Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wonju and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Wonju: $1,538 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Wonju
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Wonju Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Wonju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,538

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,538 in Wonju versus $1,842 in Busan.

Wonju $1,538
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,443 in Wonju versus $3,019 in Busan.

Wonju $2,443
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,348 in Wonju versus $4,196 in Busan.

Wonju $3,348
Busan $4,196

Living in Wonju costs roughly 17% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wonju 13% above, Busan 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 ₩9,915

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-4.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.04 ₩64.5K

$49.41 ₩66.3K

-2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 ₩8,859

$6.63 ₩8,907

-0.45%

Cappuccino

$3.63 ₩4,871

$3.68 ₩4,941

-1.36%

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

$1.79 ₩2,407

$1.86 ₩2,494

-3.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,952

$1.39 ₩1,872

4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 ₩5,081

$3.73 ₩5,014

1.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,873

$4.41 ₩5,920

-0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 ₩3,130

$2.26 ₩3,033

3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 ₩4,320

$3.25 ₩4,365

-0.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 ₩4,286

$3.11 ₩4,173

2.57%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,647

$2.67 ₩3,583

1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.90 ₩14.6K

$11.14 ₩15.0K

-2.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 ₩13.9K

$10.70 ₩14.4K

-3.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.57 ₩33.0K

$24.98 ₩33.5K

-1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$11.41 ₩15.3K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

2.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.70 ₩4,971

$3.59 ₩4,822

3.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.22 ₩11.0K

$8.17 ₩11.0K

0.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.00 ₩8,058

$6.11 ₩8,199

-1.80%

Potato (1kg)

$6.06 ₩8,142

$6.20 ₩8,324

-2.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 ₩4,598

$3.33 ₩4,466

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 ₩3,684

$2.88 ₩3,870

-4.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,733

$1.29 ₩1,732

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 ₩4,666

$3.46 ₩4,643

0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ₩25.0K

$18.56 ₩24.9K

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₩3,211

$2.42 ₩3,248

-1.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩4,688

$3.59 ₩4,826

-2.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,494

$1.15 ₩1,538

-3.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩4,804

$3.55 ₩4,769

0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,053

$0.73 ₩986

6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.10 ₩23.0K

$16.97 ₩22.8K

0.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,662

$1.42 ₩1,903

-12.68%

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

$39.2K ₩52.7M

$39.9K ₩53.6M

-1.80%

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

$33.6K ₩45.1M

$33.9K ₩45.6M

-0.91%

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

$200 ₩268.7K

$206 ₩276.2K

-2.72%

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

$36.97 ₩49.6K

$36.67 ₩49.2K

0.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.68 ₩35.8K

$27.39 ₩36.8K

-2.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ₩71.9K

$51.6 ₩69.3K

3.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.22 ₩19.1K

$10.15 ₩13.6K

40.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.91 ₩16.0K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

0.25%

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

$488 ₩655.9K

$638 ₩857.0K

-23.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K ₩28.9M

$22.3K ₩29.9M

-3.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.8K

$104 ₩140.1K

-0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩87.4K

-0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 ₩126.5K

$92.8 ₩124.6K

1.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩170.8K

$130 ₩174.6K

-2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₩657.0K

$746 ₩1.0M

-34.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₩481.7K

$583 ₩782.5K

-38.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 ₩1.6M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-45.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₩1.0M

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-47.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,208 ₩9.7M

$8,485 ₩11.4M

-15.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,535 ₩7.4M

$3,272 ₩4.4M

69.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

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 Wonju: October 24, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wonju

$487 31.7%

Busan

$489 26.6% 0.4% $2.2

Accommodation & Living

Wonju

$359 23.3%

Busan

$583 31.6% 62.5% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wonju

$264 17.2%

Busan

$270 14.7% 2.3% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Wonju

$176 11.4%

Busan

$177 9.6% 0.4% $0.7

Eating Out

Wonju

$163 10.6%

Busan

$166 9% 1.9% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Wonju

$77 5%

Busan

$75 4.1% 2.7% $2.1

Getting Around

Wonju

$12 * 0.8%

Busan

$82 4.5% 589% $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 $489 in Wonju and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Wonju vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $487 vs $489 per month, with Wonju cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Wonju

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

Same time as Wonju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,196

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

Wonju Busan 260 km

From you

Wonju
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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

Wonju vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wonju wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Wonju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,307 in Wonju and $2,763 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: $489 in Wonju versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $488 in Wonju versus $638 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,538 per month in Wonju versus $1,842 in Busan – Wonju is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Wonju 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, Wonju and Busan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.