Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changwon and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Changwon: $1,529 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Changwon
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Changwon Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Changwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,529

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Changwon and in Busan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Changwon and in Busan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,529 in Changwon versus $1,842 in Busan.

Changwon $1,529
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Changwon versus $3,019 in Busan.

Changwon $2,381
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,233 in Changwon versus $4,196 in Busan.

Changwon $3,233
Busan $4,196

Living in Changwon costs roughly 17% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Changwon 12% above, Busan 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,806

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-4.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.81 ₩37.1K

$49.41 ₩66.0K

-43.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ₩7,126

$6.63 ₩8,856

-19.46%

Cappuccino

$3.78 ₩5,050

$3.68 ₩4,912

2.72%

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

$1.87 ₩2,499

$1.86 ₩2,479

0.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₩1,351

$1.39 ₩1,861

-27.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 ₩4,027

$3.73 ₩4,986

-19.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,836

$4.41 ₩5,886

-0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₩3,143

$2.26 ₩3,016

3.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,332

$3.25 ₩4,340

-0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 ₩4,278

$3.11 ₩4,149

2.89%

Eggs

$2.63 ₩3,517

$2.67 ₩3,562

-1.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 ₩14.8K

$11.14 ₩14.9K

-0.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

$10.70 ₩14.3K

-1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.38 ₩33.9K

$24.98 ₩33.4K

1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.2K

$11.16 ₩14.9K

2.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.73 ₩4,980

$3.59 ₩4,794

3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.96 ₩10.6K

$8.17 ₩10.9K

-2.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 ₩7,829

$6.11 ₩8,153

-4.09%

Potato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩7,945

$6.20 ₩8,277

-4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,509

$3.33 ₩4,440

1.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 ₩3,809

$2.88 ₩3,848

-1.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,768

$1.29 ₩1,722

2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,494

$3.46 ₩4,617

-2.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ₩25.2K

$18.56 ₩24.8K

1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 ₩3,298

$2.42 ₩3,230

2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ₩4,513

$3.59 ₩4,799

-5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,549

$1.15 ₩1,529

0.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 ₩3,985

$3.55 ₩4,742

-16.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,046

$0.73 ₩981

6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.79 ₩22.4K

$16.97 ₩22.7K

-1.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,819

$1.42 ₩1,892

-4.23%

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

$39.0K ₩52.1M

$39.9K ₩53.3M

-2.31%

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

$33.9K ₩45.3M

0.01%

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

$200 ₩266.8K

$206 ₩274.7K

-2.86%

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

$36.15 ₩48.3K

$36.67 ₩49.0K

-1.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 ₩36.7K

$27.39 ₩36.6K

0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₩71.2K

$51.6 ₩68.9K

3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 ₩18.9K

$10.15 ₩13.6K

39.21%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 ₩15.1K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

-4.97%

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

$646 ₩862.1K

$638 ₩852.1K

1.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K ₩28.7M

$22.3K ₩29.7M

-3.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.5K

$104 ₩139.3K

0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 ₩87.5K

$65.1 ₩86.9K

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₩123.3K

$92.8 ₩123.9K

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩171.6K

$130 ₩173.6K

-1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₩646.1K

$746 ₩995.6K

-35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ₩475.3K

$583 ₩778.0K

-38.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 ₩1.5M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-46.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₩1.0M

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-47.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,009 ₩9.4M

$8,485 ₩11.3M

-17.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,457 ₩7.3M

$3,272 ₩4.4M

66.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ₩2.3M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-39.39%

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 Changwon: October 26, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changwon

$491 32.1%

Busan

$489 26.6% 0.3% $1.4

Accommodation & Living

Changwon

$356 23.3%

Busan

$583 31.6% 63.7% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changwon

$263 17.2%

Busan

$270 14.7% 2.4% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Changwon

$176 11.5%

Busan

$177 9.6% 0.3% $0.6

Eating Out

Changwon

$156 10.2%

Busan

$166 9% 6.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Changwon

$76 5%

Busan

$75 4.1% 0.8% $0.6

Getting Around

Changwon

$12 * 0.8%

Busan

$82 4.5% 614% $71

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 $484 in Changwon and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Changwon vs $49 in Busan. Groceries flip the comparison at $491 vs $489, with Busan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Changwon

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

Same time as Changwon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,055,839

3,586,079

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Changwon Busan 36 km

From you

Changwon
Busan

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

Changwon vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Changwon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $484 in Changwon versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,529 per month in Changwon versus $1,842 in Busan – Changwon is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Changwon – a meal for two runs $28 versus $49 in Busan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

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