Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Songdo-dong and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Songdo-dong: $1,449 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Songdo-dong
Learn more

Songdo-dong Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

Jump to prices

Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,449

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,449 in Songdo-dong versus $1,842 in Busan.

Songdo-dong $1,449
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,306 in Songdo-dong versus $3,019 in Busan.

Songdo-dong $2,306
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,163 in Songdo-dong versus $4,196 in Busan.

Songdo-dong $3,163
Busan $4,196

Living in Songdo-dong costs roughly 21% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Songdo-dong 6% above, Busan 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.94 ₩7,971

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-22.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.30 ₩47.4K

$49.41 ₩66.3K

-28.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 ₩9,212

$6.63 ₩8,907

3.47%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₩5,009

$3.68 ₩4,941

1.36%

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

$1.61 ₩2,157

$1.86 ₩2,494

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₩801

$1.39 ₩1,872

-56.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 ₩4,035

$3.73 ₩5,014

-19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₩6,066

$4.41 ₩5,920

2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ₩2,946

$2.26 ₩3,033

-3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,108

$3.25 ₩4,365

-5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₩3,060

$3.11 ₩4,173

-26.69%

Eggs

$3.26 ₩4,384

$2.67 ₩3,583

22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.03 ₩21.5K

$11.14 ₩15.0K

43.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.5K

$10.70 ₩14.4K

-27.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$24.98 ₩33.5K

-54.40%

Apples (1kg)

$7.58 ₩10.2K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

-32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,308

$3.59 ₩4,822

-10.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.53 ₩10.1K

$8.17 ₩11.0K

-7.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 ₩9,576

$6.11 ₩8,199

16.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₩4,666

$6.20 ₩8,324

-43.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 ₩3,322

$3.33 ₩4,466

-25.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₩2,824

$2.88 ₩3,870

-27.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₩1,989

$1.29 ₩1,732

14.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩4,491

$3.46 ₩4,643

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ₩25.2K

$18.56 ₩24.9K

1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,063

$2.42 ₩3,248

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,826

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,538

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 ₩5,037

$3.55 ₩4,769

5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩824

$0.73 ₩986

-16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,918

$1.42 ₩1,903

0.70%

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

$29.3K ₩39.3M

$39.9K ₩53.6M

-26.72%

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

$35.9K ₩48.2M

$33.9K ₩45.6M

5.74%

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

$215 ₩288.5K

$206 ₩276.2K

4.46%

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

$44.58 ₩59.9K

$36.67 ₩49.2K

21.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.85 ₩28.0K

$27.39 ₩36.8K

-23.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩69.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.4K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

-3.20%

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

$375 ₩503.5K

$638 ₩857.0K

-41.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K ₩24.3M

$22.3K ₩29.9M

-18.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 ₩87.9K

$104 ₩140.1K

-37.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 ₩85.6K

$65.1 ₩87.4K

-2.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 ₩100.4K

$92.8 ₩124.6K

-19.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₩135.1K

$130 ₩174.6K

-22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩1.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₩599.6K

$583 ₩782.5K

-23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 ₩2.6M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-10.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ₩1.4M

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-26.38%

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)

$3,493 ₩4.7M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

23.59%

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 Songdo-dong: October 25, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Songdo-dong

$447 30.8%

Busan

$583 31.6% 30.5% $136

Groceries & Markets

Songdo-dong

$409 * 28.3%

Busan

$489 26.6% 19.5% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Songdo-dong

$280 19.4%

Busan

$270 14.7% 3.8% $11

Eating Out

Songdo-dong

$146 10.1%

Busan

$166 9% 14% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Songdo-dong

$137 9.5%

Busan

$177 9.6% 28.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Songdo-dong

$23 * 1.6%

Busan

$75 4.1% 228% $52

Getting Around

Songdo-dong

$6.8 * 0.5%

Busan

$82 4.5% 1108% $76

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Songdo-dong pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35 in Songdo-dong vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $489 per month, with Songdo-dong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Songdo-dong

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

Same time as Songdo-dong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Songdo-dong Busan 330 km

From you

Songdo-dong
Busan

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

Songdo-dong vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Songdo-dong wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Songdo-dong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Songdo-dong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,449 per month in Songdo-dong versus $1,842 in Busan – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Safety-wise, Songdo-dong 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.