Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheongju: $1,409 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
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Cheongju Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,409

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cheongju 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 Cheongju and in Busan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,409 in Cheongju versus $1,842 in Busan.

Cheongju $1,409
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,329 in Cheongju versus $3,019 in Busan.

Cheongju $2,329
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Cheongju versus $4,196 in Busan.

Cheongju $3,249
Busan $4,196

Living in Cheongju costs roughly 23% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cheongju 4% above, Busan 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 ₩10.0K

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-2.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.95 ₩65.7K

$49.41 ₩66.3K

-0.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 ₩7,898

$6.63 ₩8,907

-11.31%

Cappuccino

$3.66 ₩4,909

$3.68 ₩4,941

-0.54%

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

$1.84 ₩2,476

$1.86 ₩2,494

-1.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,874

$1.39 ₩1,872

0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,906

$3.73 ₩5,014

-2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,816

$4.41 ₩5,920

-1.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩3,026

$2.26 ₩3,033

-0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,370

$3.25 ₩4,365

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,102

$3.11 ₩4,173

-1.93%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,672

$2.67 ₩3,583

2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$11.14 ₩15.0K

0.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 ₩14.3K

$10.70 ₩14.4K

-0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.55 ₩33.0K

$24.98 ₩33.5K

-1.72%

Apples (1kg)

$11.40 ₩15.3K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,819

$3.59 ₩4,822

Oranges (1kg)

$8.30 ₩11.1K

$8.17 ₩11.0K

1.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ₩7,855

$6.11 ₩8,199

-4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,842

$6.20 ₩8,324

-5.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 ₩4,602

$3.33 ₩4,466

3.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,854

$2.88 ₩3,870

-0.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,779

$1.29 ₩1,732

3.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ₩4,627

$3.46 ₩4,643

-0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.71 ₩25.1K

$18.56 ₩24.9K

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₩3,303

$2.42 ₩3,248

1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 ₩4,572

$3.59 ₩4,826

-5.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,538

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩4,701

$3.55 ₩4,769

-1.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₩1,021

$0.73 ₩986

4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 ₩22.4K

$16.97 ₩22.8K

-1.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,823

$1.42 ₩1,903

-4.23%

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

$39.0K ₩52.4M

$39.9K ₩53.6M

-2.26%

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

$33.7K ₩45.3M

$33.9K ₩45.6M

-0.57%

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

$205 ₩275.0K

$206 ₩276.2K

-0.45%

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

$24.30 ₩32.6K

$36.67 ₩49.2K

-33.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.72 ₩37.2K

$27.39 ₩36.8K

1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ₩71.9K

$51.6 ₩69.3K

3.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 ₩18.8K

$10.15 ₩13.6K

37.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 ₩15.9K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

-0.59%

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

$651 ₩873.5K

$638 ₩857.0K

1.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.3M

$22.3K ₩29.9M

-1.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.84 ₩49.5K

$104 ₩140.1K

-64.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 ₩87.8K

$65.1 ₩87.4K

0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩126.0K

$92.8 ₩124.6K

1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩152.1K

$130 ₩174.6K

-12.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₩459.8K

$746 ₩1.0M

-54.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₩369.7K

$583 ₩782.5K

-52.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ₩1.6M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-44.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₩1.0M

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-47.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,228 ₩9.7M

$8,485 ₩11.4M

-14.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,619 ₩7.5M

$3,272 ₩4.4M

71.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,613 ₩3.5M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-7.53%

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 Cheongju: October 27, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cheongju

$488 34.6%

Busan

$489 26.6% 0.3% $1.3

Accommodation & Living

Cheongju

$275 19.5%

Busan

$583 31.6% 112% $307

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheongju

$257 18.2%

Busan

$270 14.7% 5% $13

Eating Out

Cheongju

$161 11.4%

Busan

$166 9% 3.1% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Cheongju

$139 9.9%

Busan

$177 9.6% 26.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Cheongju

$77 5.5%

Busan

$75 4.1% 2.4% $1.9

Getting Around

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8%

Busan

$82 4.5% 593% $70

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 $342 in Cheongju and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49 in Cheongju vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $489 per month, with Cheongju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

Same time as Cheongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

835,669

3,586,079

💱 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

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From you

Cheongju
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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

Cheongju vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Cheongju. 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: $342 in Cheongju versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $651 in Cheongju versus $638 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,409 per month in Cheongju versus $1,842 in Busan – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cheongju is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Safety-wise, Cheongju and Busan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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