Busan vs Seoul - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Busan Seoul
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1084
$1296
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2785
$3195
🏠 One person rent
$427
$624
🏘️ Family rent
$736
$1077
🍽️ Food expenses
$428
$438
🚐 Transport expenses
$135
$132
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$2425
$3066
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
72
99
😀 Quality of life
91
95
🏙️ Population
3.45M
9.67M

The cost of living in Busan is 16% less expensive than in Seoul. Cities ranked 5063rd and 4545th ($1084 vs $1296) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 11th and 3rd in South Korea.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2.2 months in Busan compared to 2.4 months in Seoul. Ranked 3rd vs 1st best cities to live in South Korea, and 120th vs 16th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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
$5.61
$7.13
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$33
$45.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.41
$5.97
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.03
$3.36
 Cappuccino
$3.37
$3.47
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1.62
$1.44
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$489
$717
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$270
$459
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$882
$1281
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$498
$818
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$91
$98.8
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$138
$152
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$22.8
$14.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.26%
4.02%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9604
$24031
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7017
$10129
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.99
$1.01
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$46.9
$40.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$9.86
$7.36
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.11
$1.17
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.91
$1.82
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.45
$2.4
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.41
$2.98
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.48
$2.79
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.9
$13
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$8.89
$7.93
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$22.1
$25.3
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.76
$6.15
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.2
$3.06
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$7.1
$5.02
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.74
$4.7
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.1
$3.05
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.93
$2.37
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.77
$0.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.81
$1.46
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.2
$15.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.93
$1.86
🚬 Cigarette pack
$2.91
$2.98
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$3.99
$3.33
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.47
$3.6
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.47
$2.88
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.2
$1.15
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$46.7
$45.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$9.35
$9.18
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$20.9
$52.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$8.04
$14.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$79.6
$49.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$74.9
$64.7
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$529
$480
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$17592
$19916

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
$1014
27 km or 16 mi Yangsan
$1044
40 km or 25 mi Changwon
$1013
46 km or 28 mi Masan
$992
50 km or 31 mi Geoje
$946
51 km or 32 mi Miryang
$1023
56 km or 35 mi Ulsan
$957
63 km or 39 mi Tongyeong
$982
64 km or 40 mi Sacheon
$974
81 km or 50 mi Tsushima Island
$899
84 km or 52 mi Gyeongsan
$943
85 km or 53 mi Gyeongju
$924
87 km or 54 mi Jinju
$1051
94 km or 58 mi Daegu
$992
98 km or 61 mi Yeongcheon
$964
102 km or 64 mi Tsushima
$896
108 km or 67 mi Pohang
$989
123 km or 77 mi Gwangyang
$955
131 km or 82 mi Yeosu
$954
138 km or 86 mi Gumi
$914
141 km or 88 mi Gimcheon
$887
142 km or 88 mi Suncheon
$973
154 km or 96 mi Namwon
$930
162 km or 101 mi Iki
$892
165 km or 103 mi Andong
$883
166 km or 103 mi Sangju
$919
183 km or 113 mi Mungyeong
$931
189 km or 118 mi Jeonju
$771
193 km or 120 mi Gwangju
$957
195 km or 121 mi Yeongju
$961
198 km or 123 mi Hirado
$885
199 km or 124 mi Munakata
$914
199 km or 124 mi Fukutsu
$907
200 km or 124 mi Okagaki
$928
201 km or 125 mi Koga
$901
201 km or 125 mi Shingu
$898
202 km or 125 mi Itoshima
$890
202 km or 126 mi Karatsu
$881
204 km or 127 mi Daejeon
$905
205 km or 127 mi Jeongeup
$922

Cities near Seoul

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 7.9 mi Guri
$1089
17 km or 10 mi Goyang
$1052
17 km or 10 mi Gwangmyeong
$1029
17 km or 11 mi Gwacheon
$1031
19 km or 12 mi Uijeongbu
$868
20 km or 12 mi Hanam
$1152
20 km or 12 mi Namyangju
$1094
20 km or 13 mi Seongnam
$1455
21 km or 13 mi Siheung
$1313
21 km or 13 mi Bucheon
$1090
22 km or 14 mi Anyang
$943
23 km or 14 mi Yangju
$894
24 km or 15 mi Gunpo
$1053
26 km or 16 mi Gimpo
$1040
27 km or 17 mi Uiwang
$1022
30 km or 19 mi Gwangju
$1179
32 km or 20 mi Paju
$1010
33 km or 20 mi Ansan
$1001
33 km or 21 mi Suwon
$985
34 km or 21 mi Incheon
$1032
37 km or 23 mi Dongducheon
$977
39 km or 24 mi Pocheon
$982
42 km or 26 mi Yongin
$1061
47 km or 29 mi Hwaseong
$1045
49 km or 31 mi Osan
$1019
52 km or 32 mi Icheon
$1108
58 km or 36 mi Kaesong
$1557
65 km or 40 mi Yeoju
$1033
66 km or 41 mi Pyeongtaek
$1048
69 km or 43 mi Anseong
$1016
72 km or 45 mi Chuncheon
$819
83 km or 52 mi Dangjin
$952
86 km or 53 mi Wonju
$1062
87 km or 54 mi Cheonan
$1128
101 km or 63 mi Seosan
$917
107 km or 66 mi Chungju
$852
114 km or 71 mi Cheongju
$865
118 km or 73 mi Jecheon
$993
123 km or 77 mi Haeju
$1562
124 km or 77 mi Sejong
$971