Busan at a glance
- Busan ranks 4th of 5 priced cities in South Korea on cost: $982 a month in essentials, 13% above Incheon, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $2,572 covers that 2.6×.
- 105.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at city level.
- PM2.5 averages 16.6 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 South Korea cities we track, so every row says whether Busan is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $982 | $973 | $9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $332 | $331 | $1 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $655 | $555 | $100 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $222 | $196 | $26 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $168 | $168 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $206 | $189 | $17 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $54 | $43 | 1.26× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,572 | $2,255 | $316 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $647 | $647 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,204 | $1,172 | $32 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Busan, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $6.78 | $6.78 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $44.08 | $33.91 | 1.30× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $6.04 | $6.10 | $0.06 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.40 | $3.40 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.39 | $3.39 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.90 | $4.41 | $0.51 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.68 | $1.47 | $0.21 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.29 | $0.76 | 1.70× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.13 | $2.13 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.88 | $2.82 | $0.06 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.84 | $2.84 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.42 | $2.88 | $0.46 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.00 | $10.61 | $0.61 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $9.50 | $9.12 | $0.38 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $10.17 | $6.90 | 1.47× as much |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $3.31 | $2.94 | $0.37 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $5.39 | $5.39 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $5.43 | $3.17 | 1.71× as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $3.02 | $2.38 | 1.27× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.19 | $1.19 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.05 | $1.05 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $54.26 | $43.07 | 1.26× as much |
| Taxi start | $3.26 | $3.26 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.68 | $0.56 | $0.12 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.23 | $1.23 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $181.69 | $171.02 | $10.67 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $24.59 | $18.24 | 1.35× as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $33.10 | $31.06 | $2.04 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $56.80 | $46.80 | $10.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.85 | $10.17 | $0.68 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Busan has 105.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (city level). That is the 5th-highest of 6 South Korea cities we track. South Korea's national figure is 111.9, so Busan runs 6 below the country as a whole.
Every South Korea region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Busan ranks against every city we track
Busan sits ahead of 98% of the 534 cities we track on salary against local costs. On local salary it is ahead of 71% of 545. Its weakest measure is women aged 20–39, ahead of only 23% of 892.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Busan sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Glabb, Public domain.
