Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Mokpo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mokpo: $1,406 a month against $1,812 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Mokpo
Learn more

Mokpo Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,812

/mo nomad

Mokpo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Mokpo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Busan versus $1,406 in Mokpo.

Busan $1,812
Mokpo $1,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,952 in Busan versus $2,304 in Mokpo.

Busan $2,952
Mokpo $2,304

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,091 in Busan versus $3,202 in Mokpo.

Busan $4,091
Mokpo $3,202

Living in Busan is roughly 29% more expensive than in Mokpo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 34% above, Mokpo 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,859

$7.40 ₩9,949

-0.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.83 ₩65.6K

$37.40 ₩50.3K

30.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 ₩8,851

$6.67 ₩8,969

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩5,042

$3.55 ₩4,775

5.63%

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

$1.78 ₩2,386

$1.58 ₩2,128

12.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,942

$0.69 ₩921

110.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ₩4,933

$3.38 ₩4,544

8.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,824

$4.16 ₩5,594

4.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,116

$2.14 ₩2,882

8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,351

$3.15 ₩4,231

2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,124

$2.73 ₩3,674

12.45%

Eggs

$2.71 ₩3,636

$2.62 ₩3,525

3.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 ₩14.8K

$10.55 ₩14.2K

4.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

$10.58 ₩14.2K

-0.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.00 ₩33.6K

$21.61 ₩29.0K

15.69%

Apples (1kg)

$11.04 ₩14.8K

$7.48 ₩10.1K

47.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 ₩4,900

$3.03 ₩4,068

20.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.6K

$5.30 ₩7,120

49.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,773

$5.35 ₩7,184

8.04%

Potato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,888

$3.75 ₩5,042

56.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,372

$2.71 ₩3,639

19.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 ₩3,652

$2.75 ₩3,700

-1.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₩1,698

$1.25 ₩1,677

0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,447

$3.25 ₩4,364

1.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₩25.4K

$13.48 ₩18.1K

40.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,253

$2.35 ₩3,159

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₩4,889

$3.62 ₩4,861

0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₩1,583

$1.00 ₩1,341

18.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ₩91.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,843

$4.09 ₩5,490

-11.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩893

$0.59 ₩794

11.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.88 ₩20.0K

$9.80 ₩13.2K

51.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,831

$1.41 ₩1,901

-3.55%

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

$40.0K ₩53.8M

$30.2K ₩40.6M

32.32%

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

$33.0K ₩44.3M

$30.1K ₩40.5M

9.54%

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

$197 ₩264.6K

$207 ₩277.8K

-4.76%

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

$35.89 ₩48.2K

$35.80 ₩48.1K

0.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 ₩35.9K

$22.26 ₩29.9K

19.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ₩68.4K

$50.6 ₩68.0K

0.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.86 ₩13.3K

$12.38 ₩16.6K

-20.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 ₩15.7K

$11.94 ₩16.0K

-1.93%

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

$624 ₩838.2K

$416 ₩559.3K

49.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.6M

$22.6K ₩30.4M

-2.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.1K

$62.6 ₩84.1K

66.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 ₩88.6K

$62.0 ₩83.3K

6.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 ₩123.9K

$74.6 ₩100.2K

23.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.7K

$109 ₩147.0K

17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ₩1.0M

$533 ₩716.0K

41.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₩773.0K

$344 ₩462.9K

67.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 ₩3.0M

$1,118 ₩1.5M

96.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₩1.9M

$940 ₩1.3M

47.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,126 ₩6.9M

$6,862 ₩9.2M

-25.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,249 ₩4.4M

$5,612 ₩7.5M

-42.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,658 ₩3.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.1

2.93%

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

Last update for Busan: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mokpo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$575 31.7%

Mokpo

$344 24.5% 40.1% $231

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$484 26.7%

Mokpo

$416 29.6% 14.1% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$259 14.3%

Mokpo

$265 18.8% 2% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$176 9.7%

Mokpo

$139 9.9% 21.1% $37

Eating Out

Busan

$163 9%

Mokpo

$156 11.1% 4.4% $7.2

Getting Around

Busan

$80 4.4%

Mokpo

$11 * 0.8% 86.2% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$74 4.1%

Mokpo

$74 5.3% 0.2% $0.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Busan and $533 in Mokpo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $37 in Mokpo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $484 vs $416 per month, with Mokpo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Mokpo

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

237,739

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Busan Mokpo 250 km

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Busan
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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 Mokpo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mokpo wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mokpo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,718 in Busan and $2,109 in Mokpo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $753 in Busan versus $533 in Mokpo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,812 per month in Busan versus $1,406 in Mokpo – Mokpo is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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