Where to Eat in Busan on a Budget: 8 Picks

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use.

Busan’s cheapest meals are also its most authentic ones

Busan’s signature dishes weren’t invented for tourists; most of them were invented by Korean War refugees adapting whatever ingredients were available in a city that absorbed hundreds of thousands of displaced people between 1950 and 1953. That history is why the cheapest bowl in town is usually also the most Busan thing you can eat. A typical cheap local meal runs 8,000-12,000 KRW, a coffee 4,500-6,000 KRW (verify current prices). For where to stay near these spots, see the best places to stay guide .

8 places and dishes to eat cheap in Busan

  1. Dwaeji gukbap, roughly 8,000-10,000 KRW: Busan’s defining dish, rice served in pork-bone broth with sliced boiled pork, mixed straight into the bowl rather than eaten separately. It’s a Korean War-era swap of cheap pork bones for the beef bones a proper seolleongtang would use.
  2. Milmyeon, roughly 8,000-10,000 KRW: Busan’s own cold wheat noodle, made because refugees from the north couldn’t get buckwheat but could get American-aid wheat flour. Order it “mul” (in cold broth) or “bibim” (spicy gochujang sauce).
  3. Eomuk (fish cake) from Samjin Eomuk, prices vary by item: founded in 1953, Samjin is the one Busan fish-cake brand with real documented history, and it opened Korea’s first eomuk “bakery” concept store in 2013.
  4. Ssiat hotteok at BIFF Square, roughly 2,000-3,000 KRW: a seed-stuffed sweet pancake sold hot from street carts along the old film-festival strip.
  5. Dongnae pajeon, prices vary: a seafood-and-scallion pancake tied to the historic Dongnae district near the old hot springs; its “royal dish” origin story is worth hearing but treat it as unverified rather than settled fact (verify).
  6. Hoe (raw fish) at Jagalchi or Millak Raw Fish Town, prices vary by catch: buy fresh downstairs at Jagalchi Market and have it sliced and served upstairs, or head to Millak near Gwangalli for a waterfront version of the same thing.
  7. Gizzard shad (jeoneo) in autumn, seasonal pricing: a grilled seasonal delicacy along the Busan coast, tied to autumn seafood festivals (verify current festival dates).
  8. Soju or makgeolli with any of the above, roughly 4,000-6,000 KRW a bottle: no Busan seafood or grilled-meat meal is really finished without one of these, and no specific brand is worth naming over another.

Eating cheap without the guesswork

Markets are more cash-friendly than restaurants, so carry some won even though cards work almost everywhere else. Tipping isn’t expected anywhere in South Korea, on a meal or otherwise, so don’t leave one. If a dish looks unfamiliar on a Jagalchi stall, pointing works as well as Korean does.