Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $938 a month against $1,628 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,628

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Chiang Mai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,628 in Busan versus $938 in Chiang Mai.

Busan $1,628
Chiang Mai $938

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Busan versus $1,426 in Chiang Mai.

Busan $2,543
Chiang Mai $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,457 in Busan versus $1,914 in Chiang Mai.

Busan $3,457
Chiang Mai $1,914

Living in Busan is roughly 74% more expensive than in Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 21% above, Chiang Mai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 ₩10.1K

$2.26 ฿75.4

235.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 ₩65.8K

$19.18 ฿641

157.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 ₩8,717

$5.59 ฿187

17.35%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩4,882

$1.72 ฿57.6

113.37%

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

$1.85 ₩2,459

$0.64 ฿21.54

189.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,911

$0.33 ฿11.18

336.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,008

$2.36 ฿78.7

59.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 ₩5,696

$3.90 ฿130

9.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,137

$2.05 ฿68.6

15.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 ₩4,340

$1.40 ฿46.70

132.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 ₩4,193

$1.28 ฿42.89

146.09%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,509

$2.25 ฿75.3

17.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 ₩14.4K

$16.94 ฿566

-36.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₩14.1K

$2.74 ฿91.6

285.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 ₩33.7K

$9.36 ฿313

170.51%

Apples (1kg)

$11.22 ₩14.9K

$2.40 ฿80.3

367.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 ₩4,837

$1.01 ฿33.92

260.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.21 ₩10.9K

$1.61 ฿53.9

409.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,763

$1.52 ฿50.7

284.21%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 ₩7,831

$1.28 ฿42.90

360.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,357

$1.11 ฿37.22

195.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 ₩3,696

$0.72 ฿24.09

286.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,707

$0.52 ฿17.54

146.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,458

$4.33 ฿145

-22.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.91 ₩25.1K

$17.73 ฿593

6.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₩3,181

$1.63 ฿54.4

46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₩4,679

$2.85 ฿95.3

23.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,515

$0.85 ฿28.31

34.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 ₩80.8K

$53.9 ฿1,801

12.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩4,759

$1.17 ฿39.18

205.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₩984

$0.57 ฿19.00

29.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 ₩22.8K

$2.37 ฿79.2

624.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,793

$1.45 ฿48.32

-6.90%

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

$29.1K ₩38.7M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

42.09%

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

$33.1K ₩44.0M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

24.82%

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

$202 ₩268.2K

$62.3 ฿2,083

223.65%

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

$37.03 ₩49.2K

$12.27 ฿410

201.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.43 ₩36.5K

$19.97 ฿668

37.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 ₩84.0K

$37.91 ฿1,267

66.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 ₩13.4K

$3.76 ฿126

167.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 ₩15.9K

$6.71 ฿224

77.79%

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

$639 ₩850.3K

$797 ฿26.6K

-19.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.2M

$14.8K ฿495.7K

48.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩136.9K

$53.3 ฿1,780

93.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩86.1K

$25.05 ฿837

158.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.4K

$91.6 ฿3,062

1.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩171.4K

$73.5 ฿2,455

75.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 ₩946.6K

$464 ฿15.5K

53.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ₩497.5K

$305 ฿10.2K

22.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 ₩1.7M

$915 ฿30.6K

42.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₩955.1K

$552 ฿18.5K

30.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,884 ₩13.1M

$1,912 ฿63.9K

416.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,279 ₩8.3M

$1,438 ฿48.1K

336.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 ₩3.7M

$595 ฿19.9K

368.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.57

-24.24%

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

Last update for Busan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$488 30%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 51.3% $250

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$374 23%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 18.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$266 16.4%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 64.5% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$175 10.8%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 37.5% $66

Eating Out

Busan

$165 10.1%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 52.1% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$87 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 41% $36

Getting Around

Busan

$73 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 15.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Busan and $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 369% 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $238 per month, with Chiang Mai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

22:01 10:01 PM

2 h behind Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

127,240

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Chiang Mai 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Busan
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiang Mai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 369% 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 $464 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chiang Mai runs roughly 13% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $639 in Busan versus $797 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $938 in Chiang Mai versus $1,628 in Busan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiang Mai delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $938 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiang Mai hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Busan and Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.