Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mokpo and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mokpo: $1,406 a month against $1,812 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Mokpo
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Mokpo Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Mokpo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,406

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,406 in Mokpo versus $1,812 in Busan.

Mokpo $1,406
Busan $1,812

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Mokpo versus $2,952 in Busan.

Mokpo $2,304
Busan $2,952

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,202 in Mokpo versus $4,091 in Busan.

Mokpo $3,202
Busan $4,091

Living in Mokpo costs roughly 22% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mokpo 4% above, Busan 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 ₩9,949

$7.34 ₩9,859

0.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.40 ₩50.3K

$48.83 ₩65.6K

-23.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₩8,969

$6.59 ₩8,851

1.21%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ₩4,775

$3.75 ₩5,042

-5.33%

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

$1.58 ₩2,128

$1.78 ₩2,386

-11.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₩921

$1.45 ₩1,942

-52.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ₩4,544

$3.67 ₩4,933

-7.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 ₩5,594

$4.33 ₩5,824

-3.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₩2,882

$2.32 ₩3,116

-7.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 ₩4,231

$3.24 ₩4,351

-2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 ₩3,674

$3.07 ₩4,124

-11.07%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,525

$2.71 ₩3,636

-3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ₩14.2K

$11.00 ₩14.8K

-4.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₩14.2K

$10.52 ₩14.1K

0.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.61 ₩29.0K

$25.00 ₩33.6K

-13.56%

Apples (1kg)

$7.48 ₩10.1K

$11.04 ₩14.8K

-32.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 ₩4,068

$3.65 ₩4,900

-16.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 ₩7,120

$7.91 ₩10.6K

-33.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.35 ₩7,184

$5.78 ₩7,773

-7.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,042

$5.87 ₩7,888

-36.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 ₩3,639

$3.25 ₩4,372

-16.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 ₩3,700

$2.72 ₩3,652

1.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₩1,677

$1.26 ₩1,698

-0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 ₩4,364

$3.31 ₩4,447

-1.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 ₩18.1K

$18.92 ₩25.4K

-28.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₩3,159

$2.42 ₩3,253

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ₩4,861

$3.64 ₩4,889

-0.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₩1,341

$1.18 ₩1,583

-15.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ₩91.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ₩5,490

$3.60 ₩4,843

13.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₩794

$0.66 ₩893

-10.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 ₩13.2K

$14.88 ₩20.0K

-34.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ₩1,901

$1.36 ₩1,831

3.68%

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

$30.2K ₩40.6M

$40.0K ₩53.8M

-24.42%

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

$30.1K ₩40.5M

$33.0K ₩44.3M

-8.71%

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

$207 ₩277.8K

$197 ₩264.6K

4.99%

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

$35.80 ₩48.1K

$35.89 ₩48.2K

-0.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.26 ₩29.9K

$26.71 ₩35.9K

-16.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ₩68.0K

$50.9 ₩68.4K

-0.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.38 ₩16.6K

$9.86 ₩13.3K

25.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 ₩16.0K

$11.71 ₩15.7K

1.96%

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

$416 ₩559.3K

$624 ₩838.2K

-33.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K ₩30.4M

$22.0K ₩29.6M

2.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 ₩84.1K

$104 ₩140.1K

-39.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.0 ₩83.3K

$65.9 ₩88.6K

-5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 ₩100.2K

$92.2 ₩123.9K

-19.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₩147.0K

$129 ₩172.7K

-14.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 ₩716.0K

$753 ₩1.0M

-29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ₩462.9K

$575 ₩773.0K

-40.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 ₩1.5M

$2,202 ₩3.0M

-49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 ₩1.3M

$1,386 ₩1.9M

-32.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,862 ₩9.2M

$5,126 ₩6.9M

33.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,612 ₩7.5M

$3,249 ₩4.4M

72.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,658 ₩3.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

4.22

-2.84%

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

Last update for Mokpo: October 31, 2026

Last update for Busan: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mokpo

$416 29.6%

Busan

$484 26.7% 16.4% $68

Accommodation & Living

Mokpo

$344 24.5%

Busan

$575 31.7% 67% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mokpo

$265 18.8%

Busan

$259 14.3% 2% $5.3

Eating Out

Mokpo

$156 11.1%

Busan

$163 9% 4.6% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Mokpo

$139 9.9%

Busan

$176 9.7% 26.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Mokpo

$74 5.3%

Busan

$74 4.1% 0.2% $0.2

Getting Around

Mokpo

$11 * 0.8%

Busan

$80 4.4% 622% $69

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 $533 in Mokpo and $753 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Mokpo vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 vs $484 per month, with Mokpo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Mokpo

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

Same time as Mokpo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

237,739

3,586,079

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.44 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mokpo
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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

Mokpo vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mokpo wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mokpo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,109 in Mokpo and $2,718 in Busan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $533 in Mokpo versus $753 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,406 per month in Mokpo versus $1,812 in Busan – Mokpo is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Mokpo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Busan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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