Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

Jump to prices

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Jeju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,118 in Jeju.

Busan $1,842
Jeju $1,118

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $1,917 in Jeju.

Busan $3,019
Jeju $1,917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $2,715 in Jeju.

Busan $4,196
Jeju $2,715

Living in Busan is roughly 65% more expensive than in Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 35% above, Jeju is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.33 ₩9,840

4.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.3K

$51.9 ₩69.6K

-4.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,907

$5.61 ₩7,538

18.18%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,941

$5.87 ₩7,879

-37.31%

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

$1.86 ₩2,494

$2.19 ₩2,941

-15.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,872

$2.06 ₩2,769

-32.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,014

$3.93 ₩5,276

-5.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,920

$3.07 ₩4,125

43.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,033

$2.26 ₩3,035

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,365

$2.31 ₩3,097

40.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,173

$2.31 ₩3,103

34.63%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,583

$2.62 ₩3,518

1.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩15.0K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.4K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,822

$2.20 ₩2,957

63.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,199

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,324

$2.97 ₩3,983

108.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,466

$1.87 ₩2,510

78.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,870

$2.28 ₩3,055

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,732

$0.47 ₩628

174.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,643

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$11.48 ₩15.4K

61.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$1.85 ₩2,479

30.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,826

$1.72 ₩2,308

108.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,538

$0.99 ₩1,328

16.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,769

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩986

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,903

$1.37 ₩1,846

3.65%

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

$39.9K ₩53.6M

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

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

$206 ₩276.2K

$214 ₩287.4K

-3.87%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$54.0 ₩72.5K

-32.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.8K

$19.65 ₩26.4K

39.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

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

$638 ₩857.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.9M

$25.3K ₩34.0M

-12.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.1K

$52.7 ₩70.7K

98.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.4K

$29.78 ₩40.0K

118.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.6K

$66.6 ₩89.4K

39.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.6K

$90.8 ₩121.9K

43.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩1.0M

$461 ₩618.8K

61.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩782.5K

$388 ₩521.2K

50.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,372 ₩1.8M

56.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$1,192 ₩1.6M

21.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$10.8K ₩14.5M

-21.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$6,659 ₩8.9M

-50.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,883 ₩2.5M

50.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Jeju

–

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Jeju

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Jeju

–

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Jeju

–

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Jeju

–

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Jeju

–

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Jeju

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $461 in Jeju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 50% 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 $52 in Jeju. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $142, with Jeju cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

469,279

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Jeju 300 km

From you

Busan
Jeju

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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeju wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jeju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 50% 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 $461 in Jeju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,842 per month in Busan versus $1,118 in Jeju – Jeju is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 246% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,118 in Jeju versus $1,842 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeju but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Jeju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

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