Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Geoje

For one person, living is cheaper in Geoje: $1,762 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Geoje
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Geoje Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Geoje

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Geoje

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,762 in Geoje.

Busan $1,842
Geoje $1,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,693 in Geoje.

Busan $3,019
Geoje $2,693

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,624 in Geoje.

Busan $4,196
Geoje $3,624

Living in Busan is roughly 5% more expensive than in Geoje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Geoje 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.34 ₩9,802

4.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.0K

$49.85 ₩66.5K

-0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,856

$6.67 ₩8,911

-0.60%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,912

$3.78 ₩5,051

-2.65%

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

$1.86 ₩2,479

$1.86 ₩2,488

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,861

$1.16 ₩1,547

19.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩4,986

$1.87 ₩2,498

99.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,886

$3.83 ₩5,115

15.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,016

$2.36 ₩3,153

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,340

$2.90 ₩3,870

12.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,149

$3.19 ₩4,261

-2.51%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,562

$2.73 ₩3,639

-2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$10.95 ₩14.6K

1.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$7.29 ₩9,735

46.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.4K

$22.86 ₩30.5K

9.27%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

$11.13 ₩14.9K

0.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,794

$3.76 ₩5,017

-4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩10.9K

$6.08 ₩8,119

34.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,153

$5.90 ₩7,876

3.56%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,277

$5.88 ₩7,844

5.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,440

$3.27 ₩4,363

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,848

$2.85 ₩3,799

1.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,722

$1.29 ₩1,727

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,617

$3.32 ₩4,436

4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.8K

$13.40 ₩17.9K

38.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,230

$1.86 ₩2,484

30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,799

$3.58 ₩4,785

0.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,529

$1.25 ₩1,671

-8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,742

$2.95 ₩3,941

20.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩981

$0.78 ₩1,037

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$16.68 ₩22.3K

1.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,892

$1.36 ₩1,818

4.41%

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

$39.9K ₩53.3M

$39.6K ₩52.9M

0.86%

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

$33.9K ₩45.3M

$34.6K ₩46.2M

-2.06%

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

$206 ₩274.7K

$203 ₩271.2K

1.27%

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

$36.67 ₩49.0K

$36.39 ₩48.6K

0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.6K

$27.47 ₩36.7K

-0.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.9K

$132 ₩176.3K

-60.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$12.17 ₩16.3K

-2.38%

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

$638 ₩852.1K

$633 ₩845.4K

0.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.7M

$22.3K ₩29.8M

-0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.3K

0.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩86.9K

$65.7 ₩87.7K

-0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.9K

$52.5 ₩70.1K

76.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩173.6K

$127 ₩169.9K

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩995.6K

$671 ₩896.0K

11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩778.0K

$576 ₩768.8K

1.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,184 ₩1.6M

81.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$1,038 ₩1.4M

39.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,770 ₩2.4M

59.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Geoje: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Geoje

$576 32.7% 1.2% $6.9

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Geoje

$441 25% 10% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Geoje

$267 15.2% 1% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Geoje

$157 8.9% 10.8% $19

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Geoje

$153 8.7% 7.7% $13

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Geoje

$12 * 0.7% 85.6% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Geoje

$156 8.9% 108% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $671 in Geoje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $50 in Geoje. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $441, with Geoje cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Geoje

🕒 Local time

06:13 6:13 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

254,073

💱 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

On the map

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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 Geoje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geoje wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Geoje the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% 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 $671 in Geoje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,842 per month in Busan versus $1,762 in Geoje – Geoje is about 4% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

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