Gyeonggi-do city bus fares will increase starting with the first bus on October 25, 2025. This is the first adjustment in a substantial six years since September 2019. Regular and seated buses will increase by 200 KRW each, while express seat buses (Direct-Express) and Gyeonggi circulation buses will increase by 400 KRW each.
Specifically, the fare for a city bus (using a transportation card) will rise from the previous 1,450 KRW to 1,650 KRW (a 200 KRW increase). The express seat bus (wide-area bus) will rise from 2,800 KRW to 3,200 KRW, and the Gyeonggi circulation bus will rise from 3,050 KRW to 3,450 KRW.
Is the Bus Fare Hike Reasonable Compared to Inflation?
Now, let’s calculate whether this increase is reasonable.
The consumer price inflation rate for 2025 is expected to be around 2.0%. Calculating the cumulative inflation over the six years from 2019 to 2025, using an average annual rate of 2%, the total increase comes out to about 12.6%.
So, what about the bus fares?
- Regular Bus: 1,450 KRW → 1,650 KRW (13.8% increase)
- Wide-Area Bus: 2,800 KRW → 3,200 KRW (14.3% increase)
The increase level is nearly the same as, or slightly higher than, the cumulative inflation rate. Since prices have continuously risen over the past six years while bus fares remained frozen, this increase can be viewed as reflecting the accumulated increase that had been held back.
In fact, Gyeonggi-do kept city bus fares frozen since September 2019 despite rising prices, labor costs for transit workers, and changing demand. Notably, fares were kept frozen even when Seoul and Incheon raised their city bus fares in 2023, in an effort to ease the transportation burden on Gyeonggi residents.
Public Transportation Remains Economical
Considering vehicle maintenance costs, parking fees, and insurance premiums, public transportation is still the most economical means of travel. Furthermore, it helps protect the environment and reduces traffic congestion—a triple benefit!
Assuming 20 days of commuting per month on a wide-area bus (40 rides), the monthly transit cost after the increase would be 128,000 KRW. This is significantly cheaper than just the fuel and parking costs of commuting by private car.
Further Reduce the Transit Burden with K-Pass
The even better news is that you can further save on transit costs by utilizing the K-Pass. K-Pass is a government policy that refunds a certain percentage of the fare if you use public transportation 15 times or more per month. The refund rates are: 20% for general users, 30% for youth (ages 19–34), and 53% for low-income individuals.
Starting in 2025, benefits have also been added for multi-child families. Families with two children can receive a 30% refund, and those with three or more children can receive a 50% refund. (Note: This multi-child benefit is typically provided as an additional refund through local government programs like ‘The Gyeonggi Pass’ rather than the standard K-Pass discount.)
Check the official K-Pass website to see the details and sign up!
While bus fares are going up, you can significantly reduce the transportation burden by wisely utilizing policies like the K-Pass. Be sure to know the changed fares starting tomorrow and handle the change smartly!