Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Busan: $1,628 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Seoul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

Jump to prices

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,628

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Seoul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,628 in Busan versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Busan $1,628
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Busan versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Busan $2,543
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,457 in Busan versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Busan $3,457
Seoul $3,931

Living in Busan costs roughly 9% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 21% above, Seoul 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 ₩10.1K

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-13.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.48 ₩66.0K

$68.4 ₩91.2K

-27.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 ₩8,747

$7.54 ₩10.1K

-13.00%

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩4,899

$4.23 ₩5,644

-13.24%

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

$1.85 ₩2,467

$1.63 ₩2,175

13.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,918

$0.74 ₩988

94.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ₩5,026

$3.64 ₩4,860

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 ₩5,716

$6.15 ₩8,203

-30.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,148

$2.01 ₩2,688

17.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 ₩4,355

$3.13 ₩4,178

4.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 ₩4,207

$4.32 ₩5,764

-27.08%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,521

$3.61 ₩4,810

-26.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 ₩14.5K

$17.83 ₩23.8K

-39.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 ₩14.1K

$10.45 ₩13.9K

1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 ₩33.8K

$25.80 ₩34.4K

-1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$11.22 ₩15.0K

$7.66 ₩10.2K

46.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 ₩4,854

$3.38 ₩4,514

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.21 ₩11.0K

$5.81 ₩7,750

41.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,789

$6.41 ₩8,549

-8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 ₩7,858

$3.75 ₩5,000

57.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,372

$2.54 ₩3,387

29.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 ₩3,709

$2.84 ₩3,796

-2.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,713

$1.11 ₩1,477

15.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,473

$3.35 ₩4,470

Wine (Bottle)

$18.91 ₩25.2K

$18.49 ₩24.7K

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₩3,192

$2.40 ₩3,196

-0.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 ₩4,695

$3.37 ₩4,495

4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,520

$1.14 ₩1,526

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 ₩81.0K

$46.11 ₩61.5K

31.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩4,776

$3.49 ₩4,660

2.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₩987

$0.63 ₩843

17.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.18 ₩22.9K

$8.86 ₩11.8K

93.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,799

$1.51 ₩2,012

-10.60%

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

$29.1K ₩38.8M

$29.3K ₩39.1M

-0.61%

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

$33.1K ₩44.2M

$28.2K ₩37.6M

17.31%

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

$202 ₩269.1K

$218 ₩290.2K

-7.26%

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

$37.03 ₩49.4K

$35.15 ₩46.9K

5.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.43 ₩36.6K

$21.29 ₩28.4K

28.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 ₩84.3K

$58.1 ₩77.5K

8.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 ₩13.4K

$16.10 ₩21.5K

-37.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 ₩15.9K

$11.31 ₩15.1K

5.48%

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

$639 ₩853.2K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-67.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.3M

$22.9K ₩30.5M

-3.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩137.3K

$57.0 ₩76.1K

80.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 ₩86.4K

$33.39 ₩44.5K

93.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.8K

$71.5 ₩95.4K

29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.0K

$82.5 ₩110.1K

56.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 ₩949.9K

$901 ₩1.2M

-20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 ₩499.2K

$612 ₩816.3K

-38.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 ₩1.7M

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-48.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₩958.4K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-43.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,884 ₩13.2M

$29.4K ₩39.3M

-66.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,279 ₩8.4M

$11.9K ₩15.9M

-47.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 ₩3.7M

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-23.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.08

3.43%

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

Last update for Busan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$488 30%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 2.3% $11

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$374 23%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 63.5% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$266 16.4%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 2.9% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$175 10.8%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 37.2% $65

Eating Out

Busan

$165 10.1%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 11.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$87 5.3%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 7.3% $6.3

Getting Around

Busan

$73 4.5%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 21% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Busan and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Busan vs $68.0 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $488 vs $477, with Seoul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Seoul 330 km

From you

Busan
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Seoul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Seoul. 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: $712 in Busan versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 32% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $639 in Busan versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,628 in Busan versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Busan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Seoul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Busan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.