Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. The total is higher in Busan despite lower rent and utilities.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Medellin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Busan $1,842
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Busan $3,019
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Busan $4,196
Medellin $3,186

Living in Busan is roughly 12% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-4.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.3K

$47.05 COP 148.0K

5.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,907

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-30.21%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,941

$3.01 COP 9,485

22.26%

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

$1.86 ₩2,494

$1.80 COP 5,660

3.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,872

$1.41 COP 4,443

-1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,014

$3.18 COP 9,990

17.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,920

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-23.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,033

$1.51 COP 4,751

49.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,365

$2.38 COP 7,480

36.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,173

$1.77 COP 5,573

75.71%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,583

$2.89 COP 9,093

-7.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩15.0K

$10.19 COP 32.1K

9.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.4K

$9.87 COP 31.1K

8.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$13.99 COP 44.0K

78.56%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$3.97 COP 12.5K

181.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,822

$1.55 COP 4,883

131.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$2.18 COP 6,867

274.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,199

$2.18 COP 6,870

180.28%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,324

$1.96 COP 6,174

216.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,466

$1.59 COP 5,000

109.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,870

$1.15 COP 3,604

150.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,732

$1.24 COP 3,911

4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,643

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-12.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$13.68 COP 43.0K

35.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$1.66 COP 5,221

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,826

$2.26 COP 7,103

58.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,538

$1.17 COP 3,674

-1.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-8.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,769

$1.27 COP 3,989

179.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩986

$2.05 COP 6,442

-64.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.8K

$8.55 COP 26.9K

98.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,903

$1.35 COP 4,237

5.19%

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

$39.9K ₩53.6M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

17.24%

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-2.15%

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

$206 ₩276.2K

$170 COP 533.7K

21.26%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$13.55 COP 42.6K

170.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.8K

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-2.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.3K

$43.70 COP 137.5K

18.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-40.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$6.91 COP 21.7K

71.92%

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

$638 ₩857.0K

$797 COP 2.5M

-19.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.9M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

144.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.1K

$84.7 COP 266.5K

23.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.4K

$58.0 COP 182.3K

12.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.6K

$135 COP 424.6K

-31.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.6K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩1.0M

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-38.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩782.5K

$642 COP 2.0M

-9.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$2,028 COP 6.4M

6.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$1,012 COP 3.2M

43.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$4,170 COP 13.1M

103.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$1,910 COP 6.0M

71.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$657 COP 2.1M

330.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

10.94

-61.43%

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 10.1% $59

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 39.3% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 21.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 4.3% $7.5

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 2.1% $3.5

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 13.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 23.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

15:47 3:47 PM

14 h behind Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Medellin 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Busan
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Busan is about 4.3 times higher, 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 $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 9% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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