Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yeosu and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Yeosu: $1,452 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Yeosu
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Yeosu Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

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Yeosu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,452

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,452 in Yeosu versus $1,842 in Busan.

Yeosu $1,452
Busan $1,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,269 in Yeosu versus $3,019 in Busan.

Yeosu $2,269
Busan $3,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,086 in Yeosu versus $4,196 in Busan.

Yeosu $3,086
Busan $4,196

Living in Yeosu costs roughly 21% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yeosu 7% above, Busan 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 ₩7,819

$7.69 ₩10.3K

-24.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 ₩49.4K

$49.41 ₩66.3K

-25.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 ₩8,193

$6.63 ₩8,907

-7.99%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₩4,898

$3.68 ₩4,941

-0.82%

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

$1.39 ₩1,865

$1.86 ₩2,494

-25.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,053

$1.39 ₩1,872

-43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,896

$3.73 ₩5,014

-2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 ₩5,719

$4.41 ₩5,920

-3.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₩2,745

$2.26 ₩3,033

-9.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,115

$3.25 ₩4,365

-5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,248

$3.11 ₩4,173

1.61%

Eggs

$2.76 ₩3,700

$2.67 ₩3,583

3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 ₩15.1K

$11.14 ₩15.0K

0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.66 ₩14.3K

$10.70 ₩14.4K

-0.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 ₩33.2K

$24.98 ₩33.5K

-1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$7.67 ₩10.3K

$11.16 ₩15.0K

-31.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.64 ₩4,885

$3.59 ₩4,822

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.70 ₩10.3K

$8.17 ₩11.0K

-5.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 ₩8,090

$6.11 ₩8,199

-1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.83 ₩5,146

$6.20 ₩8,324

-38.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ₩4,505

$3.33 ₩4,466

0.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 ₩2,954

$2.88 ₩3,870

-23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₩1,499

$1.29 ₩1,732

-13.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,473

$3.46 ₩4,643

-3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 ₩20.0K

$18.56 ₩24.9K

-19.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,987

$2.42 ₩3,248

-8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,068

$3.59 ₩4,826

-36.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,503

$1.15 ₩1,538

-2.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 ₩54.8K

$70.6 ₩94.7K

-42.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 ₩3,854

$3.55 ₩4,769

-19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,044

$0.73 ₩986

6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 ₩13.5K

$16.97 ₩22.8K

-40.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,613

$1.42 ₩1,903

-15.49%

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

$31.4K ₩42.1M

$39.9K ₩53.6M

-21.48%

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

$26.6K ₩35.7M

$33.9K ₩45.6M

-21.74%

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

$190 ₩255.7K

$206 ₩276.2K

-7.45%

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

$36.93 ₩49.6K

$36.67 ₩49.2K

0.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.12 ₩29.7K

$27.39 ₩36.8K

-19.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ₩72.7K

$51.6 ₩69.3K

4.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.30 ₩19.2K

$10.15 ₩13.6K

40.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.40 ₩14.0K

$11.88 ₩15.9K

-12.46%

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

$372 ₩500.1K

$638 ₩857.0K

-41.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ₩24.9M

$22.3K ₩29.9M

-16.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩76.5K

$104 ₩140.1K

-45.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ₩51.1K

$65.1 ₩87.4K

-41.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 ₩102.0K

$92.8 ₩124.6K

-18.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ₩150.1K

$130 ₩174.6K

-14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 ₩661.2K

$746 ₩1.0M

-33.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩485.2K

$583 ₩782.5K

-38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 ₩1.6M

$2,151 ₩2.9M

-45.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ₩990.5K

$1,450 ₩1.9M

-49.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,166 ₩9.6M

$8,485 ₩11.4M

-15.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 ₩7.3M

$3,272 ₩4.4M

66.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,143 ₩2.9M

$2,826 ₩3.8M

-24.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

-5.21%

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

Last update for Yeosu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yeosu

$443 30.5%

Busan

$489 26.6% 10.5% $46

Accommodation & Living

Yeosu

$361 24.9%

Busan

$583 31.6% 61.3% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yeosu

$249 17.2%

Busan

$270 14.7% 8.2% $20

Eating Out

Yeosu

$144 9.9%

Busan

$166 9% 15.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Yeosu

$127 8.8%

Busan

$177 9.6% 38.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Yeosu

$75 5.2%

Busan

$75 4.1% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Yeosu

$52 3.6%

Busan

$82 4.5% 58.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $492 in Yeosu and $746 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Yeosu vs $49 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $443 vs $489 per month, with Yeosu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Yeosu

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

Same time as Yeosu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

288,988

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

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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

Yeosu vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Yeosu. 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: $492 in Yeosu versus $746 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yeosu runs roughly 42% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $372 in Yeosu versus $638 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

For families, Yeosu 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, Yeosu 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 Yeosu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.