1. What does it mean?

시발비용 combines a profanity with cost. It means an expense the speaker feels they would not have incurred without stress, frustration, or exhaustion, such as an unplanned convenience purchase after a difficult day.

Also written or said as sibalbiyong

2. The nuance

The first part is vulgar even in this established phrase. It conveys frustration, not a formal expense category or a claim that every comfort purchase is necessary.

3. Examples

“계획 없던 지출이라 친구한테 시발비용이라고 푸념했어.”

I complained to a friend that the unplanned spending was my stress bill.

“시발비용이 늘어서 어떤 날에 쓰는지 기록해 봤어.”

My stress spending was rising, so I tracked which days it happened.

Related words

Sources

donga.com

References support the meaning and usage. Example sentences are written for NoCapWiki.