Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Hong Kong

For one person, living is cheaper in Busan: $1,627 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hong Kong outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

78

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,627

/mo nomad

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Hong Kong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,627 in Busan versus $2,984 in Hong Kong.

Busan $1,627
Hong Kong $2,984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Busan versus $4,558 in Hong Kong.

Busan $2,557
Hong Kong $4,558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,486 in Busan versus $6,132 in Hong Kong.

Busan $3,486
Hong Kong $6,132

Living in Busan costs roughly 45% less than in Hong Kong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 21% above, Hong Kong 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.25 ₩9,718

$8.46 HK$66.4

-14.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.28 ₩64.7K

$63.2 HK$496

-23.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 ₩8,664

$6.20 HK$48.66

4.35%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₩4,888

$4.90 HK$38.41

-25.51%

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

$1.77 ₩2,373

$1.27 HK$10.01

39.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,866

$1.06 HK$8.31

31.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 ₩5,137

$7.68 HK$60.3

-50.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,857

$6.28 HK$49.24

-30.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,107

$2.86 HK$22.45

-18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 ₩4,373

$2.43 HK$19.10

34.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,167

$2.18 HK$17.09

42.66%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,506

$3.54 HK$27.80

-25.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 ₩15.0K

$25.12 HK$197

-55.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₩13.9K

$8.89 HK$69.8

16.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.03 ₩33.5K

$17.63 HK$138

41.97%

Apples (1kg)

$11.02 ₩14.8K

$4.11 HK$32.22

168.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,738

$2.72 HK$21.32

30.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$4.59 HK$36.05

71.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ₩7,845

$4.02 HK$31.52

45.52%

Potato (1kg)

$5.88 ₩7,883

$3.25 HK$25.50

80.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,545

$3.27 HK$25.70

3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₩3,657

$1.60 HK$12.54

70.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,771

$1.73 HK$13.56

-23.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,459

$13.14 HK$103

-74.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.44 ₩24.7K

$16.59 HK$130

11.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,184

$2.01 HK$15.80

18.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₩4,657

$2.18 HK$17.13

59.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,589

$1.44 HK$11.31

-17.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 ₩79.2K

$89.1 HK$699

-33.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,828

$3.64 HK$28.53

-1.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ₩962

$1.31 HK$10.29

-45.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.66 ₩22.3K

$15.82 HK$124

5.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,826

$4.06 HK$31.89

-66.50%

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

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$44.4K HK$348.2K

-32.75%

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

$33.8K ₩45.3M

$37.4K HK$293.2K

-9.62%

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

$196 ₩263.2K

$247 HK$1,942

-20.63%

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

$36.52 ₩48.9K

$15.89 HK$125

129.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 ₩36.9K

$21.46 HK$168

28.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 ₩83.7K

$91.4 HK$717

-31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 ₩12.9K

$9.08 HK$71.3

5.95%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 ₩16.1K

$13.96 HK$110

-13.75%

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

$637 ₩853.9K

$1,155 HK$9,067

-44.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K ₩28.9M

$22.3K HK$174.6K

-3.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩142.3K

$68.9 HK$541

54.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.6 ₩87.8K

$40.44 HK$317

62.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 ₩126.6K

$79.9 HK$627

18.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₩171.7K

$118 HK$923

8.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₩983.3K

$2,180 HK$17.1K

-66.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ₩488.8K

$1,718 HK$13.5K

-78.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 ₩1.8M

$5,047 HK$39.6K

-73.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 ₩939.4K

$3,543 HK$27.8K

-80.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K ₩13.4M

$29.1K HK$228.7K

-65.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,421 ₩8.6M

$17.6K HK$137.9K

-63.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,841 ₩3.8M

$3,228 HK$25.3K

-11.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.91

7.93%

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

Last update for Busan: October 4, 2026

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$483 30.1%

Hong Kong

$415 13.9% 14.1% $68

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$365 22.7%

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5% 371% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$260 16.2%

Hong Kong

$285 9.5% 9.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 11.1%

Hong Kong

$138 4.6% 22.2% $39

Eating Out

Busan

$162 10.1%

Hong Kong

$205 6.9% 26.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$87 5.4%

Hong Kong

$119 4% 37.9% $33

Getting Around

Busan

$71 4.4%

Hong Kong

$105 3.5% 47.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $734 in Busan and $2,180 in Hong Kong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hong Kong pays 14% 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: $48.00 in Busan vs $63.0 in Hong Kong. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $415, with Hong Kong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

1 h behind Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

1,367,900 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HKD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.8 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Hong Kong 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Busan
Hong Kong

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 Hong Kong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Hong Kong. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Hong Kong. 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: $734 in Busan versus $2,180 in Hong Kong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 51% less than in Hong Kong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $637 in Busan versus $1,155 in Hong Kong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,627 in Busan versus $2,984 in Hong Kong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in Hong Kong. The gap between the two cities makes Busan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,627 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Busan and Hong Kong 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 Busan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Hong Kong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.