Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Sangju

For one person, living is cheaper in Sangju: $1,425 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sangju
Learn more

Sangju Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Sangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Sangju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,425 in Sangju.

Busan $1,842
Sangju $1,425

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,201 in Sangju.

Busan $3,019
Sangju $2,201

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $2,978 in Sangju.

Busan $4,196
Sangju $2,978

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Sangju 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$6.06 ₩8,131

26.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.3K

$34.86 ₩46.8K

41.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,907

$6.84 ₩9,186

-3.07%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,941

$3.65 ₩4,907

0.82%

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

$1.86 ₩2,494

$1.59 ₩2,140

16.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,872

$0.63 ₩841

120.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,014

$3.42 ₩4,588

9.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,920

$4.39 ₩5,893

0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,033

$2.23 ₩2,992

1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,365

$3.21 ₩4,310

1.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,173

$2.36 ₩3,170

31.78%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,583

$3.26 ₩4,380

-18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩15.0K

$15.90 ₩21.3K

-29.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.4K

$7.99 ₩10.7K

33.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

123.84%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$7.78 ₩10.4K

43.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,822

$3.27 ₩4,396

9.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$7.55 ₩10.1K

8.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,199

$7.20 ₩9,669

-15.14%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,324

$3.53 ₩4,744

75.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,466

$2.45 ₩3,296

35.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,870

$2.07 ₩2,782

39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,732

$1.29 ₩1,726

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,643

$3.44 ₩4,618

0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$18.78 ₩25.2K

-1.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$2.29 ₩3,075

5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,826

$3.45 ₩4,635

4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,538

$1.11 ₩1,491

3.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,769

$3.71 ₩4,984

-4.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩986

$0.66 ₩891

10.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.8K

$9.11 ₩12.2K

86.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,903

$1.35 ₩1,814

5.19%

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

$39.9K ₩53.6M

$30.0K ₩40.3M

33.19%

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

$35.2K ₩47.3M

-3.65%

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

$206 ₩276.2K

$210 ₩281.4K

-1.83%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$43.44 ₩58.3K

-15.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.8K

$20.80 ₩27.9K

31.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.3K

$53.6 ₩72.0K

-3.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$14.02 ₩18.8K

-27.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.28 ₩15.1K

5.32%

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

$638 ₩857.0K

$300 ₩403.0K

112.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.9M

$17.8K ₩23.9M

24.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.1K

$66.3 ₩89.0K

57.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.4K

$64.5 ₩86.6K

0.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.6K

$73.8 ₩99.2K

25.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.6K

$100 ₩134.4K

29.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩1.0M

$483 ₩648.8K

54.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩782.5K

$361 ₩484.7K

61.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,157 ₩1.6M

86.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$739 ₩991.7K

96.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$7,248 ₩9.7M

17.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,516 ₩7.4M

-40.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,492 ₩2.0M

89.38%

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: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sangju: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Sangju

$361 25.3% 38.1% $222

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Sangju

$418 29.3% 14.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Sangju

$274 19.2% 1.5% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Sangju

$137 9.6% 22.3% $39

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Sangju

$148 10.4% 11.2% $19

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Sangju

$11 * 0.8% 86.1% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Sangju

$76 5.4% 1.1% $0.8

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 $483 in Sangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 89% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $35 in Sangju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $418 per month, with Sangju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Sangju

🕒 Local time

05:28 5:28 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

100,947

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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From you

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 Sangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sangju wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sangju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 89% 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 $483 in Sangju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,842 per month in Busan versus $1,425 in Sangju – Sangju is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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

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