Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Gongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongju: $1,522 a month against $1,812 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Gongju
Learn more

Gongju Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,812

/mo nomad

Gongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Gongju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Busan versus $1,522 in Gongju.

Busan $1,812
Gongju $1,522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,952 in Busan versus $2,522 in Gongju.

Busan $2,952
Gongju $2,522

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,091 in Busan versus $3,522 in Gongju.

Busan $4,091
Gongju $3,522

Living in Busan is roughly 19% more expensive than in Gongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 34% above, Gongju 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,835

$7.24 ₩9,708

1.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.83 ₩65.5K

$47.72 ₩64.0K

2.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 ₩8,830

$6.68 ₩8,956

-1.35%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩5,030

$3.70 ₩4,961

1.35%

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

$1.78 ₩2,381

$1.80 ₩2,417

-1.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,937

$1.38 ₩1,850

5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ₩4,921

$3.65 ₩4,898

0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,810

$4.18 ₩5,606

3.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,109

$2.34 ₩3,132

-0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,340

$3.22 ₩4,320

0.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,114

$3.03 ₩4,061

1.32%

Eggs

$2.71 ₩3,627

$2.68 ₩3,590

1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 ₩14.7K

$10.83 ₩14.5K

1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

$10.45 ₩14.0K

0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.00 ₩33.5K

$24.97 ₩33.5K

0.12%

Apples (1kg)

$11.04 ₩14.8K

$11.02 ₩14.8K

0.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 ₩4,888

$3.65 ₩4,895

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.6K

$8.16 ₩10.9K

-3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,754

$6.03 ₩8,082

-4.15%

Potato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,869

$5.80 ₩7,773

1.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,362

$3.25 ₩4,350

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 ₩3,643

$2.86 ₩3,828

-4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₩1,693

$1.27 ₩1,705

-0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,436

$3.41 ₩4,575

-2.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₩25.4K

$18.26 ₩24.5K

3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,245

$2.38 ₩3,185

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₩4,877

$3.60 ₩4,827

1.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₩1,580

$1.20 ₩1,605

-1.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ₩91.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,832

$3.64 ₩4,875

-1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩891

$0.67 ₩895

-1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.88 ₩20.0K

$14.65 ₩19.6K

1.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,827

$1.39 ₩1,868

-2.16%

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

$40.0K ₩53.6M

$39.8K ₩53.3M

0.62%

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

$33.0K ₩44.2M

$33.7K ₩45.1M

-1.95%

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

$197 ₩263.9K

$200 ₩268.6K

-1.73%

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

$35.89 ₩48.1K

$36.89 ₩49.5K

-2.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 ₩35.8K

$26.87 ₩36.0K

-0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ₩68.2K

$58.3 ₩78.1K

-12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.86 ₩13.2K

$15.41 ₩20.7K

-36.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 ₩15.7K

$11.77 ₩15.8K

-0.51%

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

$624 ₩836.2K

$636 ₩853.1K

-1.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.5M

$21.6K ₩28.9M

2.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.7K

$105 ₩140.8K

-0.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 ₩88.4K

$64.5 ₩86.4K

2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 ₩123.6K

$92.4 ₩123.9K

-0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.3K

$128 ₩171.6K

0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ₩1.0M

$424 ₩567.9K

77.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₩771.2K

$343 ₩459.4K

67.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 ₩3.0M

$1,406 ₩1.9M

56.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₩1.9M

$936 ₩1.3M

48.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,126 ₩6.9M

$6,877 ₩9.2M

-25.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,249 ₩4.4M

$5,486 ₩7.4M

-40.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,658 ₩3.6M

$1,309 ₩1.8M

103.16%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gongju: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$575 31.7%

Gongju

$343 22.5% 40.4% $233

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$484 26.7%

Gongju

$484 31.8% 0% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$259 14.3%

Gongju

$264 17.4% 1.8% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$176 9.7%

Gongju

$175 11.5% 0.3% $0.4

Eating Out

Busan

$163 9%

Gongju

$162 10.6% 1% $1.6

Getting Around

Busan

$80 4.4%

Gongju

$12 * 0.8% 85.2% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$74 4.1%

Gongju

$82 5.4% 10.1% $7.5

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 $753 in Busan and $424 in Gongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $48 in Gongju. Groceries flip the comparison at $484 vs $484, with Busan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Gongju

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

110,428

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Busan Gongju 230 km

From you

Busan
Gongju

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 Gongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gongju wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Busan is about 2 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: $753 in Busan versus $424 in Gongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Busan versus $636 in Gongju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,812 per month in Busan versus $1,522 in Gongju – Gongju is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Gongju gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

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