Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Busan Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Busan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,334 in London versus $1,558 in Busan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,386 in London versus $2,474 in Busan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,439 in London versus $3,389 in Busan.

Living in London is roughly 50% more expensive than in Busan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 70% above, Busan 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.03 CA$30.61

$7.46 ₩10.2K

195.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.9 CA$91.5

$47.19 ₩64.8K

39.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.47 CA$17.33

$6.64 ₩9,112

87.80%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.09

$3.69 ₩5,070

-0.81%

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

$2.19 CA$3.04

$1.83 ₩2,508

19.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 CA$3.04

$1.37 ₩1,888

59.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.84

$3.75 ₩5,149

69.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 CA$8.87

$4.09 ₩5,609

55.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 CA$2.41

$2.24 ₩3,070

-22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 CA$3.51

$3.05 ₩4,184

-17.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.49

$3.10 ₩4,257

27.42%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.13

$2.55 ₩3,506

45.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 CA$16.45

$10.71 ₩14.7K

10.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 CA$18.21

$10.37 ₩14.2K

26.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 CA$21.23

$24.66 ₩33.9K

-38.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.03

$10.92 ₩15.0K

-60.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$3.49 ₩4,794

-62.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.17

$7.82 ₩10.7K

-52.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.82

$5.68 ₩7,800

-26.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 CA$4.18

$5.95 ₩8,175

-49.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 CA$3.98

$3.33 ₩4,576

-13.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.62

$2.72 ₩3,735

-4.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$1.32 ₩1,809

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 CA$16.94

$3.23 ₩4,435

277.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 CA$17.52

$18.58 ₩25.5K

-32.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.50

$2.38 ₩3,261

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$3.40 ₩4,674

-13.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$1.12 ₩1,537

114.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.7 CA$111

$57.5 ₩79.0K

38.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 CA$3.46

$3.57 ₩4,896

-30.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 CA$2.34

$0.76 ₩1,040

121.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.57 CA$31.37

$16.31 ₩22.4K

38.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.69

$1.36 ₩1,873

-10.29%

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

$28.8K CA$40.0K

$28.4K ₩39.1M

1.18%

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

$23.3K CA$32.3K

$32.5K ₩44.6M

-28.30%

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

$137 CA$190

$195 ₩267.2K

-29.68%

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

$42.44 CA$59.0

$35.82 ₩49.2K

18.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 CA$78.1

$26.31 ₩36.1K

113.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.25 CA$54.5

$60.5 ₩83.1K

-35.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.78 CA$41.39

$9.48 ₩13.0K

214.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 CA$15.34

$11.48 ₩15.8K

-3.83%

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

$414 CA$575

$620 ₩850.9K

-33.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K CA$29.3K

$21.1K ₩29.0M

-0.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 CA$75.8

$104 ₩142.6K

-47.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.49 CA$54.9

$63.5 ₩87.2K

-37.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 CA$116

$91.6 ₩125.8K

-8.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 CA$127

$122 ₩167.6K

-25.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 CA$1,783

$705 ₩968.7K

81.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 CA$1,654

$351 ₩482.3K

238.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 CA$2,862

$1,314 ₩1.8M

56.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 CA$2,376

$689 ₩946.5K

148.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$4,905

$10.0K ₩13.8M

-64.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,716 CA$5,164

$6,273 ₩8.6M

-40.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,952 CA$4,101

$2,791 ₩3.8M

5.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.73

4.22

12.09%

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

Last update for London: August 31, 2026

Last update for Busan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,283 in London and $705 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 6% 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: $66.0 in London vs $47.00 in Busan. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $476, with London cheaper for home cooking.

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

London vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busan wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% higher in London, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,283 in London versus $705 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Busan runs roughly 39% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $414 in London versus $620 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,558 in Busan versus $2,334 in London, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busan but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Busan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,558 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, London 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 Busan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.