Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Yeosu

For one person, living is cheaper in Yeosu: $1,452 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Yeosu
Learn more

Yeosu Living Index

Jump to prices

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Yeosu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Yeosu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,452 in Yeosu.

Busan $1,842
Yeosu $1,452

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,269 in Yeosu.

Busan $3,019
Yeosu $2,269

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,086 in Yeosu.

Busan $4,196
Yeosu $3,086

Living in Busan is roughly 27% more expensive than in Yeosu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Busan 35% above, Yeosu 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$5.82 ₩7,819

32.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.3K

$36.80 ₩49.4K

34.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,907

$6.10 ₩8,193

8.69%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,941

$3.65 ₩4,898

0.82%

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

$1.86 ₩2,494

$1.39 ₩1,865

33.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,872

$0.78 ₩1,053

78.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,014

$3.65 ₩4,896

2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,920

$4.26 ₩5,719

3.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,033

$2.04 ₩2,745

10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,365

$3.06 ₩4,115

6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,173

$3.16 ₩4,248

-1.58%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,583

$2.76 ₩3,700

-3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩15.0K

$11.22 ₩15.1K

-0.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.4K

$10.66 ₩14.3K

0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.5K

$24.69 ₩33.2K

1.17%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$7.67 ₩10.3K

45.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,822

$3.64 ₩4,885

-1.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩11.0K

$7.70 ₩10.3K

6.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,199

$6.02 ₩8,090

1.50%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,324

$3.83 ₩5,146

61.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,466

$3.35 ₩4,505

-0.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,870

$2.20 ₩2,954

30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,732

$1.12 ₩1,499

15.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,643

$3.33 ₩4,473

3.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.9K

$14.92 ₩20.0K

24.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,248

$2.22 ₩2,987

9.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,826

$2.28 ₩3,068

57.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,538

$1.12 ₩1,503

2.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

$40.83 ₩54.8K

72.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,769

$2.87 ₩3,854

23.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩986

$0.78 ₩1,044

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.8K

$10.03 ₩13.5K

69.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,903

$1.20 ₩1,613

18.33%

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

$39.9K ₩53.6M

$31.4K ₩42.1M

27.35%

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

$26.6K ₩35.7M

27.78%

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

$206 ₩276.2K

$190 ₩255.7K

8.05%

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

$36.67 ₩49.2K

$36.93 ₩49.6K

-0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.8K

$22.12 ₩29.7K

23.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.3K

$54.2 ₩72.7K

-4.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$14.30 ₩19.2K

-29.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$10.40 ₩14.0K

14.23%

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

$638 ₩857.0K

$372 ₩500.1K

71.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.9M

$18.6K ₩24.9M

19.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.1K

$57.0 ₩76.5K

83.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.4K

$38.09 ₩51.1K

70.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩124.6K

$75.9 ₩102.0K

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩174.6K

$112 ₩150.1K

16.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩1.0M

$492 ₩661.2K

51.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩782.5K

$361 ₩485.2K

61.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,162 ₩1.6M

85.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$738 ₩990.5K

96.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

$7,166 ₩9.6M

18.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,438 ₩7.3M

-39.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$2,143 ₩2.9M

31.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.50%

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

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Yeosu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Yeosu

$361 24.9% 38% $221

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Yeosu

$443 30.5% 9.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Yeosu

$249 17.2% 7.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Yeosu

$127 8.8% 27.9% $49

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Yeosu

$144 9.9% 13.2% $22

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Yeosu

$52 3.6% 36.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Yeosu

$75 5.2% 0.5% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $492 in Yeosu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $37 in Yeosu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $443 per month, with Yeosu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Yeosu

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

288,988

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Yeosu 140 km

From you

Busan
Yeosu

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 Yeosu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yeosu wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Yeosu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $492 in Yeosu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yeosu runs roughly 42% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $638 in Busan versus $372 in Yeosu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Expats usually find Yeosu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.