Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daejeon and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Daejeon: $1,365 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,365

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,365 in Daejeon versus $1,842 in Busan.

Daejeon $1,365
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,140 in Daejeon versus $3,019 in Busan.

Daejeon $2,140
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,915 in Daejeon versus $4,196 in Busan.

Daejeon $2,915
Busan $4,196

Living in Daejeon costs roughly 26% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 ₩10.2K

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 ₩50.1K

$49.41 ₩66.0K

-24.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.66 ₩7,563

$6.63 ₩8,856

-14.63%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩5,007

$3.68 ₩4,912

1.90%

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

$1.22 ₩1,626

$1.86 ₩2,479

-34.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₩922

$1.39 ₩1,861

-50.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ₩4,932

$3.73 ₩4,986

-1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 ₩5,100

$4.41 ₩5,886

-13.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 ₩2,812

$2.26 ₩3,016

-6.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 ₩3,744

$3.25 ₩4,340

-13.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ₩3,578

$3.11 ₩4,149

-13.83%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,495

$2.67 ₩3,562

-1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 ₩15.0K

$11.14 ₩14.9K

1.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 ₩11.1K

$10.70 ₩14.3K

-22.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.93 ₩27.9K

$24.98 ₩33.4K

-16.21%

Apples (1kg)

$11.19 ₩14.9K

$11.16 ₩14.9K

0.27%

Banana (1kg)

$5.54 ₩7,402

$3.59 ₩4,794

54.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.82 ₩7,770

$8.17 ₩10.9K

-28.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.06 ₩8,089

$6.11 ₩8,153

-0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$5.21 ₩6,956

$6.20 ₩8,277

-15.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 ₩3,830

$3.33 ₩4,440

-13.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 ₩2,299

$2.88 ₩3,848

-40.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₩1,450

$1.29 ₩1,722

-15.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.50 ₩4,674

$3.46 ₩4,617

1.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 ₩25.1K

$18.56 ₩24.8K

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₩3,552

$2.42 ₩3,230

9.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₩4,607

$3.59 ₩4,799

-3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,531

$1.15 ₩1,529

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.53 ₩15.4K

$70.6 ₩94.2K

-83.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 ₩4,387

$3.55 ₩4,742

-7.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩976

$0.73 ₩981

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.77 ₩22.4K

$16.97 ₩22.7K

-1.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,651

$1.42 ₩1,892

-12.68%

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

$29.0K ₩38.7M

$39.9K ₩53.3M

-27.43%

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

$23.4K ₩31.2M

$33.9K ₩45.3M

-31.04%

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

$173 ₩230.9K

$206 ₩274.7K

-15.92%

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

$43.00 ₩57.4K

$36.67 ₩49.0K

17.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.62 ₩30.2K

$27.39 ₩36.6K

-17.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.83 ₩45.2K

$51.6 ₩68.9K

-34.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 ₩15.2K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

-4.12%

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

$302 ₩403.2K

$638 ₩852.1K

-52.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.2M

$22.3K ₩29.7M

-1.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 ₩87.2K

$104 ₩139.3K

-37.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 ₩54.6K

$65.1 ₩86.9K

-37.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩125.3K

$92.8 ₩123.9K

1.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₩142.7K

$130 ₩173.6K

-17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 ₩495.8K

$746 ₩995.6K

-50.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₩402.3K

$583 ₩778.0K

-48.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 ₩1.4M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-51.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩816.6K

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-57.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,603 ₩7.5M

$8,485 ₩11.3M

-33.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,492 ₩6.0M

$3,272 ₩4.4M

37.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,366 ₩3.2M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-16.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

4.22

-13.51%

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

Last update for Daejeon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daejeon

$450 33%

Busan

$489 26.6% 8.6% $39

Accommodation & Living

Daejeon

$301 22.1%

Busan

$583 31.6% 93.4% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daejeon

$239 17.5%

Busan

$270 14.7% 13.1% $31

Eating Out

Daejeon

$157 11.5%

Busan

$166 9% 6% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Daejeon

$138 10.1%

Busan

$177 9.6% 27.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Daejeon

$57 4.2%

Busan

$75 4.1% 33% $19

Getting Around

Daejeon

$23 1.7%

Busan

$82 4.5% 257% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $371 in Daejeon and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 19% 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: $37 in Daejeon vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $450 vs $489 per month, with Daejeon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

05:01 5:01 AM

Same time as Daejeon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,324

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

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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

Daejeon vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Daejeon wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Daejeon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Daejeon. 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: $371 in Daejeon versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Daejeon runs roughly 84% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $302 in Daejeon versus $638 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

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

Expats usually find Daejeon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.