Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Daejeon

For one person, living is cheaper in Daejeon: $1,365 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Daejeon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,365 in Daejeon.

Busan $1,842
Daejeon $1,365

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,140 in Daejeon.

Busan $3,019
Daejeon $2,140

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $2,915 in Daejeon.

Busan $4,196
Daejeon $2,915

Living in Busan is roughly 35% more expensive than in Daejeon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.62 ₩10.2K

0.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.0K

$37.50 ₩50.1K

31.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,856

$5.66 ₩7,563

17.14%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,912

$3.75 ₩5,007

-1.87%

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

$1.86 ₩2,479

$1.22 ₩1,626

52.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,861

$0.69 ₩922

101.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩4,986

$3.69 ₩4,932

1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,886

$3.82 ₩5,100

15.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,016

$2.11 ₩2,812

7.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,340

$2.80 ₩3,744

16.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,149

$2.68 ₩3,578

16.04%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,562

$2.62 ₩3,495

1.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$11.27 ₩15.0K

-1.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$8.29 ₩11.1K

29.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.4K

$20.93 ₩27.9K

19.35%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

$11.19 ₩14.9K

-0.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,794

$5.54 ₩7,402

-35.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩10.9K

$5.82 ₩7,770

40.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,153

$6.06 ₩8,089

0.83%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,277

$5.21 ₩6,956

19.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,440

$2.87 ₩3,830

16.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,848

$1.72 ₩2,299

67.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,722

$1.09 ₩1,450

18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,617

$3.50 ₩4,674

-1.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.8K

$18.83 ₩25.1K

-1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,230

$2.66 ₩3,552

-9.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,799

$3.45 ₩4,607

4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,529

$1.15 ₩1,531

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.2K

$11.53 ₩15.4K

511.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,742

$3.29 ₩4,387

7.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩981

$0.73 ₩976

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$16.77 ₩22.4K

1.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,892

$1.24 ₩1,651

14.52%

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

$39.9K ₩53.3M

$29.0K ₩38.7M

37.80%

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

$33.9K ₩45.3M

$23.4K ₩31.2M

45.01%

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

$206 ₩274.7K

$173 ₩230.9K

18.94%

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

$36.67 ₩49.0K

$43.00 ₩57.4K

-14.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.6K

$22.62 ₩30.2K

21.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.9K

$33.83 ₩45.2K

52.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.39 ₩15.2K

4.30%

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

$638 ₩852.1K

$302 ₩403.2K

111.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.7M

$21.9K ₩29.2M

1.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.3K

$65.3 ₩87.2K

59.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩86.9K

$40.89 ₩54.6K

59.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.9K

$93.9 ₩125.3K

-1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩173.6K

$107 ₩142.7K

21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩995.6K

$371 ₩495.8K

100.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩778.0K

$301 ₩402.3K

93.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,041 ₩1.4M

106.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$612 ₩816.6K

137.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.3M

$5,603 ₩7.5M

51.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$4,492 ₩6.0M

-27.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$2,366 ₩3.2M

19.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.65

15.62%

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Daejeon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Daejeon

$301 22.1% 48.3% $281

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Daejeon

$450 33% 8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Daejeon

$239 17.5% 11.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Daejeon

$138 10.1% 21.7% $38

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Daejeon

$157 11.5% 5.7% $9.4

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Daejeon

$23 1.7% 72% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Daejeon

$57 4.2% 24.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $371 in Daejeon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 19% 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 Daejeon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $450 per month, with Daejeon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

1,537,324

💱 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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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 Daejeon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Daejeon wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Daejeon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $371 in Daejeon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Daejeon runs roughly 84% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $302 in Daejeon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

For families, Daejeon 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 Daejeon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Daejeon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.