Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jecheon and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Jecheon: $1,535 a month against $1,812 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Jecheon
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Jecheon Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Jecheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,535

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,535 in Jecheon versus $1,812 in Busan.

Jecheon $1,535
Busan $1,812

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Jecheon versus $2,952 in Busan.

Jecheon $2,543
Busan $2,952

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,551 in Jecheon versus $4,091 in Busan.

Jecheon $3,551
Busan $4,091

Living in Jecheon costs roughly 15% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jecheon 14% above, Busan 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.27 ₩9,770

$7.34 ₩9,859

-0.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.66 ₩65.4K

$48.83 ₩65.6K

-0.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 ₩9,078

$6.59 ₩8,851

2.58%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₩4,778

$3.75 ₩5,042

-5.07%

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

$1.79 ₩2,405

$1.78 ₩2,386

0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,871

$1.45 ₩1,942

-4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,891

$3.67 ₩4,933

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 ₩5,606

$4.33 ₩5,824

-3.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ₩3,141

$2.32 ₩3,116

0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,367

$3.24 ₩4,351

0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 ₩4,287

$3.07 ₩4,124

3.91%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,583

$2.71 ₩3,636

-1.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.80 ₩14.5K

$11.00 ₩14.8K

-1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 ₩13.7K

$10.52 ₩14.1K

-3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.63 ₩33.1K

$25.00 ₩33.6K

-1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$11.10 ₩14.9K

$11.04 ₩14.8K

0.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 ₩4,725

$3.65 ₩4,900

-3.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.21 ₩11.0K

$7.91 ₩10.6K

3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,801

$5.78 ₩7,773

0.52%

Potato (1kg)

$5.89 ₩7,919

$5.87 ₩7,888

0.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,320

$3.25 ₩4,372

-1.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 ₩3,661

$2.72 ₩3,652

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₩1,709

$1.26 ₩1,698

0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,530

$3.31 ₩4,447

1.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.44 ₩24.8K

$18.92 ₩25.4K

-2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₩3,162

$2.42 ₩3,253

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 ₩4,772

$3.64 ₩4,889

-2.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₩1,582

$1.18 ₩1,583

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ₩91.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 ₩4,927

$3.60 ₩4,843

1.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₩830

$0.66 ₩893

-6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.58 ₩19.6K

$14.88 ₩20.0K

-2.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₩1,891

$1.36 ₩1,831

3.68%

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

$38.5K ₩51.7M

$40.0K ₩53.8M

-3.84%

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

$33.3K ₩44.8M

$33.0K ₩44.3M

0.93%

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

$201 ₩270.5K

$197 ₩264.6K

2.26%

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

$36.30 ₩48.8K

$35.89 ₩48.2K

1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.24 ₩36.6K

$26.71 ₩35.9K

1.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$50.9 ₩68.4K

11.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 ₩17.1K

$9.86 ₩13.3K

28.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 ₩15.8K

$11.71 ₩15.7K

0.34%

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

$636 ₩854.1K

$624 ₩838.2K

1.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.5M

$22.0K ₩29.6M

-0.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩140.5K

$104 ₩140.1K

0.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 ₩87.0K

$65.9 ₩88.6K

-1.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 ₩122.7K

$92.2 ₩123.9K

-1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₩168.9K

$129 ₩172.7K

-2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ₩591.1K

$753 ₩1.0M

-41.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ₩487.4K

$575 ₩773.0K

-36.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 ₩1.7M

$2,202 ₩3.0M

-43.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$980 ₩1.3M

$1,386 ₩1.9M

-29.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,852 ₩9.2M

$5,126 ₩6.9M

33.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,151 ₩6.9M

$3,249 ₩4.4M

58.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,465 ₩2.0M

$2,658 ₩3.6M

-44.89%

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 Jecheon: November 2, 2026

Last update for Busan: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jecheon

$481 31.3%

Busan

$484 26.7% 0.7% $3.2

Accommodation & Living

Jecheon

$363 23.6%

Busan

$575 31.7% 58.6% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jecheon

$265 17.3%

Busan

$259 14.3% 2% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Jecheon

$174 11.3%

Busan

$176 9.7% 1.2% $2.1

Eating Out

Jecheon

$160 10.5%

Busan

$163 9% 1.9% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Jecheon

$80 5.2%

Busan

$74 4.1% 7.7% $6.2

Getting Around

Jecheon

$11 * 0.8%

Busan

$80 4.4% 595% $68

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 $440 in Jecheon and $753 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 81% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Jecheon vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $484 per month, with Jecheon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jecheon

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

Same time as Jecheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,432

3,586,079

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Jecheon Busan 230 km

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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

Jecheon vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jecheon wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jecheon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Jecheon. 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: $440 in Jecheon versus $753 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $636 in Jecheon versus $624 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,535 per month in Jecheon versus $1,812 in Busan – Jecheon is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Jecheon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

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