Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $925 a month against $1,798 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
Learn more

Da Nang Living Index

Jump to prices

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,798

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$925

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Da Nang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,798 in Busan versus $925 in Da Nang.

Busan $1,798
Da Nang $925

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,951 in Busan versus $1,477 in Da Nang.

Busan $2,951
Da Nang $1,477

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,104 in Busan versus $2,029 in Da Nang.

Busan $4,104
Da Nang $2,029

Living in Busan is roughly 94% more expensive than in Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 34% above, Da Nang is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 ₩10.2K

$2.36 ₫60.6K

225.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.50 ₩66.1K

$19.31 ₫495.3K

156.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 ₩8,820

$4.61 ₫118.2K

43.17%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₩4,989

$1.69 ₫43.4K

120.71%

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

$1.77 ₩2,368

$0.63 ₫16.2K

180.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,877

$0.33 ₫8,393

324.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 ₩5,073

$1.33 ₫34.1K

185.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,839

$2.33 ₫59.7K

87.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ₩3,059

$1.60 ₫41.1K

43.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₩4,198

$1.23 ₫31.5K

155.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 ₩4,164

$1.00 ₫25.8K

212.00%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,496

$1.51 ₫38.8K

73.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 ₩14.7K

$13.06 ₫335.1K

-15.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₩13.9K

$4.33 ₫111.2K

140.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 ₩33.0K

$8.90 ₫228.4K

177.42%

Apples (1kg)

$11.01 ₩14.7K

$2.92 ₫74.8K

277.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.69 ₩4,935

$1.26 ₫32.3K

192.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.33 ₩11.1K

$1.47 ₫37.7K

466.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 ₩8,029

$1.66 ₫42.6K

262.05%

Potato (1kg)

$6.12 ₩8,181

$1.23 ₫31.7K

397.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 ₩4,467

$1.25 ₫32.1K

167.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 ₩3,685

$0.99 ₫25.3K

178.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,793

$0.51 ₫13.1K

162.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,438

$1.60 ₫40.9K

107.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.81 ₩25.1K

$8.03 ₫205.9K

134.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,177

$0.90 ₫23.2K

164.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₩4,905

$2.31 ₫59.2K

58.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$0.30 ₫7,640

283.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 ₩91.6K

$6.83 ₫175.1K

903.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₩4,822

$1.08 ₫27.8K

234.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩845

$0.51 ₫13.1K

23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 ₩20.0K

$10.90 ₫279.6K

37.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,908

$0.94 ₫24.1K

52.13%

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

$39.8K ₩53.2M

$31.2K ₫801.3M

27.46%

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

$33.1K ₩44.2M

$28.1K ₫722.0M

17.44%

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

$197 ₩262.8K

$87.4 ₫2.2M

125.19%

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

$36.58 ₩48.9K

$6.70 ₫171.8K

445.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 ₩35.8K

$9.14 ₫234.4K

192.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.05 ₩56.2K

$41.73 ₫1.1M

0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 ₩13.6K

$10.23 ₫262.3K

-0.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 ₩15.9K

$3.37 ₫86.5K

252.82%

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

$639 ₩853.1K

$462 ₫11.8M

38.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ₩29.5M

$20.5K ₫526.8M

7.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩141.1K

$41.36 ₫1.1M

155.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 ₩88.2K

$28.08 ₫720.2K

135.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 ₩125.0K

$121 ₫3.1M

-22.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₩168.9K

$82.7 ₫2.1M

52.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 ₩991.9K

$549 ₫14.1M

35.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ₩752.7K

$367 ₫9.4M

53.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 ₩2.9M

$1,158 ₫29.7M

88.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 ₩1.9M

$813 ₫20.9M

72.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,334 ₩7.1M

$3,842 ₫98.6M

38.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,295 ₩4.4M

$1,909 ₫49.0M

72.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,595 ₩3.5M

$431 ₫11.1M

501.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

10.29

-58.99%

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

Last update for Busan: November 9, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: November 8, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$563 31.3%

Da Nang

$367 39.7% 34.9% $197

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$486 27%

Da Nang

$204 22% 58.1% $282

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$260 14.5%

Da Nang

$103 11.2% 60.3% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$176 9.8%

Da Nang

$123 13.3% 30.3% $53

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9.3%

Da Nang

$68 7.4% 59% $98

Getting Around

Busan

$80 4.5%

Da Nang

$12 1.3% 85.4% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$66 3.7%

Da Nang

$48 5.2% 26.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Busan and $549 in Da Nang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $19 in Da Nang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $204 per month, with Da Nang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

09:57 9:57 AM

2 h behind Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

1,245,200

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.9 USD

100,000 VND = 3.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1,336 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,488 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 12, 2026: 1 USD = 25,651 VND (100,000 VND = 3.9 USD). 1 EUR = 28,574 VND (100,000 VND = 3.5 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Da Nang 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Busan
Da Nang

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 Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Da Nang wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Da Nang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Busan is about 6 times higher, 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: $742 in Busan versus $549 in Da Nang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Da Nang runs roughly 90% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $639 in Busan versus $462 in Da Nang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $925 in Da Nang versus $1,798 in Busan, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Da Nang but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Da Nang 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 Da Nang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Da Nang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.