Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Iksan

For one person, living is cheaper in Iksan: $1,425 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Iksan
Learn more

Iksan Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Iksan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Iksan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,425 in Iksan.

Busan $1,842
Iksan $1,425

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,209 in Iksan.

Busan $3,019
Iksan $2,209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $2,994 in Iksan.

Busan $4,196
Iksan $2,994

Living in Busan is roughly 29% more expensive than in Iksan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Iksan 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$5.97 ₩8,018

28.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.3K

$34.23 ₩46.0K

44.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,907

$6.81 ₩9,143

-2.64%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,941

$3.66 ₩4,908

0.55%

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

$1.86 ₩2,494

$1.62 ₩2,173

14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,872

$0.63 ₩845

120.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,014

$3.50 ₩4,700

6.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,920

$4.37 ₩5,870

0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,033

$2.27 ₩3,050

-0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,365

$3.18 ₩4,267

2.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,173

$2.35 ₩3,153

32.34%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,583

$3.26 ₩4,383

-18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩15.0K

$15.98 ₩21.5K

-30.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.4K

$8.09 ₩10.9K

32.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$11.41 ₩15.3K

118.93%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$7.69 ₩10.3K

45.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,822

$3.22 ₩4,326

11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$7.48 ₩10.0K

9.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,199

$6.83 ₩9,168

-10.54%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,324

$3.60 ₩4,831

72.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,466

$2.42 ₩3,252

37.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,870

$2.04 ₩2,737

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,732

$1.35 ₩1,807

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,643

$3.44 ₩4,621

0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$18.82 ₩25.3K

-1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$2.24 ₩3,008

8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,826

$3.37 ₩4,525

6.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,538

$1.11 ₩1,486

3.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,769

$3.61 ₩4,845

-1.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩986

$0.66 ₩890

10.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.8K

$9.02 ₩12.1K

88.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,903

$1.34 ₩1,800

5.97%

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

$39.9K ₩53.6M

$29.0K ₩39.0M

37.51%

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

$36.3K ₩48.7M

-6.48%

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

$206 ₩276.2K

$211 ₩283.4K

-2.53%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$43.19 ₩58.0K

-15.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.8K

$20.62 ₩27.7K

32.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.3K

$53.5 ₩71.8K

-3.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$14.03 ₩18.8K

-27.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.41 ₩15.3K

4.12%

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

$638 ₩857.0K

$298 ₩400.5K

113.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.9M

$17.7K ₩23.8M

25.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.1K

$65.3 ₩87.7K

59.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.4K

$63.5 ₩85.3K

2.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.6K

$75.3 ₩101.1K

23.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.6K

$99.0 ₩132.9K

31.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩1.0M

$496 ₩666.6K

50.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩782.5K

$362 ₩485.6K

61.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,153 ₩1.5M

86.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$762 ₩1.0M

90.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$7,047 ₩9.5M

20.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,569 ₩7.5M

-41.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,734 ₩2.3M

62.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.1

2.93%

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Iksan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Iksan

$362 25.4% 37.9% $221

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Iksan

$417 29.3% 14.8% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Iksan

$275 19.3% 1.9% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Iksan

$136 9.6% 22.7% $40

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Iksan

$147 10.3% 11.3% $19

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Iksan

$11 * 0.8% 86.2% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Iksan

$76 5.4% 1.3% $1

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 $746 in Busan and $496 in Iksan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 63% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $34 in Iksan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $417 per month, with Iksan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Iksan

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

307,000

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Busan Iksan 210 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 Iksan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iksan wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Iksan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $746 in Busan versus $496 in Iksan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,842 per month in Busan versus $1,425 in Iksan – Iksan is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Iksan is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Iksan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Busan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

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