I live in Changwon now (it's near Busan), and it's rather pricey, to say the least. After looking around for cheap shops my first weekend, I found a Wal-Mart in nearby Masan. I also discovered that no matter where you go, from the Wal-Mart to the E-Mart to the Lotte Mart, reasonable prices are easy to find, especially for necessary items. For example, I can find toothpaste in Changwan that goes for over 7 USD a tube at just about at all the shops, and right beside that tube will be one for only 2.50 USD. One pizza shop here sells a large combo pizza for 33 USD, while another down the street will sell one for 15 USD. If you look around and have patience, you can make it here and even save some money to boot. Being able to keep your wallet closed, i.e. avoiding impulse buys, will help A LOT.

RK