Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Pangyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Pangyo: $1,458 a month against $1,812 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Pangyo
Learn more

Pangyo Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,812

/mo nomad

Pangyo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,458

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Pangyo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Busan versus $1,458 in Pangyo.

Busan $1,812
Pangyo $1,458

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,952 in Busan versus $2,354 in Pangyo.

Busan $2,952
Pangyo $2,354

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,091 in Busan versus $3,249 in Pangyo.

Busan $4,091
Pangyo $3,249

Living in Busan is roughly 24% more expensive than in Pangyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 34% above, Pangyo 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,859

$6.35 ₩8,529

15.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.83 ₩65.6K

$36.79 ₩49.4K

32.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 ₩8,851

$7.47 ₩10.0K

-11.78%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩5,042

$3.12 ₩4,189

20.19%

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

$1.78 ₩2,386

$1.70 ₩2,282

4.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,942

$0.78 ₩1,051

85.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ₩4,933

$3.25 ₩4,367

12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,824

$3.89 ₩5,228

11.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,116

$2.16 ₩2,904

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,351

$3.10 ₩4,168

4.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,124

$2.64 ₩3,541

16.29%

Eggs

$2.71 ₩3,636

$2.73 ₩3,665

-0.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 ₩14.8K

$11.26 ₩15.1K

-2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

$10.21 ₩13.7K

3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.00 ₩33.6K

$21.25 ₩28.6K

17.65%

Apples (1kg)

$11.04 ₩14.8K

$7.48 ₩10.1K

47.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 ₩4,900

$3.12 ₩4,193

16.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.6K

$5.52 ₩7,417

43.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,773

$6.08 ₩8,165

-4.93%

Potato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,888

$3.67 ₩4,933

59.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,372

$2.58 ₩3,462

25.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 ₩3,652

$2.84 ₩3,819

-4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₩1,698

$1.27 ₩1,713

-0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,447

$3.37 ₩4,526

-1.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₩25.4K

$13.40 ₩18.0K

41.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,253

$2.28 ₩3,062

6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₩4,889

$3.50 ₩4,698

4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₩1,583

$1.10 ₩1,475

7.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ₩91.4K

$47.96 ₩64.4K

41.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,843

$3.62 ₩4,868

-0.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩893

$0.66 ₩886

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.88 ₩20.0K

$8.90 ₩12.0K

67.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,831

$1.41 ₩1,893

-3.55%

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

$40.0K ₩53.7M

$28.2K ₩37.9M

41.74%

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

$33.0K ₩44.3M

$34.5K ₩46.4M

-4.36%

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

$197 ₩264.6K

$201 ₩270.5K

-2.21%

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

$35.89 ₩48.2K

$35.81 ₩48.1K

0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 ₩35.9K

$21.13 ₩28.4K

26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ₩68.4K

$52.3 ₩70.3K

-2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.86 ₩13.3K

$13.94 ₩18.7K

-29.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 ₩15.7K

$10.96 ₩14.7K

6.84%

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

$624 ₩838.2K

$446 ₩599.1K

39.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.6M

$21.6K ₩29.0M

2.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.1K

$60.5 ₩81.3K

72.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 ₩88.6K

$57.6 ₩77.4K

14.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 ₩123.9K

$73.1 ₩98.2K

26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.7K

$98.1 ₩131.9K

30.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ₩1.0M

$491 ₩659.4K

53.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₩773.0K

$372 ₩500.4K

54.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 ₩3.0M

$1,240 ₩1.7M

77.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₩1.9M

$936 ₩1.3M

48.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,126 ₩6.9M

$6,805 ₩9.1M

-24.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,249 ₩4.4M

$5,450 ₩7.3M

-40.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,658 ₩3.6M

$5,113 ₩6.9M

-48.01%

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 Pangyo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$575 31.7%

Pangyo

$372 25.5% 35.3% $203

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$484 26.7%

Pangyo

$419 28.8% 13.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$259 14.3%

Pangyo

$258 17.7% 0.5% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$176 9.7%

Pangyo

$130 8.9% 26% $46

Eating Out

Busan

$163 9%

Pangyo

$145 9.9% 11.5% $19

Getting Around

Busan

$80 4.4%

Pangyo

$59 4.1% 25.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$74 4.1%

Pangyo

$74 5.1% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Busan and $491 in Pangyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pangyo pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $37 in Pangyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $484 vs $419 per month, with Pangyo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Pangyo

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Pangyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pangyo wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pangyo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Busan. 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: $753 in Busan versus $491 in Pangyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pangyo runs roughly 30% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $624 in Busan versus $446 in Pangyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Expats usually find Pangyo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.