Comparación del coste de vida entre Busan y Icheon Comparación del coste de vida entre Busan y Icheon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,491 in Busan versus $1,452 in Icheon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Busan versus $2,264 in Icheon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,234 in Busan versus $3,076 in Icheon.

Living in Busan is roughly 3% more expensive than Icheon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 11% above, Icheon 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 ₩10.9K

$6.35 ₩9,416

15.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.93 ₩54.8K

$36.50 ₩54.1K

1.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 ₩8,905

$6.14 ₩9,106

-2.28%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩6,057

$4.01 ₩5,946

1.75%

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

$1.82 ₩2,706

$1.25 ₩1,860

45.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,968

$1.15 ₩1,700

15.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 ₩5,491

$3.57 ₩5,296

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 ₩8,584

$5.72 ₩8,478

1.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,320

$2.36 ₩3,494

-5.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 ₩5,191

$3.58 ₩5,308

-2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 ₩4,394

$3.14 ₩4,659

-5.73%

Eggs

$2.97 ₩4,407

$2.85 ₩4,234

4.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 ₩15.3K

$10.67 ₩15.8K

-3.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 ₩12.5K

$8.00 ₩11.9K

5.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.07 ₩41.6K

$27.70 ₩41.1K

1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$8.29 ₩12.3K

$8.21 ₩12.2K

0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 ₩4,800

$3.27 ₩4,856

-0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 ₩10.8K

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 ₩7,711

$5.22 ₩7,749

-0.38%

Potato (1kg)

$5.05 ₩7,492

$5.08 ₩7,541

-0.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 ₩4,498

$3.06 ₩4,542

-0.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 ₩3,003

$2.08 ₩3,080

-2.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,711

$1.21 ₩1,790

-4.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,879

$3.23 ₩4,798

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 ₩24.8K

$16.89 ₩25.1K

-1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₩2,514

$1.70 ₩2,527

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩5,178

$3.50 ₩5,185

-0.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,650

$1.08 ₩1,600

2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.63 ₩64.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 ₩5,121

$3.46 ₩5,131

-0.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₩1,169

$0.78 ₩1,156

1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.60 ₩24.6K

$16.33 ₩24.2K

1.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₩1,739

$1.22 ₩1,817

-4.10%

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

$27.5K ₩40.7M

$27.7K ₩41.1M

-0.79%

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

$24.7K ₩36.6M

$25.4K ₩37.6M

-2.81%

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

$187 ₩277.1K

$190 ₩281.4K

-1.54%

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

$49.90 ₩74.0K

$50.2 ₩74.5K

-0.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.20 ₩40.3K

$27.70 ₩41.1K

-1.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ₩77.9K

$21.95 ₩32.6K

139.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.38 ₩19.9K

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 ₩17.1K

$11.16 ₩16.6K

3.23%

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

$496 ₩736.3K

$486 ₩721.5K

2.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ₩20.6M

$14.0K ₩20.8M

-0.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩152.4K

$105 ₩155.4K

-1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.2 ₩98.2K

$48.44 ₩71.8K

36.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 ₩132.1K

$87.6 ₩130.0K

1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₩176.1K

$119 ₩176.3K

-0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 ₩766.1K

$747 ₩1.1M

-30.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ₩465.0K

$369 ₩547.8K

-15.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 ₩1.5M

$1,081 ₩1.6M

-5.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 ₩993.4K

$770 ₩1.1M

-13.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,547 ₩14.2M

$8,419 ₩12.5M

13.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,094 ₩10.5M

$5,490 ₩8.1M

29.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,452 ₩3.6M

$2,092 ₩3.1M

17.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.9

8.21%

Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.

Última actualización para Busan: April 25, 2026

Última actualización para Icheon: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Busan and $747 in Icheon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 17% 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: $37.00 in Busan vs $36.00 in Icheon. Groceries flip the comparison at $446 vs $448, with Busan cheaper for home cooking.

Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)

El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.

Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales

Busan vs Icheon: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes

Icheon wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Icheon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Busan pays 17% more on average, 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: $516 in Busan versus $747 in Icheon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Busan pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,491 per month in Busan versus $1,452 in Icheon – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,452 in Icheon versus $1,491 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Icheon but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Icheon 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 Icheon 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 Icheon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.