Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Gyeongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Gyeongju: $1,236 a month against $1,812 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,812

/mo nomad

Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Gyeongju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Busan versus $1,236 in Gyeongju.

Busan $1,812
Gyeongju $1,236

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,952 in Busan versus $2,053 in Gyeongju.

Busan $2,952
Gyeongju $2,053

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,091 in Busan versus $2,871 in Gyeongju.

Busan $4,091
Gyeongju $2,871

Living in Busan is roughly 47% more expensive than in Gyeongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 34% above, Gyeongju is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,835

$7.38 ₩9,898

-0.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.83 ₩65.5K

$47.59 ₩63.8K

2.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 ₩8,830

$6.45 ₩8,652

2.17%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩5,030

$2.99 ₩4,005

25.42%

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

$1.78 ₩2,381

$1.13 ₩1,518

57.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,937

$0.36 ₩482

302.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ₩4,921

$2.62 ₩3,507

40.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,810

$4.21 ₩5,640

2.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,109

$2.33 ₩3,117

-0.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,340

$2.53 ₩3,394

28.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,114

$3.07 ₩4,122

Eggs

$2.71 ₩3,627

$2.57 ₩3,450

5.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 ₩14.7K

$10.82 ₩14.5K

1.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

$10.34 ₩13.9K

1.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.00 ₩33.5K

$18.74 ₩25.1K

33.40%

Apples (1kg)

$11.04 ₩14.8K

$4.42 ₩5,930

149.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 ₩4,888

$2.67 ₩3,577

36.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.6K

$3.73 ₩5,003

112.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,754

$3.65 ₩4,896

58.36%

Potato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,869

$2.54 ₩3,406

131.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,362

$2.27 ₩3,043

43.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 ₩3,643

$2.18 ₩2,921

24.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₩1,693

$1.31 ₩1,761

-3.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,436

$3.40 ₩4,556

-2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₩25.4K

$14.95 ₩20.0K

26.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,245

$1.09 ₩1,463

122.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₩4,877

$2.16 ₩2,901

68.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₩1,580

$1.03 ₩1,379

14.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ₩91.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,832

$2.99 ₩4,014

20.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩891

$0.62 ₩828

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.88 ₩20.0K

$15.01 ₩20.1K

-0.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,827

$1.06 ₩1,417

28.30%

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

$40.0K ₩53.6M

$38.5K ₩51.6M

3.83%

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

$33.0K ₩44.2M

$33.9K ₩45.5M

-2.69%

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

$197 ₩263.9K

$79.4 ₩106.5K

147.87%

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

$35.89 ₩48.1K

$36.57 ₩49.0K

-1.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 ₩35.8K

$27.28 ₩36.6K

-2.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ₩68.2K

$54.4 ₩72.9K

-6.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.86 ₩13.2K

$15.33 ₩20.5K

-35.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 ₩15.7K

$11.20 ₩15.0K

4.55%

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

$624 ₩836.2K

$639 ₩856.6K

-2.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.5M

0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.7K

$44.27 ₩59.4K

135.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 ₩88.4K

$22.44 ₩30.1K

193.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 ₩123.6K

$94.0 ₩126.0K

-1.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.3K

$124 ₩166.6K

3.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ₩1.0M

$430 ₩576.0K

75.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₩771.2K

$376 ₩504.7K

52.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 ₩3.0M

$1,151 ₩1.5M

91.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₩1.9M

$858 ₩1.2M

61.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,126 ₩6.9M

$6,043 ₩8.1M

-15.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,249 ₩4.4M

$6,003 ₩8.0M

-45.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,658 ₩3.6M

$1,851 ₩2.5M

43.63%

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 Gyeongju: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$575 31.7%

Gyeongju

$376 30.5% 34.6% $199

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$484 26.7%

Gyeongju

$359 29.1% 25.8% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$259 14.3%

Gyeongju

$143 11.6% 44.8% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$176 9.7%

Gyeongju

$128 10.4% 27.1% $48

Eating Out

Busan

$163 9%

Gyeongju

$142 11.5% 13.2% $22

Getting Around

Busan

$80 4.4%

Gyeongju

$10 * 0.8% 87.2% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$74 4.1%

Gyeongju

$77 6.2% 3.3% $2.5

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 $430 in Gyeongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 44% 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 $48 in Gyeongju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $484 vs $359 per month, with Gyeongju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🕒 Local time

18:16 6:16 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

258,156

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Busan Gyeongju 76 km

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 Gyeongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gyeongju wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gyeongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $753 in Busan versus $430 in Gyeongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,812 per month in Busan versus $1,236 in Gyeongju – Gyeongju is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,236 in Gyeongju versus $1,812 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gyeongju but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Gyeongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

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