Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Gwangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gwangju: $1,338 a month against $1,622 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Busan despite lower rent and utilities.

78

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,622

/mo nomad

Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,338

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Gwangju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,622 in Busan versus $1,338 in Gwangju.

Busan $1,622
Gwangju $1,338

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,548 in Busan versus $2,063 in Gwangju.

Busan $2,548
Gwangju $2,063

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,474 in Busan versus $2,788 in Gwangju.

Busan $3,474
Gwangju $2,788

Living in Busan is roughly 21% more expensive than in Gwangju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 20% above, Gwangju is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,898

$5.87 ₩7,806

26.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.80 ₩64.9K

$35.42 ₩47.1K

37.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 ₩9,131

$6.11 ₩8,129

12.44%

Cappuccino

$3.79 ₩5,037

$3.12 ₩4,152

21.47%

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

$1.86 ₩2,469

$1.59 ₩2,118

16.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,925

$0.63 ₩842

130.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ₩4,898

$2.42 ₩3,217

52.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 ₩5,598

$4.61 ₩6,126

-8.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,000

$1.79 ₩2,387

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,263

$2.41 ₩3,200

33.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 ₩4,252

$2.33 ₩3,093

37.34%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,513

$2.74 ₩3,642

-3.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 ₩14.8K

$8.99 ₩12.0K

24.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 ₩14.2K

$7.75 ₩10.3K

38.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.44 ₩33.8K

$11.16 ₩14.8K

127.96%

Apples (1kg)

$11.43 ₩15.2K

$5.14 ₩6,832

122.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.62 ₩4,818

$2.98 ₩3,964

21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.34 ₩11.1K

$3.77 ₩5,018

121.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.05 ₩8,046

$2.93 ₩3,900

106.48%

Potato (1kg)

$5.98 ₩7,952

$3.55 ₩4,718

68.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,365

$1.86 ₩2,468

76.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₩3,636

$2.08 ₩2,767

31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,705

$1.32 ₩1,759

-3.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ₩4,514

$3.41 ₩4,538

-0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.52 ₩24.6K

$11.19 ₩14.9K

65.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 ₩3,256

$1.52 ₩2,021

61.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₩4,592

$2.31 ₩3,069

49.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,581

$1.04 ₩1,389

14.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 ₩79.9K

$68.1 ₩90.6K

-11.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ₩4,848

$3.13 ₩4,157

16.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ₩1,027

$0.69 ₩918

11.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.81 ₩22.4K

$7.81 ₩10.4K

115.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,892

$1.27 ₩1,690

11.81%

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

$39.1K ₩52.0M

$28.7K ₩38.2M

36.07%

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

$34.1K ₩45.3M

$36.2K ₩48.1M

-5.82%

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

$204 ₩270.8K

$213 ₩283.8K

-4.55%

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

$36.88 ₩49.0K

$43.90 ₩58.4K

-15.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.19 ₩36.2K

$20.85 ₩27.7K

30.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 ₩82.6K

$61.2 ₩81.4K

1.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.75 ₩13.0K

$13.61 ₩18.1K

-28.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ₩15.9K

$11.12 ₩14.8K

7.46%

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

$631 ₩839.0K

$298 ₩396.0K

111.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.6M

$18.0K ₩23.9M

24.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 ₩141.8K

$32.51 ₩43.2K

227.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.7 ₩88.6K

$25.77 ₩34.3K

158.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 ₩125.1K

$64.0 ₩85.1K

47.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₩167.8K

$90.9 ₩120.9K

38.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 ₩967.7K

$506 ₩672.8K

43.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 ₩481.7K

$360 ₩479.2K

0.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 ₩1.8M

$1,163 ₩1.5M

16.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ₩966.2K

$760 ₩1.0M

-4.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K ₩13.5M

$8,138 ₩10.8M

25.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,237 ₩8.3M

$6,394 ₩8.5M

-2.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,815 ₩3.7M

$2,829 ₩3.8M

-0.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.6

17.22%

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

Last update for Busan: October 17, 2026

Last update for Gwangju: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$491 30.3%

Gwangju

$308 23% 37.3% $183

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$362 22.3%

Gwangju

$360 26.9% 0.5% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$268 16.5%

Gwangju

$278 20.8% 3.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 10.9%

Gwangju

$96 7.2% 45.8% $81

Eating Out

Busan

$166 10.2%

Gwangju

$133 9.9% 19.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$86 5.3%

Gwangju

$83 6.2% 3% $2.6

Getting Around

Busan

$72 4.5%

Gwangju

$79 5.9% 9% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $728 in Busan and $506 in Gwangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Busan vs $35.00 in Gwangju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $491 vs $308 per month, with Gwangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

1,467,996

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 Gwangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gwangju wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gwangju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Gwangju. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $728 in Busan versus $506 in Gwangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gwangju runs roughly 13% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $631 in Busan versus $298 in Gwangju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,338 in Gwangju versus $1,622 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gwangju but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Gwangju 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 Gwangju are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gwangju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.