Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Incheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Incheon: $1,376 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Incheon
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Incheon Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Incheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Incheon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,376 in Incheon.

Busan $1,842
Incheon $1,376

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,124 in Incheon.

Busan $3,019
Incheon $2,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $2,873 in Incheon.

Busan $4,196
Incheon $2,873

Living in Busan is roughly 34% more expensive than in Incheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$6.17 ₩8,275

24.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.2K

$34.97 ₩46.9K

41.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,891

$6.92 ₩9,272

-4.19%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,932

$3.66 ₩4,901

0.55%

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

$1.86 ₩2,489

$1.55 ₩2,073

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,869

$0.59 ₩796

135.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

$3.59 ₩4,805

3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,909

$4.42 ₩5,925

-0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,028

$2.11 ₩2,827

7.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,357

$3.05 ₩4,087

6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,166

$2.28 ₩3,061

36.40%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,576

$3.26 ₩4,376

-18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$15.83 ₩21.2K

-29.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$7.98 ₩10.7K

34.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$11.35 ₩15.2K

120.09%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$7.50 ₩10.1K

48.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,813

$3.33 ₩4,462

7.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$5.94 ₩7,963

37.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,185

$6.30 ₩8,446

-3.02%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,310

$3.48 ₩4,669

78.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,458

$2.39 ₩3,208

39.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,863

$2.11 ₩2,826

36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,729

$1.12 ₩1,495

15.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,635

$3.42 ₩4,588

1.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$19.16 ₩25.7K

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,243

$2.24 ₩2,999

8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,818

$3.23 ₩4,324

11.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$1.07 ₩1,437

7.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.6K

$25.40 ₩34.0K

177.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$3.68 ₩4,927

-3.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩985

$0.60 ₩809

21.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$9.25 ₩12.4K

83.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,899

$1.36 ₩1,829

4.41%

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

$39.9K ₩53.5M

$29.2K ₩39.1M

36.84%

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

$33.9K ₩45.5M

$28.3K ₩37.9M

19.91%

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

$206 ₩275.7K

$210 ₩282.0K

-2.22%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$35.72 ₩47.9K

2.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.7K

$21.45 ₩28.8K

27.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.1K

$34.30 ₩46.0K

50.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$37.83 ₩50.7K

-73.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.31 ₩15.2K

5.04%

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

$638 ₩855.5K

$295 ₩395.7K

116.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.8M

$17.8K ₩23.9M

24.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.9K

$60.2 ₩80.7K

73.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.2K

$34.27 ₩45.9K

89.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.3K

$66.5 ₩89.2K

39.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.3K

$83.6 ₩112.0K

55.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩999.6K

$604 ₩809.0K

23.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩781.1K

$355 ₩475.5K

64.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,263 ₩1.7M

70.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$708 ₩949.5K

104.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$6,882 ₩9.2M

23.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,679 ₩7.6M

-42.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$2,460 ₩3.3M

14.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.08

3.43%

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Incheon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Incheon

$355 25.8% 39.1% $228

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Incheon

$401 29.1% 18.1% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Incheon

$268 19.5% 0.8% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Incheon

$110 8% 37.6% $66

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Incheon

$149 10.9% 10.1% $17

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Incheon

$36 2.6% 55.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Incheon

$57 4.1% 24.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $604 in Incheon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 15% 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 $35 in Incheon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $401 per month, with Incheon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Incheon

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

2,870,545

💱 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

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Busan
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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 Incheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Incheon wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Incheon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% 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 $604 in Incheon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Incheon runs roughly 64% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $295 in Incheon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Expats usually find Incheon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.