Busan vs Seoul - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Busan Seoul
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1108
$1383
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2784
$3421
🏠 One person rent
$427
$635
🏘️ Family rent
$724
$1111
🍽️ Food expenses
$440
$484
🚐 Transport expenses
$144
$152
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$2577
$1954
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
72
100
😀 Quality of life
92
93
🏙️ Population
3.45M
9.67M

The cost of living in Busan is 20% less expensive than in Seoul. Cities ranked 4938th and 4296th ($1108 vs $1383) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 15th and 2nd in South Korea.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2.3 months in Busan compared to 1.4 months in Seoul. Ranked 4th vs 2nd best cities to live in South Korea, and 150th vs 90th among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Busan vs Seoul infographic

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Prices in Busan vs Seoul

Prices for goods and services in Busan and Seoul are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Busan Seoul
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$6.02
$7.28
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$28.2
$43.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.67
$5.99
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.25
$3.46
☕ Cappuccino
$3.89
$3.69
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.87
$1.66
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$414
$764
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$278
$460
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$752
$1372
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$499
$841
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$97.5
$97.1
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$150
$147
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$24.7
$16.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.23%
3.97%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8888
$20727
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7037
$10845
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.09
$1.04
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$49.9
$44.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$10.6
$9.78
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.14
$1.15
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.99
$2.01
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.72
$2.68
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.58
$2.55
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.92
$3.27
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.7
$14.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.15
$9.59
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$26.1
$33
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.92
$7.35
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.17
$3.34
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.25
$5.41
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.68
$5.24
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.28
$3.68
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.19
$2.95
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.79
$0.8
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.98
$1.8
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.9
$17.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.7
$1.97
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.07
$3.12
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.34
$3.56
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.74
$3.98
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.61
$3.5
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.3
$1.3
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$48.3
$47.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$9.66
$10
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$23
$62.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$8.83
$16.7
👖 Brand Jeans
$85.9
$49.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$71.6
$67.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$470
$357
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$13429
$21347

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Busan

Distance City Cost of living
21 km or 13 mi Gimhae
$975
27 km or 16 mi Yangsan
$1039
40 km or 25 mi Changwon
$1084
46 km or 28 mi Masan
$1008
50 km or 31 mi Geoje
$913
51 km or 32 mi Miryang
$1038
56 km or 35 mi Ulsan
$1076
63 km or 39 mi Tongyeong
$934
64 km or 40 mi Sacheon
$984
81 km or 50 mi Tsushima Island
$937
84 km or 52 mi Gyeongsan
$1001
85 km or 53 mi Gyeongju
$1097
87 km or 54 mi Jinju
$1064
94 km or 58 mi Daegu
$1062
98 km or 61 mi Yeongcheon
$1008
102 km or 64 mi Tsushima
$933
108 km or 67 mi Pohang
$1024
123 km or 77 mi Gwangyang
$991
131 km or 82 mi Yeosu
$994
138 km or 86 mi Gumi
$949
141 km or 88 mi Gimcheon
$934
142 km or 88 mi Suncheon
$1016
154 km or 96 mi Namwon
$980
162 km or 101 mi Iki
$925
165 km or 103 mi Andong
$929
166 km or 103 mi Sangju
$957
183 km or 113 mi Mungyeong
$973
189 km or 118 mi Jeonju
$831
193 km or 120 mi Gwangju
$1081
195 km or 121 mi Yeongju
$1005
198 km or 123 mi Hirado
$908
199 km or 124 mi Munakata
$950
199 km or 124 mi Fukutsu
$942
200 km or 124 mi Okagaki
$955
201 km or 125 mi Koga
$939
201 km or 125 mi Shingu
$936
202 km or 125 mi Itoshima
$923
202 km or 126 mi Karatsu
$913
204 km or 127 mi Daejeon
$959
205 km or 127 mi Jeongeup
$981

Cities near Seoul

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 7.9 mi Guri
$1134
17 km or 10 mi Goyang
$1097
17 km or 10 mi Gwangmyeong
$1090
17 km or 11 mi Gwacheon
$1078
19 km or 12 mi Uijeongbu
$918
20 km or 12 mi Hanam
$1178
20 km or 12 mi Namyangju
$1138
20 km or 13 mi Seongnam
$1435
21 km or 13 mi Siheung
$1307
21 km or 13 mi Bucheon
$1175
22 km or 14 mi Anyang
$1004
23 km or 14 mi Yangju
$948
24 km or 15 mi Gunpo
$1112
26 km or 16 mi Gimpo
$1098
27 km or 17 mi Uiwang
$1080
30 km or 19 mi Gwangju
$1196
32 km or 20 mi Paju
$1065
33 km or 20 mi Ansan
$1049
33 km or 21 mi Suwon
$1066
34 km or 21 mi Incheon
$1088
37 km or 23 mi Dongducheon
$1023
39 km or 24 mi Pocheon
$1028
42 km or 26 mi Yongin
$1120
47 km or 29 mi Hwaseong
$1098
49 km or 31 mi Osan
$1076
52 km or 32 mi Icheon
$1171
58 km or 36 mi Kaesong
$1568
65 km or 40 mi Yeoju
$1079
66 km or 41 mi Pyeongtaek
$1141
69 km or 43 mi Anseong
$1078
72 km or 45 mi Chuncheon
$874
83 km or 52 mi Dangjin
$1059
86 km or 53 mi Wonju
$1110
87 km or 54 mi Cheonan
$1153
101 km or 63 mi Seosan
$1068
107 km or 66 mi Chungju
$920
114 km or 71 mi Cheongju
$924
118 km or 73 mi Jecheon
$1037
123 km or 77 mi Haeju
$1565
124 km or 77 mi Sejong
$1020