Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Suji-gu

For one person, living is cheaper in Suji-gu: $1,362 a month against $1,812 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Suji-gu
Learn more

Suji-gu Living Index

Jump to prices

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,812

/mo nomad

Suji-gu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Suji-gu

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 Suji-gu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Busan versus $1,362 in Suji-gu.

Busan $1,812
Suji-gu $1,362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,952 in Busan versus $2,251 in Suji-gu.

Busan $2,952
Suji-gu $2,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,091 in Busan versus $3,139 in Suji-gu.

Busan $4,091
Suji-gu $3,139

Living in Busan is roughly 33% more expensive than in Suji-gu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,835

$5.86 ₩7,854

25.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.83 ₩65.5K

$34.38 ₩46.1K

42.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 ₩8,830

$6.87 ₩9,209

-4.08%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩5,030

$3.71 ₩4,977

1.08%

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

$1.78 ₩2,381

$1.53 ₩2,049

16.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,937

$0.62 ₩826

133.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ₩4,921

$3.54 ₩4,743

3.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,810

$4.44 ₩5,951

-2.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₩3,109

$2.02 ₩2,705

14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,340

$3.05 ₩4,090

6.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,114

$2.63 ₩3,520

16.73%

Eggs

$2.71 ₩3,627

$3.26 ₩4,363

-16.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 ₩14.7K

$15.46 ₩20.7K

-28.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

$10.41 ₩14.0K

1.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.00 ₩33.5K

$10.99 ₩14.7K

127.48%

Apples (1kg)

$11.04 ₩14.8K

$6.85 ₩9,176

61.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.65 ₩4,888

$2.43 ₩3,261

50.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.6K

$4.51 ₩6,050

75.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,754

$6.28 ₩8,415

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,869

$3.35 ₩4,491

75.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₩4,362

$2.50 ₩3,356

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 ₩3,643

$2.07 ₩2,778

31.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₩1,693

$1.14 ₩1,528

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,436

$3.30 ₩4,422

0.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.92 ₩25.4K

$13.76 ₩18.4K

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,245

$2.30 ₩3,088

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₩4,877

$3.20 ₩4,285

13.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₩1,580

$1.09 ₩1,459

8.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ₩91.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 ₩4,832

$3.67 ₩4,915

-1.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩891

$0.57 ₩757

15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.88 ₩20.0K

$8.90 ₩11.9K

67.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,827

$1.34 ₩1,791

1.49%

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

$40.0K ₩53.6M

$29.7K ₩39.9M

34.48%

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

$33.0K ₩44.2M

$27.9K ₩37.4M

18.18%

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

$197 ₩263.9K

$211 ₩283.3K

-6.83%

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

$35.89 ₩48.1K

$35.23 ₩47.2K

1.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.71 ₩35.8K

$20.77 ₩27.8K

28.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ₩68.2K

$48.66 ₩65.2K

4.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.86 ₩13.2K

$13.08 ₩17.5K

-24.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 ₩15.7K

$11.11 ₩14.9K

5.40%

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

$624 ₩836.2K

$447 ₩599.1K

39.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.5M

$17.6K ₩23.6M

25.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.7K

$62.8 ₩84.2K

66.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.9 ₩88.4K

$32.96 ₩44.2K

99.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 ₩123.6K

$68.3 ₩91.6K

35.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.3K

$80.5 ₩107.9K

59.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ₩1.0M

$536 ₩718.2K

40.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₩771.2K

$369 ₩495.1K

55.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 ₩3.0M

$1,386 ₩1.9M

58.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₩1.9M

$1,061 ₩1.4M

30.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,126 ₩6.9M

$6,456 ₩8.7M

-20.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,249 ₩4.4M

$6,213 ₩8.3M

-47.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,658 ₩3.6M

$1,132 ₩1.5M

134.87%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Suji-gu: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$575 31.7%

Suji-gu

$369 27.1% 35.8% $206

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$484 26.7%

Suji-gu

$386 28.4% 20.2% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$259 14.3%

Suji-gu

$267 19.6% 3% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$176 9.7%

Suji-gu

$110 8.1% 37.5% $66

Eating Out

Busan

$163 9%

Suji-gu

$147 10.8% 9.9% $16

Getting Around

Busan

$80 4.4%

Suji-gu

$11 * 0.8% 86.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$74 4.1%

Suji-gu

$71 5.2% 4.6% $3.4

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 $753 in Busan and $536 in Suji-gu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $34 in Suji-gu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $484 vs $386 per month, with Suji-gu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Suji-gu

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

374,948

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Suji-gu 300 km

From you

Busan
Suji-gu

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 Suji-gu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suji-gu wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Suji-gu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Busan is about 2.3 times higher, 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: $753 in Busan versus $536 in Suji-gu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% 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 $1,362 in Suji-gu – Suji-gu is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,362 in Suji-gu versus $1,812 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Suji-gu but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Suji-gu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Suji-gu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Busan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

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