Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeonju and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeonju: $1,149 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Jeonju
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Jeonju Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index

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Jeonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,149

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Jeonju versus $1,842 in Busan.

Jeonju $1,149
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,796 in Jeonju versus $3,019 in Busan.

Jeonju $1,796
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,443 in Jeonju versus $4,196 in Busan.

Jeonju $2,443
Busan $4,196

Living in Jeonju costs roughly 38% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jeonju is 16% below, Busan is 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 ₩10.0K

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-2.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.90 ₩30.8K

$49.41 ₩66.3K

-53.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 ₩7,287

$6.63 ₩8,907

-18.10%

Cappuccino

$3.81 ₩5,112

$3.68 ₩4,941

3.53%

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

$1.12 ₩1,503

$1.86 ₩2,494

-39.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ₩824

$1.39 ₩1,872

-56.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 ₩3,827

$3.73 ₩5,014

-23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 ₩5,591

$4.41 ₩5,920

-5.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ₩2,885

$2.26 ₩3,033

-4.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 ₩3,095

$3.25 ₩4,365

-29.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 ₩4,186

$3.11 ₩4,173

0.32%

Eggs

$2.30 ₩3,090

$2.67 ₩3,583

-13.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 ₩14.8K

$11.14 ₩15.0K

-1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.53 ₩14.1K

$10.70 ₩14.4K

-1.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.57 ₩34.3K

$24.98 ₩33.5K

2.36%

Apples (1kg)

$11.45 ₩15.4K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

2.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,472

$3.59 ₩4,822

-7.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.37 ₩11.2K

$8.17 ₩11.0K

2.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 ₩6,197

$6.11 ₩8,199

-24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,319

$6.20 ₩8,324

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,075

$3.33 ₩4,466

-31.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 ₩3,907

$2.88 ₩3,870

1.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₩1,031

$1.29 ₩1,732

-40.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,662

$3.46 ₩4,643

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 ₩25.3K

$18.56 ₩24.9K

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₩1,998

$2.42 ₩3,248

-38.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 ₩4,710

$3.59 ₩4,826

-2.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 ₩1,634

$1.15 ₩1,538

6.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 ₩4,460

$3.55 ₩4,769

-6.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₩1,022

$0.73 ₩986

4.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.74 ₩22.5K

$16.97 ₩22.8K

-1.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,631

$1.42 ₩1,903

-14.79%

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

$39.1K ₩52.5M

$39.9K ₩53.6M

-2.12%

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

$34.6K ₩46.5M

$33.9K ₩45.6M

2.09%

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

$72.0 ₩96.7K

$206 ₩276.2K

-65.00%

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

$30.65 ₩41.2K

$36.67 ₩49.2K

-16.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.49 ₩36.9K

$27.39 ₩36.8K

0.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ₩16.1K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

0.84%

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

$638 ₩856.7K

$638 ₩857.0K

-0.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.5M

$22.3K ₩29.9M

-1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩140.4K

$104 ₩140.1K

0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ₩87.2K

$65.1 ₩87.4K

-0.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.53 ₩59.8K

$92.8 ₩124.6K

-52.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.95 ₩51.0K

$130 ₩174.6K

-70.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₩356.5K

$746 ₩1.0M

-64.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 ₩348.4K

$583 ₩782.5K

-55.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₩617.1K

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-68.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,295 ₩3.1M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-18.78%

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 Jeonju: 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

Jeonju

$458 39.9%

Busan

$489 26.6% 6.7% $31

Accommodation & Living

Jeonju

$259 22.6%

Busan

$583 31.6% 125% $323

Eating Out

Jeonju

$151 13.2%

Busan

$166 9% 9.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeonju

$130 11.3%

Busan

$270 14.7% 107% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Jeonju

$113 9.9%

Busan

$177 9.6% 55.7% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Jeonju

$24 * 2.1%

Busan

$75 4.1% 214% $51

Getting Around

Jeonju

$12 * 1%

Busan

$82 4.5% 586% $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 $266 in Jeonju and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 23% 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: $23 in Jeonju vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $489 per month, with Jeonju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeonju

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

04:02 4:02 AM

Same time as Jeonju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

653,387

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

On the map

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Between locations

Jeonju Busan 190 km

From you

Jeonju
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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

Jeonju vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeonju wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Jeonju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Jeonju. 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: $266 in Jeonju versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,149 per month in Jeonju versus $1,842 in Busan – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,149 in Jeonju versus $1,842 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeonju but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Jeonju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Safety-wise, Jeonju 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 – Jeonju wins on affordability, Busan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.