Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,531 in Busan versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,395 in Busan versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,259 in Busan versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Busan costs roughly 33% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 15% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 ₩10.2K

$15.75 €13.74

-55.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.34 ₩52.5K

$63.5 €55.3

-42.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 ₩8,486

$10.45 €9.11

-43.73%

Cappuccino

$4.00 ₩5,774

$2.91 €2.54

37.46%

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

$1.87 ₩2,700

$2.29 €2.00

-18.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,984

$1.50 €1.31

-8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩5,249

$3.56 €3.11

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 ₩8,655

$3.96 €3.46

51.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,258

$1.08 €0.94

109.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 ₩5,128

$1.76 €1.54

101.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 ₩4,293

$1.70 €1.48

74.71%

Eggs

$2.98 ₩4,303

$3.25 €2.83

-8.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 ₩14.9K

$13.25 €11.55

-21.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 ₩12.1K

$7.70 €6.72

8.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.82 ₩40.2K

$15.77 €13.75

76.41%

Apples (1kg)

$8.59 ₩12.4K

$2.28 €1.99

276.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,496

$1.66 €1.44

87.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.24 ₩10.4K

$2.02 €1.76

258.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 ₩7,609

$2.47 €2.16

113.36%

Potato (1kg)

$5.28 ₩7,615

$1.79 €1.56

194.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 ₩4,212

$2.07 €1.80

41.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 ₩2,912

$1.97 €1.72

2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,677

$0.83 €0.73

39.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩4,816

$6.55 €5.71

-49.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.27 ₩24.9K

$5.57 €4.85

210.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₩2,504

$1.33 €1.16

30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₩4,769

$3.01 €2.62

9.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,670

$2.27 €1.98

-48.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.92 ₩64.8K

$46.35 €40.41

-3.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 ₩5,060

$4.23 €3.69

-17.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₩1,218

$0.85 €0.74

-1.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.69 ₩24.1K

$18.83 €16.41

-11.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₩1,672

$2.02 €1.76

-42.57%

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

$27.8K ₩40.1M

$35.0K €30.5K

-20.60%

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

$24.7K ₩35.7M

$39.6K €34.6K

-37.68%

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

$188 ₩270.7K

$148 €129

26.76%

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

$50.3 ₩72.7K

$20.52 €17.89

145.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.92 ₩40.3K

$39.52 €34.46

-29.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 ₩74.7K

$48.17 €42.00

7.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.98 ₩18.7K

$18.39 €16.03

-29.42%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 ₩16.5K

$9.10 €7.93

25.93%

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

$481 ₩693.7K

$615 €536

-21.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K ₩20.7M

$16.3K €14.2K

-12.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩148.5K

$102 €88.6

1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 ₩95.4K

$42.09 €36.69

56.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 ₩126.7K

$92.3 €80.5

-4.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₩172.1K

$122 €106

-2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 ₩720.5K

$1,612 €1,405

-69.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ₩467.9K

$1,254 €1,093

-74.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 ₩1.4M

$3,069 €2,676

-67.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ₩956.9K

$2,037 €1,776

-67.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,574 ₩13.8M

$7,751 €6,757

23.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,200 ₩10.4M

$4,286 €3,737

67.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,584 ₩3.7M

$1,602 €1,396

61.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.81

10.76%

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

Last update for Busan: July 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $499 in Busan and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Busan vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $499 in Busan versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 3% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Busan versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,531 in Busan versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Busan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,531 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Busan and Lisbon 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 Busan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.