Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Gyeonggi

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeonggi: $1,072 a month against $1,628 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
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Gyeonggi Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,628

/mo nomad

Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Gyeonggi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,628 in Busan versus $1,072 in Gyeonggi.

Busan $1,628
Gyeonggi $1,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Busan versus $2,079 in Gyeonggi.

Busan $2,543
Gyeonggi $2,079

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,457 in Busan versus $3,085 in Gyeonggi.

Busan $3,457
Gyeonggi $3,085

Living in Busan is roughly 52% more expensive than in Gyeonggi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 21% above, Gyeonggi is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 ₩10.1K

$7.53 ₩10.0K

0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 ₩65.8K

$60.6 ₩80.6K

-18.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 ₩8,717

$6.00 ₩7,975

9.33%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩4,882

$3.90 ₩5,180

-5.90%

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

$1.85 ₩2,459

$1.22 ₩1,625

51.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,911

$0.68 ₩903

111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,008

$3.47 ₩4,610

8.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 ₩5,696

$2.93 ₩3,890

46.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,137

$1.76 ₩2,334

34.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 ₩4,340

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 ₩4,193

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,509

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 ₩14.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₩14.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 ₩33.7K

Apples (1kg)

$11.22 ₩14.9K

$11.17 ₩14.9K

0.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 ₩4,837

$3.82 ₩5,084

-4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.21 ₩10.9K

$7.70 ₩10.2K

6.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,763

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 ₩7,831

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,357

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 ₩3,696

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,707

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,458

Wine (Bottle)

$18.91 ₩25.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₩3,181

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₩4,679

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,515

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 ₩80.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩4,759

$3.07 ₩4,087

16.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₩984

$0.58 ₩775

27.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 ₩22.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,793

$1.46 ₩1,945

-7.53%

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

$29.1K ₩38.7M

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

$33.1K ₩44.0M

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

$202 ₩268.2K

$186 ₩247.8K

8.24%

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

$37.03 ₩49.2K

$40.40 ₩53.7K

-8.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.43 ₩36.5K

$21.83 ₩29.0K

25.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 ₩84.0K

$56.3 ₩74.9K

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 ₩13.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 ₩15.9K

$10.32 ₩13.7K

15.60%

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

$639 ₩850.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩136.9K

$58.9 ₩78.4K

74.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩86.1K

$42.06 ₩55.9K

53.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.4K

$86.3 ₩114.8K

7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩171.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 ₩946.6K

$532 ₩707.0K

33.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ₩497.5K

$373 ₩496.5K

0.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 ₩1.7M

$2,102 ₩2.8M

-37.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₩955.1K

$1,503 ₩2.0M

-52.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,884 ₩13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,279 ₩8.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 ₩3.7M

$2,244 ₩3.0M

24.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.5

20.57%

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

Last update for Busan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gyeonggi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$488 30%

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9% 74% $361

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$374 23%

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8% 0.2% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$266 16.4%

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2% 6.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$175 10.8%

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9% 51.9% $91

Eating Out

Busan

$165 10.1%

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5% 5.5% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$87 5.3%

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2% 11.6% $10

Getting Around

Busan

$73 4.5%

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6% 91.7% $67

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 $712 in Busan and $532 in Gyeonggi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 24% 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: $49.00 in Busan vs $61.0 in Gyeonggi. Groceries flip the comparison at $488 vs $127, with Gyeonggi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

1,234,582

💱 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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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 Gyeonggi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyeonggi wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gyeonggi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $712 in Busan versus $532 in Gyeonggi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,628 per month in Busan versus $1,072 in Gyeonggi – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 284% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,072 in Gyeonggi versus $1,628 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gyeonggi but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi 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 Gyeonggi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.