 220 km

From you

Busan
Cheongju

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 Cheongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $342 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $651 in Cheongju. 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 $1,409 in Cheongju – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cheongju is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Safety-wise, Busan and Cheongju are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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