Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Busan: $1,628 a month against $2,300 in London, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in London outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,628

/mo nomad

London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,628 in Busan versus $2,300 in London.

Busan $1,628
London $2,300

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Busan versus $3,321 in London.

Busan $2,543
London $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,457 in Busan versus $4,341 in London.

Busan $3,457
London $4,341

Living in Busan costs roughly 29% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 21% above, London 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 ₩10.1K

$20.81 CA$29.42

-63.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 ₩66.0K

$62.0 CA$87.7

-20.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 ₩8,747

$12.35 CA$17.47

-46.88%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩4,899

$3.82 CA$5.41

-3.93%

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

$1.85 ₩2,467

$2.10 CA$2.98

-11.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,918

$2.15 CA$3.04

-33.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,026

$6.39 CA$9.03

-41.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 ₩5,716

$6.21 CA$8.77

-31.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,148

$1.86 CA$2.63

26.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 ₩4,355

$2.57 CA$3.64

26.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 ₩4,207

$4.00 CA$5.65

-21.25%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,521

$3.67 CA$5.19

-28.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 ₩14.5K

$10.08 CA$14.25

7.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₩14.1K

$11.45 CA$16.19

-7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 ₩33.8K

$14.74 CA$20.84

71.78%

Apples (1kg)

$11.22 ₩15.0K

$4.31 CA$6.09

160.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 ₩4,854

$1.17 CA$1.66

211.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.21 ₩11.0K

$3.77 CA$5.33

117.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,789

$4.06 CA$5.74

43.84%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 ₩7,858

$3.16 CA$4.46

86.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,372

$3.06 CA$4.33

7.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 ₩3,709

$2.49 CA$3.52

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,713

$1.47 CA$2.08

-12.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,473

$12.08 CA$17.08

-72.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.91 ₩25.2K

$12.41 CA$17.55

52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₩3,192

$2.46 CA$3.48

-2.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₩4,695

$2.78 CA$3.93

26.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,520

$2.34 CA$3.30

-51.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 ₩81.0K

$79.0 CA$112

-23.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩4,776

$2.42 CA$3.42

47.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₩987

$1.67 CA$2.36

-55.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 ₩22.9K

$22.36 CA$31.61

-23.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,799

$1.19 CA$1.68

13.45%

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

$29.1K ₩38.8M

$27.4K CA$38.7K

6.18%

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

$33.1K ₩44.2M

$22.9K CA$32.4K

44.27%

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

$202 ₩269.1K

$138 CA$195

46.14%

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

$37.03 ₩49.4K

$39.00 CA$55.1

-5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.43 ₩36.6K

$55.7 CA$78.8

-50.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 ₩84.3K

$37.53 CA$53.1

68.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 ₩13.4K

$28.91 CA$40.87

-65.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 ₩15.9K

$10.40 CA$14.70

14.71%

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

$639 ₩853.2K

$410 CA$580

55.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.3M

$20.4K CA$28.8K

7.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩137.3K

$52.8 CA$74.6

94.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩86.4K

$38.41 CA$54.3

68.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.8K

$82.2 CA$116

12.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.0K

$88.7 CA$125

45.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 ₩949.9K

$1,241 CA$1,754

-42.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ₩499.2K

$1,125 CA$1,590

-66.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 ₩1.7M

$2,042 CA$2,887

-36.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₩958.4K

$1,700 CA$2,404

-57.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,884 ₩13.2M

$3,473 CA$4,910

184.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,279 ₩8.4M

$3,551 CA$5,020

76.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 ₩3.7M

$2,866 CA$4,051

-2.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.72

-10.59%

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

Last update for Busan: October 11, 2026

Last update for London: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$488 30%

London

$357 15.5% 27% $132

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$374 23%

London

$1.1K 48.9% 201% $751

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$266 16.4%

London

$233 10.1% 12.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$175 10.8%

London

$118 5.1% 32.7% $57

Eating Out

Busan

$165 10.1%

London

$311 13.5% 88.5% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$87 5.3%

London

$58 2.5% 33% $29

Getting Around

Busan

$73 4.5%

London

$99 4.3% 36.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Busan and $1,241 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 3% 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: $49.00 in Busan vs $62.0 in London. Groceries flip the comparison at $488 vs $357, with London cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇨🇦 London

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

12:26 12:26 PM

13 h behind Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

383,822

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Busan London 10,800 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Busan
London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in London. 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: $712 in Busan versus $1,241 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 30% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $639 in Busan versus $410 in London. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,628 in Busan versus $2,300 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in London. 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 $1,628 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Busan and London 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 41% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.