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South Korea

Busan

Korea's second city, famous for its beaches and film festival. The metro runs from the seaside to the hot springs.

Si-nae beoseu (시내버스)

Ride on a transit card and tap again on the way out - transfers within 30 minutes then cost only the trip's single highest fare. Cash earns no discount, and notes of 5,000 won and up get no change on board.

Updated on August 20, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Buy a transit card at a convenience shop
    Buy the card at a convenience shop and top it up with cash - the discounts only ever work with a card.
  2. 2
    Paying cash? Bring 1,000-won notes
    Drop it in the farebox; change on board covers 1,000-won notes only - bigger ones are refunded by Korean bank transfer.
  3. 3
    Tap as soon as you board
    Tap a single card on a reader as you get on; there are two on board and either one takes the fare.
  4. 4
    Press the button on the wall
    Press the button on the wall before your stop, then get off through the back door.
  5. 5
    Tap again as you get off
    Tap the reader again on the way out - skip it and your next ride loses the transfer discount.

Fares

Single fares6

City bus (일반버스)
Card fare on the left, cash on the right - the standard Busan bus fare
1,550〜1,700 KRW ≈ $1
Seated and limited-stop bus (좌석·급행)
Route 2000's city section costs the same; card fare left, cash right
2,100〜2,200 KRW ≈ $2
Night bus, regular (심야버스)
Regular buses on late-night runs; card fare left, cash right
2,000〜2,100 KRW ≈ $1–2
Night bus, seated (심야좌석버스)
Seated buses on late-night runs; card fare left, cash right
2,500〜2,600 KRW ≈ $2
Neighbourhood bus (마을버스)
The small buses that circle one district; Geumjeong-gu route 7 is priced separately
1,480〜1,600 KRW ≈ $1
Route 2000, out-of-city section (시외구간)
The out-of-city section running toward Gimhae - more than double the in-city fare
5,700〜6,000 KRW ≈ $4

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
Tapping a bank card to ride is not a thing here
IC card
This is the way to ride; a short balance means you cannot board at all
App tickets
Trial vehicles in Haeundae and Gijang only, via a registered Android-only app
QR ticketing
The metro app's QR ticket is not valid on buses
Paper tickets
There are no paper tickets; you pay as you board
Cash
No change on board for notes of 5,000 won or more; the refund is wired to a Korean account
Goes straight into the farebox - and earns no transfer discount

Quick facts

Fares from
1,550 KRW+
Busan city buses - tap your card on boarding and again when you get off. Taken Feb 2019 © Wikiwater2020・CC BY-SA 3.0

Heads-up

  • Route numbers keep moving

    A network-wide route overhaul started with the first buses on 5 July 2025. Line numbers printed in older articles and leaflets can no longer be trusted, so check the number and destination on the stop's sign or the city's bus information service before you board.

Timetable

Typical duration Fills in the coastline and the hillside neighbourhoods the four metro lines never reach; most trips across town run 30 minutes to an hour
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka