cost
Cost of Living Index
Incheon55.5 / 100
Busan88.8 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Incheon leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Busan leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Incheon leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Incheon leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Incheon | 55.5 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Busan | 88.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Incheon | 51.5 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Busan | 67.5 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Incheon | $1,233 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Busan | $2,025 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Incheon | 7.9x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Busan | 10.3x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Incheon | $2,845/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Busan | $3,042/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Incheon | 7.7% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Busan | 9.1% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Incheon | 76.7 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Busan | 82.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Incheon | 74.8 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Busan | 77.8 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Incheon wins on 12 of 22 metrics compared to Busan.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Incheon leads cost, rent, and housing; Busan leads safety, salary, and health.
cost
Incheon
55.5
Busan
88.8
safety
Incheon
51.5
Busan
67.5
housing
Incheon
$1,233
Busan
$2,025
housing
Incheon
7.9x
Busan
10.3x
jobs
Incheon
$2,845/mo
Busan
$3,042/mo
jobs
Incheon
7.7%
Busan
9.1%
health
Incheon
76.7
Busan
82.4
health
Incheon
74.8 years
Busan
77.8 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Incheon
0.8%
Busan
2.0%
education
Incheon
76.5
Busan
70.6
transport
Incheon
81.4
Busan
64.6
safety
Incheon
18.4 per 100k
Busan
3.2 per 100k
safety
Incheon
22.4 per 100k
Busan
22.1 per 100k
health
Incheon
23.7%
Busan
6.5%
quality
Incheon
6.4
Busan
6.3
housing
Incheon
$5,642/sqm
Busan
$5,986/sqm
religion
Incheon
51.0%
Busan
59.6%
religion
Incheon
9.4%
Busan
20.6%
religion
Incheon
41.2%
Busan
2.9%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.