Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index

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Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,118 in Jeju versus $1,842 in Busan.

Jeju $1,118
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,917 in Jeju versus $3,019 in Busan.

Jeju $1,917
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,715 in Jeju versus $4,196 in Busan.

Jeju $2,715
Busan $4,196

Living in Jeju costs roughly 39% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jeju is 18% below, Busan is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 ₩9,784

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-4.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 ₩69.2K

$49.41 ₩66.0K

4.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ₩7,495

$6.63 ₩8,856

-15.38%

Cappuccino

$5.87 ₩7,834

$3.68 ₩4,912

59.51%

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

$2.19 ₩2,924

$1.86 ₩2,479

17.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₩2,753

$1.39 ₩1,861

48.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ₩5,245

$3.73 ₩4,986

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₩4,102

$4.41 ₩5,886

-30.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,017

$2.26 ₩3,016

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 ₩3,079

$3.25 ₩4,340

-28.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₩3,085

$3.11 ₩4,149

-25.72%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,498

$2.67 ₩3,562

-1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.4K

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,940

$3.59 ₩4,794

-38.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩10.9K

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,153

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 ₩3,960

$6.20 ₩8,277

-52.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₩2,496

$3.33 ₩4,440

-43.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 ₩3,038

$2.88 ₩3,848

-20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩624

$1.29 ₩1,722

-63.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,617

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 ₩15.3K

$18.56 ₩24.8K

-38.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₩2,465

$2.42 ₩3,230

-23.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₩2,295

$3.59 ₩4,799

-52.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ₩1,321

$1.15 ₩1,529

-13.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,742

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩981

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,835

$1.42 ₩1,892

-3.52%

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

$39.9K ₩53.3M

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

$33.9K ₩45.3M

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

$214 ₩285.7K

$206 ₩274.7K

4.02%

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

$54.0 ₩72.0K

$36.67 ₩49.0K

47.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.65 ₩26.2K

$27.39 ₩36.6K

-28.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

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

$638 ₩852.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K ₩33.8M

$22.3K ₩29.7M

13.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₩70.3K

$104 ₩139.3K

-49.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.78 ₩39.8K

$65.1 ₩86.9K

-54.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 ₩88.9K

$92.8 ₩123.9K

-28.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ₩121.2K

$130 ₩173.6K

-30.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₩615.2K

$746 ₩995.6K

-38.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 ₩518.2K

$583 ₩778.0K

-33.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 ₩1.8M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-36.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ₩1.6M

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-17.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ₩14.4M

$8,485 ₩11.3M

26.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,659 ₩8.9M

$3,272 ₩4.4M

103.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 ₩2.5M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-33.36%

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 Jeju: October 27, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jeju

–

Busan

$583 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

–

Busan

$489 26.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

–

Busan

$270 14.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

–

Busan

$177 9.6%

Eating Out

Jeju

–

Busan

$166 9%

Getting Around

Jeju

–

Busan

$82 4.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

–

Busan

$75 4.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $461 in Jeju and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 50% 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: $52 in Jeju vs $49 in Busan. Groceries flip the comparison at $142 vs $489, with Jeju cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

Same time as Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

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

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From you

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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

Jeju vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeju wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jeju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Jeju. 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: $461 in Jeju versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,118 per month in Jeju versus $1,842 in Busan – Jeju is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 246% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,118 in Jeju versus $1,842 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeju but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Jeju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

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