Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Incheon and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Incheon: $1,373 a month against $1,628 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Incheon
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Incheon Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Incheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,373

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,373 in Incheon versus $1,628 in Busan.

Incheon $1,373
Busan $1,628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,106 in Incheon versus $2,543 in Busan.

Incheon $2,106
Busan $2,543

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,839 in Incheon versus $3,457 in Busan.

Incheon $2,839
Busan $3,457

Living in Incheon costs roughly 16% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Incheon 2% above, Busan 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 ₩7,874

$7.58 ₩10.1K

-21.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.73 ₩46.2K

$49.48 ₩65.8K

-29.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 ₩8,703

$6.56 ₩8,717

-0.15%

Cappuccino

$3.75 ₩4,988

$3.67 ₩4,882

2.18%

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

$1.61 ₩2,147

$1.85 ₩2,459

-12.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₩851

$1.44 ₩1,911

-55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 ₩4,544

$3.77 ₩5,008

-9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 ₩6,162

$4.28 ₩5,696

8.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,715

$2.36 ₩3,137

-13.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,160

$3.26 ₩4,340

-3.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ₩3,109

$3.15 ₩4,193

-25.71%

Eggs

$3.33 ₩4,427

$2.64 ₩3,509

26.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.51 ₩20.6K

$10.84 ₩14.4K

43.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 ₩10.5K

$10.57 ₩14.1K

-25.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.7K

$25.32 ₩33.7K

-56.32%

Apples (1kg)

$7.84 ₩10.4K

$11.22 ₩14.9K

-30.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,206

$3.64 ₩4,837

-13.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 ₩7,529

$8.21 ₩10.9K

-31.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.38 ₩8,481

$5.84 ₩7,763

9.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,585

$5.89 ₩7,831

-41.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,213

$3.28 ₩4,357

-26.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩2,768

$2.78 ₩3,696

-25.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,528

$1.28 ₩1,707

-10.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,609

$3.35 ₩4,458

3.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.0K

$18.91 ₩25.1K

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ₩2,931

$2.39 ₩3,181

-7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,306

$3.52 ₩4,679

-7.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,412

$1.14 ₩1,515

-7.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.53 ₩32.6K

$60.7 ₩80.8K

-59.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₩4,752

$3.58 ₩4,759

-0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩852

$0.74 ₩984

-13.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 ₩12.3K

$17.18 ₩22.8K

-46.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 ₩1,860

$1.35 ₩1,793

3.70%

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

$29.0K ₩38.6M

$29.1K ₩38.7M

-0.30%

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

$28.6K ₩38.0M

$33.1K ₩44.0M

-13.72%

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

$209 ₩277.2K

$202 ₩268.2K

3.36%

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

$35.24 ₩46.9K

$37.03 ₩49.2K

-4.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 ₩27.7K

$27.43 ₩36.5K

-24.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.40 ₩44.4K

$63.2 ₩84.0K

-47.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.21 ₩50.8K

$10.04 ₩13.4K

280.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$11.93 ₩15.9K

-5.62%

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

$295 ₩392.8K

$639 ₩850.3K

-53.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K ₩24.1M

$22.0K ₩29.2M

-17.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 ₩76.0K

$103 ₩136.9K

-44.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 ₩43.6K

$64.7 ₩86.1K

-49.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 ₩92.4K

$92.8 ₩123.4K

-25.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 ₩112.1K

$129 ₩171.4K

-34.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 ₩812.1K

$712 ₩946.6K

-14.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩480.1K

$374 ₩497.5K

-3.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,304 ₩1.7M

-2.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 ₩921.3K

$718 ₩955.1K

-3.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,723 ₩8.9M

$9,884 ₩13.1M

-31.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,498 ₩7.3M

$6,279 ₩8.3M

-12.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,411 ₩3.2M

$2,790 ₩3.7M

-13.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.22

-3.32%

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

Last update for Incheon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Incheon

$399 29%

Busan

$488 30% 22.5% $90

Accommodation & Living

Incheon

$361 26.3%

Busan

$374 23% 3.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Incheon

$265 19.3%

Busan

$266 16.4% 0.6% $1.6

Eating Out

Incheon

$147 10.7%

Busan

$165 10.1% 11.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Incheon

$110 8%

Busan

$175 10.8% 59.8% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Incheon

$56 4.1%

Busan

$87 5.3% 55.6% $31

Getting Around

Incheon

$36 2.6%

Busan

$73 4.5% 104% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $611 in Incheon and $712 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 16% 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: $35.00 in Incheon vs $49.00 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $488 per month, with Incheon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Incheon

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

Same time as Incheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,870,545

3,586,079

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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

Incheon vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Incheon wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Incheon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Busan. 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: $611 in Incheon versus $712 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Incheon runs roughly 148% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $295 in Incheon versus $639 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,373 in Incheon versus $1,628 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Incheon but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Incheon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Incheon 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.

Expats usually find Incheon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.