Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Cincinnati, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Busan: $1,628 a month against $2,323 in Cincinnati, OH, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
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Cincinnati, OH Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,628

/mo nomad

Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,323

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Cincinnati, OH

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,628 in Busan versus $2,323 in Cincinnati, OH.

Busan $1,628
Cincinnati, OH $2,323

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Busan versus $3,448 in Cincinnati, OH.

Busan $2,543
Cincinnati, OH $3,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,457 in Busan versus $4,573 in Cincinnati, OH.

Busan $3,457
Cincinnati, OH $4,573

Living in Busan costs roughly 30% less than in Cincinnati, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 21% above, Cincinnati, OH 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 ₩10.1K

$15.17 $15.17

-50.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 ₩65.8K

$51.0 $51.0

-2.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 ₩8,717

$9.90 $9.90

-33.74%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩4,882

$5.00 $5.00

-26.60%

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

$1.85 ₩2,459

$2.30 $2.30

-19.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,911

$1.65 $1.65

-12.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,008

$5.39 $5.39

-30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 ₩5,696

$7.52 $7.52

-43.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,137

$0.93 $0.93

153.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 ₩4,340

$3.35 $3.35

-2.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 ₩4,193

$3.98 $3.98

-20.85%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,509

$4.22 $4.22

-37.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 ₩14.4K

$12.72 $12.72

-14.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₩14.1K

$11.24 $11.24

-5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 ₩33.7K

$15.99 $15.99

58.35%

Apples (1kg)

$11.22 ₩14.9K

$5.82 $5.82

92.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 ₩4,837

$1.58 $1.58

130.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.21 ₩10.9K

$4.23 $4.23

94.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,763

$4.68 $4.68

24.79%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 ₩7,831

$2.54 $2.54

131.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,357

$3.25 $3.25

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 ₩3,696

$2.02 $2.02

37.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,707

$1.91 $1.91

-32.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,458

$10.55 $10.55

-68.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.91 ₩25.1K

$15.26 $15.26

23.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₩3,181

$2.12 $2.12

12.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₩4,679

$2.94 $2.94

19.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,515

$2.71 $2.71

-57.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 ₩80.8K

$104 $104

-41.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩4,759

$3.70 $3.70

-3.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₩984

$1.22 $1.22

-39.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 ₩22.8K

$25.26 $25.26

-31.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,793

$1.10 $1.10

22.73%

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

$29.1K ₩38.7M

$35.6K $35.6K

-18.28%

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

$33.1K ₩44.0M

$25.1K $25.1K

31.83%

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

$202 ₩268.2K

$151 $151

33.44%

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

$37.03 ₩49.2K

$76.1 $76.1

-51.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.43 ₩36.5K

$72.6 $72.6

-62.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 ₩84.0K

$35.88 $35.88

76.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 ₩13.4K

$13.95 $13.95

-28.03%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 ₩15.9K

$15.10 $15.10

-20.99%

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

$639 ₩850.3K

$1,465 $1,465

-56.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.2M

$19.4K $19.4K

13.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩136.9K

$45.76 $45.76

124.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩86.1K

$44.95 $44.95

44.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.4K

$86.0 $86.0

7.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩171.4K

$110 $110

17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 ₩946.6K

$1,521 $1,521

-53.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ₩497.5K

$1,045 $1,045

-64.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 ₩1.7M

$3,272 $3,272

-60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₩955.1K

$1,821 $1,821

-60.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,884 ₩13.1M

$3,403 $3,403

190.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,279 ₩8.3M

$2,074 $2,074

202.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 ₩3.7M

$4,137 $4,137

-32.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

6.59

-35.96%

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

Last update for Busan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$488 30%

Cincinnati, OH

$389 16.8% 20.3% $99

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$374 23%

Cincinnati, OH

$1K 45% 179% $671

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$266 16.4%

Cincinnati, OH

$300 12.9% 12.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$175 10.8%

Cincinnati, OH

$129 5.6% 26.5% $46

Eating Out

Busan

$165 10.1%

Cincinnati, OH

$269 11.6% 63% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$87 5.3%

Cincinnati, OH

$66 2.8% 24.1% $21

Getting Around

Busan

$73 4.5%

Cincinnati, OH

$125 5.4% 72.2% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Busan and $1,521 in Cincinnati, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cincinnati, OH pays 48% 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 $51.0 in Cincinnati, OH. Groceries flip the comparison at $488 vs $389, with Cincinnati, OH cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

08:21 8:21 AM

13 h behind Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

298,800

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Busan Cincinnati, OH 11,060 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Busan
Cincinnati, OH

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 Cincinnati, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Cincinnati, OH. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Cincinnati, OH. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $712 in Busan versus $1,521 in Cincinnati, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 72% less than in Cincinnati, OH. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $639 in Busan versus $1,465 in Cincinnati, OH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,628 in Busan versus $2,323 in Cincinnati, OH, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in Cincinnati, OH. The gap between the two cities makes Busan 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 Cincinnati, OH 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 Busan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Cincinnati, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.