Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Pyeongtaek

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyeongtaek: $1,452 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Pyeongtaek
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Pyeongtaek Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Pyeongtaek

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Pyeongtaek

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,452 in Pyeongtaek.

Busan $1,842
Pyeongtaek $1,452

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,876 in Pyeongtaek.

Busan $3,019
Pyeongtaek $2,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $4,300 in Pyeongtaek.

Busan $4,196
Pyeongtaek $4,300

Living in Busan is roughly 27% more expensive than in Pyeongtaek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Pyeongtaek 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.49 ₩9,982

2.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩65.9K

$22.56 ₩30.1K

119.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,846

$4.83 ₩6,434

37.27%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,906

$3.62 ₩4,828

1.66%

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

$1.86 ₩2,476

$1.28 ₩1,714

45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,859

$0.88 ₩1,174

57.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩4,980

$3.68 ₩4,901

1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,879

$4.36 ₩5,809

1.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,012

$2.29 ₩3,058

-1.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,335

$3.29 ₩4,393

-1.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,144

$3.18 ₩4,244

-2.20%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,558

$2.62 ₩3,496

1.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$11.32 ₩15.1K

-1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$10.41 ₩13.9K

2.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.3K

$25.15 ₩33.5K

-0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

$11.18 ₩14.9K

-0.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,789

$3.72 ₩4,959

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩10.9K

$8.24 ₩11.0K

-0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,143

$6.09 ₩8,120

0.33%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,267

$6.03 ₩8,040

2.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,435

$3.27 ₩4,365

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,844

$2.75 ₩3,665

4.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,720

$1.36 ₩1,812

-5.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,611

$3.47 ₩4,630

-0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.7K

$19.22 ₩25.6K

-3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,226

$2.50 ₩3,338

-3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,793

$3.41 ₩4,553

5.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,527

$1.26 ₩1,681

-8.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.1K

$46.32 ₩61.8K

52.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,736

$3.64 ₩4,855

-2.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩980

$0.59 ₩792

23.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.6K

$9.26 ₩12.4K

83.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,890

$1.42 ₩1,889

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

$39.9K ₩53.3M

$15.1K ₩20.2M

164.08%

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

$33.9K ₩45.2M

$15.3K ₩20.5M

121.19%

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

$206 ₩274.3K

$201 ₩268.5K

2.18%

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

$36.67 ₩48.9K

$17.22 ₩23.0K

112.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.8K

$11.92 ₩15.9K

-0.34%

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

$638 ₩851.1K

$634 ₩845.4K

0.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.7M

$21.7K ₩28.9M

2.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.2K

$107 ₩142.9K

-2.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩86.8K

$64.8 ₩86.4K

0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.7K

$96.1 ₩128.1K

-3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩173.4K

$130 ₩172.7K

0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩994.5K

$524 ₩698.6K

42.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩777.1K

$300 ₩400.7K

93.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,905 ₩2.5M

12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$1,905 ₩2.5M

-23.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,912 ₩2.5M

47.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Pyeongtaek: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Pyeongtaek

$300 20.7% 48.4% $282

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Pyeongtaek

$492 33.9% 0.5% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Pyeongtaek

$246 16.9% 8.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Pyeongtaek

$179 12.3% 1.3% $2.4

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Pyeongtaek

$154 10.6% 7.5% $13

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Pyeongtaek

$58 4% 29.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Pyeongtaek

$24 * 1.6% 68.4% $51

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 $746 in Busan and $524 in Pyeongtaek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $23 in Pyeongtaek. Groceries flip the comparison at $489 vs $492, with Busan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Pyeongtaek

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

489,081

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Busan Pyeongtaek 270 km

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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 Pyeongtaek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pyeongtaek wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pyeongtaek the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $746 in Busan versus $524 in Pyeongtaek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pyeongtaek runs roughly 34% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,842 per month in Busan versus $1,452 in Pyeongtaek – Pyeongtaek is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Safety-wise, Busan and Pyeongtaek are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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