Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Daegu

For one person, living is cheaper in Daegu: $1,569 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Daegu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,569 in Daegu.

Busan $1,842
Daegu $1,569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,404 in Daegu.

Busan $3,019
Daegu $2,404

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,239 in Daegu.

Busan $4,196
Daegu $3,239

Living in Busan is roughly 17% more expensive than in Daegu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Daegu 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$9.14 ₩12.2K

-15.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.0K

$37.29 ₩49.8K

32.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,856

$5.43 ₩7,254

22.10%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,912

$4.05 ₩5,404

-9.14%

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

$1.86 ₩2,479

$1.58 ₩2,114

17.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,861

$0.91 ₩1,220

52.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩4,986

$3.80 ₩5,068

-1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,886

$5.22 ₩6,966

-15.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,016

$2.51 ₩3,357

-9.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,340

$4.35 ₩5,806

-25.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,149

$2.70 ₩3,603

15.19%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,562

$2.83 ₩3,783

-5.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$10.30 ₩13.8K

8.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$7.12 ₩9,511

50.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.4K

$21.04 ₩28.1K

18.73%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

$6.57 ₩8,772

69.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,794

$2.67 ₩3,569

34.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩10.9K

$5.54 ₩7,400

47.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,153

$5.82 ₩7,769

4.98%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,277

$2.68 ₩3,572

131.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,440

$2.14 ₩2,857

55.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,848

$4.44 ₩5,923

-35.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,722

$1.40 ₩1,864

-7.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,617

$2.97 ₩3,959

16.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.8K

$15.03 ₩20.1K

23.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,230

$2.26 ₩3,011

7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,799

$2.38 ₩3,179

50.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,529

$1.16 ₩1,553

-0.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.2K

$76.3 ₩101.8K

-7.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,742

$3.24 ₩4,325

9.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩981

$0.62 ₩822

17.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$8.18 ₩10.9K

107.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,892

$1.30 ₩1,737

9.23%

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

$39.9K ₩53.3M

$28.5K ₩38.0M

40.37%

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

$33.9K ₩45.3M

$40.9K ₩54.7M

-17.14%

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

$206 ₩274.7K

$279 ₩372.7K

-26.30%

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

$36.67 ₩49.0K

$50.1 ₩66.9K

-26.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.6K

$47.19 ₩63.0K

-41.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.9K

-0.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$11.95 ₩16.0K

-15.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.15 ₩14.9K

6.55%

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

$638 ₩852.1K

$530 ₩708.1K

20.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.7M

$28.5K ₩38.0M

-21.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.3K

$56.6 ₩75.5K

84.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩86.9K

$50.5 ₩67.4K

28.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.9K

$96.4 ₩128.7K

-3.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩173.6K

$170 ₩227.6K

-23.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩995.6K

$425 ₩568.0K

75.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩778.0K

$272 ₩363.0K

114.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,042 ₩1.4M

106.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$606 ₩809.7K

139.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.3M

$7,269 ₩9.7M

16.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,404 ₩7.2M

-39.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$2,451 ₩3.3M

15.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.07

-16.77%

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Daegu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Daegu

$272 17.3% 53.3% $311

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Daegu

$413 26.4% 15.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Daegu

$376 24% 39.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Daegu

$168 10.7% 4.7% $8.2

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Daegu

$177 11.3% 6.8% $11

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Daegu

$87 5.6% 5.9% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Daegu

$74 4.7% 1.9% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $425 in Daegu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 15% 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 $37 in Daegu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $413 per month, with Daegu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Daegu

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

2,528,933

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Busan Daegu 88 km

From you

Busan
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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 Daegu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Daegu wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Daegu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $425 in Daegu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 7% less than in Daegu. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $530 in Daegu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

For families, Daegu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Busan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Busan and Daegu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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