Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Wonju

For one person, living is cheaper in Wonju: $1,538 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Wonju
Learn more

Wonju Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Wonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Wonju

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,538 in Wonju.

Busan $1,842
Wonju $1,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,443 in Wonju.

Busan $3,019
Wonju $2,443

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,348 in Wonju.

Busan $4,196
Wonju $3,348

Living in Busan is roughly 20% more expensive than in Wonju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Wonju 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.38 ₩9,897

4.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.2K

$48.04 ₩64.4K

2.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,891

$6.60 ₩8,843

0.45%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,932

$3.63 ₩4,862

1.38%

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

$1.86 ₩2,489

$1.79 ₩2,403

3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,869

$1.45 ₩1,949

-4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

$3.78 ₩5,072

-1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,909

$4.37 ₩5,863

0.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,028

$2.33 ₩3,124

-3.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,357

$3.22 ₩4,312

0.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,166

$3.19 ₩4,278

-2.51%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,576

$2.72 ₩3,641

-1.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$10.90 ₩14.6K

2.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$10.34 ₩13.9K

3.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$24.57 ₩32.9K

1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$11.41 ₩15.3K

-2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,813

$3.70 ₩4,962

-2.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$8.22 ₩11.0K

-0.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,185

$6.00 ₩8,043

1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,310

$6.06 ₩8,128

2.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,458

$3.42 ₩4,590

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,863

$2.74 ₩3,677

5.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,729

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,635

$3.48 ₩4,658

-0.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$18.63 ₩25.0K

-0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,243

$2.39 ₩3,205

1.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,818

$3.49 ₩4,679

2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$1.11 ₩1,491

3.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$3.58 ₩4,795

-0.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩985

$0.78 ₩1,051

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$17.10 ₩22.9K

-0.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,899

$1.24 ₩1,659

14.52%

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

$39.9K ₩53.5M

$39.2K ₩52.6M

1.83%

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

$33.9K ₩45.5M

$33.6K ₩45.1M

0.92%

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

$206 ₩275.7K

$200 ₩268.2K

2.80%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$36.97 ₩49.5K

-0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.7K

$26.68 ₩35.8K

2.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.1K

$53.6 ₩71.8K

-3.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$14.22 ₩19.1K

-28.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.91 ₩16.0K

-0.25%

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

$638 ₩855.5K

$488 ₩654.7K

30.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.8M

$21.5K ₩28.9M

3.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.9K

$104 ₩139.6K

0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.2K

0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.3K

$94.2 ₩126.2K

-1.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.3K

$127 ₩170.5K

2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩999.6K

$489 ₩655.8K

52.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩781.1K

$359 ₩480.8K

62.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,178 ₩1.6M

82.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$760 ₩1.0M

90.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$7,208 ₩9.7M

17.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,535 ₩7.4M

-40.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Wonju: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Wonju

$359 23.3% 38.4% $224

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Wonju

$487 31.7% 0.4% $2.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Wonju

$264 17.2% 2.2% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Wonju

$176 11.4% 0.4% $0.7

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Wonju

$163 10.6% 1.8% $3

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Wonju

$12 * 0.8% 85.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Wonju

$77 5% 2.7% $2.1

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 $489 in Wonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $48 in Wonju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $487 per month, with Wonju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Wonju

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

340,196

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 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 Wonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wonju wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Wonju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,763 in Busan and $2,307 in Wonju to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $746 in Busan versus $489 in Wonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $488 in Wonju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,842 per month in Busan versus $1,538 in Wonju – Wonju is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Wonju 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 Wonju are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.