Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Yangsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangsan: $1,543 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 Yangsan
Learn more

Yangsan Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Yangsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,543

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Yangsan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,543 in Yangsan.

Busan $1,842
Yangsan $1,543

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,450 in Yangsan.

Busan $3,019
Yangsan $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,358 in Yangsan.

Busan $4,196
Yangsan $3,358

Living in Busan is roughly 19% more expensive than in Yangsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$7.40 ₩9,924

3.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.2K

$48.46 ₩64.9K

1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,891

$6.74 ₩9,038

-1.63%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,932

$3.59 ₩4,807

2.51%

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

$1.86 ₩2,489

$1.85 ₩2,482

0.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,869

$1.47 ₩1,973

-5.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

$3.86 ₩5,169

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,909

$4.27 ₩5,726

3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,028

$2.35 ₩3,154

-3.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,357

$3.23 ₩4,334

0.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,166

$3.13 ₩4,189

-0.64%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,576

$2.74 ₩3,667

-2.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$11.28 ₩15.1K

-1.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$10.33 ₩13.8K

3.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$25.15 ₩33.7K

-0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$11.28 ₩15.1K

-1.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,813

$3.64 ₩4,879

-1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$7.91 ₩10.6K

3.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,185

$5.89 ₩7,890

3.74%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,310

$5.94 ₩7,959

4.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,458

$3.40 ₩4,554

-2.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,863

$2.78 ₩3,722

3.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,729

$1.30 ₩1,739

-0.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,635

$3.41 ₩4,568

1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$18.63 ₩25.0K

-0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,243

$2.37 ₩3,183

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,818

$3.40 ₩4,563

5.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$1.11 ₩1,481

3.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,761

$3.50 ₩4,694

1.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩985

$0.76 ₩1,021

-3.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$16.72 ₩22.4K

1.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,899

$1.41 ₩1,888

0.71%

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

$39.9K ₩53.5M

$38.9K ₩52.1M

2.69%

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

$33.9K ₩45.5M

$33.6K ₩45.0M

0.95%

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

$206 ₩275.7K

$202 ₩270.2K

2.06%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$36.76 ₩49.3K

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.7K

$27.37 ₩36.7K

0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.1K

$54.3 ₩72.7K

-4.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$13.94 ₩18.7K

-27.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.86 ₩15.9K

0.17%

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

$638 ₩855.5K

$628 ₩841.9K

1.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.8M

$22.2K ₩29.7M

0.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.9K

$105 ₩141.3K

-0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.2K

$65.7 ₩88.1K

-0.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.3K

$94.9 ₩127.2K

-2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.3K

$128 ₩171.7K

1.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩999.6K

$479 ₩641.8K

55.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩781.1K

$359 ₩481.7K

62.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,174 ₩1.6M

83.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$763 ₩1.0M

90.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$7,015 ₩9.4M

20.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,644 ₩7.6M

-42.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$1,638 ₩2.2M

72.57%

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 Yangsan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Yangsan

$359 23.3% 38.3% $223

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Yangsan

$487 31.6% 0.5% $2.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Yangsan

$266 17.2% 1.5% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Yangsan

$177 11.5% 0.5% $0.9

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Yangsan

$164 10.6% 1.5% $2.5

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Yangsan

$12 * 0.8% 85.8% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Yangsan

$78 5.1% 3.5% $2.7

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 $479 in Yangsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 73% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

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

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Yangsan

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

335,474

💱 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 Yangsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yangsan wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Yangsan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% higher in Busan, 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: $746 in Busan versus $479 in Yangsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $628 in Yangsan. 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 $1,543 in Yangsan – Yangsan is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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