Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Busan: $1,627 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,627

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Singapore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,627 in Busan versus $3,454 in Singapore.

Busan $1,627
Singapore $3,454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Busan versus $5,224 in Singapore.

Busan $2,557
Singapore $5,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,486 in Busan versus $6,994 in Singapore.

Busan $3,486
Singapore $6,994

Living in Busan costs roughly 53% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 21% above, Singapore 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.25 ₩9,718

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-37.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.28 ₩64.7K

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-32.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 ₩8,664

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-26.14%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₩4,888

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-30.48%

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

$1.77 ₩2,373

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-3.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,866

$1.25 SGD 1.60

11.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 ₩5,137

$8.42 SGD 10.78

-54.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,857

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-56.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,107

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 ₩4,373

$2.47 SGD 3.16

31.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,167

$2.71 SGD 3.47

14.76%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,506

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-29.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 ₩15.0K

$21.54 SGD 27.57

-48.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₩13.9K

$9.52 SGD 12.19

9.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.03 ₩33.5K

$25.98 SGD 33.26

-3.66%

Apples (1kg)

$11.02 ₩14.8K

$4.48 SGD 5.74

145.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,738

$3.11 SGD 3.99

13.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.86 ₩10.5K

$4.62 SGD 5.92

70.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ₩7,845

$2.23 SGD 2.86

162.33%

Potato (1kg)

$5.88 ₩7,883

$2.50 SGD 3.20

135.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,545

$2.38 SGD 3.05

42.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 ₩3,657

$1.78 SGD 2.28

53.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,771

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-12.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,459

$14.18 SGD 18.15

-76.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.44 ₩24.7K

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-22.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,184

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-47.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 ₩4,657

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-23.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 ₩1,589

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-24.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 ₩79.2K

$96.4 SGD 123

-38.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,828

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-0.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 ₩962

$0.80 SGD 1.02

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.66 ₩22.3K

$16.18 SGD 20.71

2.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,826

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-45.82%

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

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-80.86%

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

$33.8K ₩45.3M

$145.8K SGD 186.6K

-76.83%

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

$196 ₩263.2K

$175 SGD 224

12.23%

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

$36.52 ₩48.9K

$12.45 SGD 15.94

193.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.50 ₩36.9K

$26.64 SGD 34.10

3.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 ₩83.7K

$112 SGD 143

-44.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 ₩12.9K

$12.07 SGD 15.45

-20.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 ₩16.1K

$11.60 SGD 14.85

3.79%

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

$637 ₩853.9K

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-56.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K ₩28.9M

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-23.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩142.3K

$81.5 SGD 104

30.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.6 ₩87.8K

$50.6 SGD 64.8

29.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 ₩126.6K

$112 SGD 143

-15.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₩171.7K

$130 SGD 166

-1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₩983.3K

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-74.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ₩488.8K

$2,128 SGD 2,724

-82.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 ₩1.8M

$5,654 SGD 7,239

-76.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 ₩939.4K

$3,968 SGD 5,080

-82.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K ₩13.4M

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-57.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,421 ₩8.6M

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-61.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,841 ₩3.8M

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-34.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

2.44

72.95%

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

Last update for Busan: October 4, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$483 30.1%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 5.3% $26

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$365 22.7%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 483% $1.8K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$260 16.2%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 17.8% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 11.1%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 5.3% $9.4

Eating Out

Busan

$162 10.1%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 58.3% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$87 5.4%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 55.7% $48

Getting Around

Busan

$71 4.4%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 55.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $734 in Busan and $2,916 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 54% 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: $48.00 in Busan vs $71.0 in Singapore. Groceries flip the comparison at $483 vs $457, with Singapore cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

09:39 9:39 AM

1 h behind Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Singapore 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Busan
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 112% lower than in Singapore. 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 54% lower in Singapore. 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: $734 in Busan versus $2,916 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 63% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $637 in Busan versus $1,463 in Singapore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,627 in Busan versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in Singapore. 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 Singapore 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 112% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.