Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Ilsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilsan: $1,451 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Ilsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,451 in Ilsan.

Busan $1,842
Ilsan $1,451

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,327 in Ilsan.

Busan $3,019
Ilsan $2,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,204 in Ilsan.

Busan $4,196
Ilsan $3,204

Living in Busan is roughly 27% more expensive than in Ilsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Ilsan 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.71 ₩10.3K

-0.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.2K

$67.1 ₩89.9K

-26.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,891

$7.66 ₩10.3K

-13.45%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,932

$4.02 ₩5,386

-8.46%

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

$1.86 ₩2,489

$1.63 ₩2,191

14.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,869

$0.79 ₩1,054

75.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,909

$6.12 ₩8,202

-27.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,028

$2.13 ₩2,849

6.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,357

$3.03 ₩4,057

7.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,166

$2.25 ₩3,014

38.22%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,576

$3.38 ₩4,535

-21.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$16.05 ₩21.5K

-30.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$7.80 ₩10.5K

37.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$11.37 ₩15.2K

119.70%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$7.74 ₩10.4K

44.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,813

$3.31 ₩4,440

8.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$5.66 ₩7,581

44.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,185

$6.25 ₩8,382

-2.24%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,310

$3.47 ₩4,647

78.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,458

$2.42 ₩3,241

37.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,863

$2.04 ₩2,737

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,729

$1.10 ₩1,471

17.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,635

$3.33 ₩4,465

3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$18.82 ₩25.2K

-1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,243

$2.22 ₩2,975

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,818

$3.24 ₩4,342

10.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$1.10 ₩1,476

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.6K

$49.46 ₩66.3K

42.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$3.62 ₩4,848

-1.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩985

$0.67 ₩893

8.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$9.11 ₩12.2K

86.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,899

$1.35 ₩1,806

5.19%

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

$39.9K ₩53.5M

$30.1K ₩40.3M

32.71%

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

$33.9K ₩45.5M

$28.2K ₩37.8M

20.25%

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

$206 ₩275.7K

$213 ₩286.0K

-3.57%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$35.99 ₩48.2K

1.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.7K

$21.31 ₩28.6K

28.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.1K

$55.1 ₩73.8K

-6.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$14.03 ₩18.8K

-27.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.39 ₩15.3K

4.30%

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

$638 ₩855.5K

$380 ₩509.2K

68.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.8M

$17.7K ₩23.8M

25.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.9K

$59.3 ₩79.4K

76.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.2K

$32.99 ₩44.2K

97.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.3K

$71.0 ₩95.1K

30.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.3K

$83.8 ₩112.3K

55.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩999.6K

$493 ₩660.5K

51.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩781.1K

$357 ₩479.1K

63.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,157 ₩1.6M

86.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$758 ₩1.0M

91.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$7,170 ₩9.6M

18.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,436 ₩7.3M

-39.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$3,539 ₩4.7M

-20.13%

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 Ilsan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Ilsan

$357 24.6% 38.7% $225

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Ilsan

$400 27.5% 18.3% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Ilsan

$271 18.7% 0.3% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Ilsan

$111 7.7% 37% $65

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Ilsan

$173 12% 4.4% $7.4

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Ilsan

$61 4.2% 26.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Ilsan

$78 5.4% 3.4% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $493 in Ilsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $67 in Ilsan. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $400, with Ilsan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

1,061,752

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Busan Ilsan 340 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 Ilsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilsan wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ilsan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Busan. 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: $746 in Busan versus $493 in Ilsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ilsan runs roughly 30% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $380 in Ilsan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

For families, Ilsan 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 Ilsan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.