Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suwon and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Suwon: $1,372 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Suwon
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Suwon Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index

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Suwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,372

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,372 in Suwon versus $1,842 in Busan.

Suwon $1,372
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,163 in Suwon versus $3,019 in Busan.

Suwon $2,163
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,954 in Suwon versus $4,196 in Busan.

Suwon $2,954
Busan $4,196

Living in Suwon costs roughly 26% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.06 ₩8,132

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-21.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 ₩40.2K

$49.41 ₩66.3K

-39.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₩10.3K

$6.63 ₩8,907

15.38%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ₩4,580

$3.68 ₩4,941

-7.34%

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

$1.57 ₩2,104

$1.86 ₩2,494

-15.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₩792

$1.39 ₩1,872

-57.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 ₩5,145

$3.73 ₩5,014

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 ₩6,401

$4.41 ₩5,920

8.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 ₩3,498

$2.26 ₩3,033

15.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 ₩3,488

$3.25 ₩4,365

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 ₩4,518

$3.11 ₩4,173

8.04%

Eggs

$3.17 ₩4,256

$2.67 ₩3,583

18.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 ₩15.0K

$11.14 ₩15.0K

0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 ₩15.6K

$10.70 ₩14.4K

8.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$24.98 ₩33.5K

-54.40%

Apples (1kg)

$6.22 ₩8,353

$11.16 ₩15.0K

-44.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 ₩3,932

$3.59 ₩4,822

-18.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 ₩7,113

$8.17 ₩11.0K

-35.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 ₩5,915

$6.11 ₩8,199

-27.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 ₩4,655

$6.20 ₩8,324

-44.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 ₩3,676

$3.33 ₩4,466

-17.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.94 ₩6,631

$2.88 ₩3,870

71.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₩1,825

$1.29 ₩1,732

5.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 ₩5,009

$3.46 ₩4,643

7.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.45 ₩18.1K

$18.56 ₩24.9K

-27.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 ₩3,399

$2.42 ₩3,248

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 ₩5,179

$3.59 ₩4,826

7.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 ₩1,661

$1.15 ₩1,538

7.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.67 ₩65.4K

$70.6 ₩94.7K

-31.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 ₩3,868

$3.55 ₩4,769

-18.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩844

$0.73 ₩986

-13.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.98 ₩12.1K

$16.97 ₩22.8K

-47.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,774

$1.42 ₩1,903

-7.04%

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

$28.7K ₩38.5M

$39.9K ₩53.6M

-28.12%

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

$25.2K ₩33.9M

$33.9K ₩45.6M

-25.66%

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

$186 ₩249.3K

$206 ₩276.2K

-9.74%

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

$18.20 ₩24.4K

$36.67 ₩49.2K

-50.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.99 ₩24.2K

$27.39 ₩36.8K

-34.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.73 ₩58.7K

$51.6 ₩69.3K

-15.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 ₩15.9K

$10.15 ₩13.6K

16.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 ₩15.0K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

-5.81%

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

$691 ₩928.2K

$638 ₩857.0K

8.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ₩24.5M

$22.3K ₩29.9M

-17.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.03 ₩49.7K

$104 ₩140.1K

-64.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$109 ₩146.7K

$65.1 ₩87.4K

67.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₩102.7K

$92.8 ₩124.6K

-17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.0 ₩80.6K

$130 ₩174.6K

-53.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₩588.3K

$746 ₩1.0M

-41.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 ₩472.6K

$583 ₩782.5K

-39.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 ₩1.6M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-44.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₩1.1M

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-43.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.6K ₩16.9M

$8,485 ₩11.4M

48.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,074 ₩9.5M

$3,272 ₩4.4M

116.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,638 ₩3.5M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-6.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.22

54.03%

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

Last update for Suwon: October 26, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Suwon

$395 28.8%

Busan

$489 26.6% 23.8% $94

Accommodation & Living

Suwon

$352 25.7%

Busan

$583 31.6% 65.6% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suwon

$222 16.2%

Busan

$270 14.7% 21.6% $48

Eating Out

Suwon

$150 10.9%

Busan

$166 9% 11% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Suwon

$127 9.3%

Busan

$177 9.6% 38.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Suwon

$66 4.8%

Busan

$75 4.1% 13.9% $9.2

Getting Around

Suwon

$60 4.4%

Busan

$82 4.5% 38.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Suwon and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 7% 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: $30 in Suwon vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $489 per month, with Suwon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Suwon

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

08:00 8:00 AM

Same time as Suwon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,203,000

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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Suwon
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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

Suwon vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suwon wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Suwon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Suwon. 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: $438 in Suwon versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Suwon runs roughly 31% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $691 in Suwon versus $638 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

Expats usually find Suwon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.