Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Songdo-dong

For one person, living is cheaper in Songdo-dong: $1,415 a month against $1,812 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Songdo-dong
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Songdo-dong Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,812

/mo nomad

Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Songdo-dong

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 Songdo-dong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Busan versus $1,415 in Songdo-dong.

Busan $1,812
Songdo-dong $1,415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,952 in Busan versus $2,248 in Songdo-dong.

Busan $2,952
Songdo-dong $2,248

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,091 in Busan versus $3,080 in Songdo-dong.

Busan $4,091
Songdo-dong $3,080

Living in Busan is roughly 28% more expensive than in Songdo-dong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 34% above, Songdo-dong 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,835

$5.86 ₩7,858

25.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.83 ₩65.5K

$35.02 ₩46.9K

39.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 ₩8,830

$6.60 ₩8,850

-0.15%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩5,030

$3.71 ₩4,980

1.08%

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

$1.78 ₩2,381

$1.58 ₩2,112

12.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,937

$0.62 ₩831

133.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ₩4,921

$3.04 ₩4,079

20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,810

$4.56 ₩6,117

-5.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,109

$2.28 ₩3,058

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,340

$3.07 ₩4,109

5.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,114

$2.62 ₩3,515

17.18%

Eggs

$2.71 ₩3,627

$3.29 ₩4,415

-17.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 ₩14.7K

$15.41 ₩20.7K

-28.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

$10.39 ₩13.9K

1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.00 ₩33.5K

$11.08 ₩14.8K

125.63%

Apples (1kg)

$11.04 ₩14.8K

$6.99 ₩9,367

57.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 ₩4,888

$2.45 ₩3,287

48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.6K

$4.47 ₩5,998

76.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,754

$6.96 ₩9,331

-16.95%

Potato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,869

$3.25 ₩4,362

80.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,362

$2.55 ₩3,421

27.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 ₩3,643

$2.03 ₩2,720

33.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₩1,693

$1.47 ₩1,972

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,436

$3.43 ₩4,603

-3.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₩25.4K

$13.63 ₩18.3K

38.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,245

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₩4,877

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₩1,580

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ₩91.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,832

$3.54 ₩4,751

1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩891

$0.66 ₩883

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.88 ₩20.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,827

$1.41 ₩1,884

-3.55%

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

$40.0K ₩53.6M

$28.8K ₩38.6M

38.86%

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

$33.0K ₩44.2M

$35.8K ₩47.9M

-7.70%

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

$197 ₩263.9K

$214 ₩286.7K

-7.95%

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

$35.89 ₩48.1K

$42.76 ₩57.3K

-16.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 ₩35.8K

$21.06 ₩28.2K

26.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ₩68.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.86 ₩13.2K

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 ₩15.7K

$11.11 ₩14.9K

5.40%

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

$624 ₩836.2K

$367 ₩491.9K

70.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.5M

$17.6K ₩23.6M

25.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.7K

$66.3 ₩88.8K

57.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 ₩88.4K

$63.7 ₩85.4K

3.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 ₩123.6K

$75.3 ₩100.9K

22.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.3K

$100.0 ₩134.0K

28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ₩1.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₩771.2K

$448 ₩600.6K

28.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 ₩3.0M

$1,934 ₩2.6M

13.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₩1.9M

$1,048 ₩1.4M

32.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,126 ₩6.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,249 ₩4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,658 ₩3.6M

$3,341 ₩4.5M

-20.44%

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 Songdo-dong: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$575 31.7%

Songdo-dong

$448 31.7% 22.1% $127

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$484 26.7%

Songdo-dong

$379 * 26.8% 21.8% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$259 14.3%

Songdo-dong

$278 19.6% 7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$176 9.7%

Songdo-dong

$137 9.7% 21.9% $39

Eating Out

Busan

$163 9%

Songdo-dong

$144 10.2% 11.6% $19

Getting Around

Busan

$80 4.4%

Songdo-dong

$6.8 * 0.5% 91.4% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$74 4.1%

Songdo-dong

$22 * 1.6% 70.1% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Songdo-dong pays 26% 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 $35 in Songdo-dong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $484 vs $379 per month, with Songdo-dong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Songdo-dong

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Busan Songdo-dong 330 km

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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 Songdo-dong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Songdo-dong wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Songdo-dong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,812 per month in Busan versus $1,415 in Songdo-dong – Songdo-dong is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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