Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and East Lansing, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Daegu: $1,569 a month against $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in East Lansing, MI
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East Lansing, MI Living Index

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

East Lansing, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,318

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Daegu and in East Lansing, MI

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Daegu and in East Lansing, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,569 per month in Daegu vs $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, rent included.

Daegu $1,569
East Lansing, MI $2,318

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Daegu vs $3,429 in East Lansing, MI, rent included.

Daegu $2,402
East Lansing, MI $3,429

A family of three spends $3,235 per month in Daegu vs $4,540 in East Lansing, MI, rent included.

Daegu $3,235
East Lansing, MI $4,540

Daegu is about 32% cheaper than East Lansing, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Daegu and East Lansing, MI sit above the global median – Daegu by 16%, East Lansing, MI by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$16.62 $16.62

-44.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$73.9 $73.9

-49.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$12.21 $12.21

-53.56%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$5.24 $5.24

-24.24%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ₩2,075

$2.46 $2.46

-36.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$2.20 $2.20

-59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$4.93 $4.93

-22.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$6.47 $6.47

-16.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$0.84 $0.84

183.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$2.92 $2.92

53.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$5.18 $5.18

-48.65%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$2.75 $2.75

-1.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$10.93 $10.93

-5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

$16.78 $16.78

-55.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

$16.59 $16.59

25.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

$5.24 $5.24

25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$1.53 $1.53

75.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

$6.76 $6.76

-15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

$3.61 $3.61

65.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$5.81 $5.81

-54.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$5.66 $5.66

-63.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$2.15 $2.15

102.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$3.96 $3.96

-65.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

$9.58 $9.58

-69.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$16.14 $16.14

-7.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$1.94 $1.94

10.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$1.52 $1.52

63.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$1.60 $1.60

-30.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

$50.5 $50.5

51.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

$9.80 $9.80

-67.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

$3.20 $3.20

-80.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$9.93 $9.93

-19.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$0.97 $0.97

37.11%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.5K ₩37.9M

$34.5K $34.5K

-17.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.5K ₩55.1M

$25.8K $25.8K

60.56%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$280 ₩371.6K

$173 $173

62.01%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$54.1 $54.1

-6.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$63.1 $63.1

-25.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

$36.22 $36.22

40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$15.24 $15.24

-21.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$11.21 $11.21

0.45%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$531 ₩706.4K

$645 $645

-17.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$11.0K $11.0K

154.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$54.2 $54.2

3.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$37.29 $37.29

35.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$69.0 $69.0

39.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$85.0 $85.0

93.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$1,231 $1,231

-66.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$1,041 $1,041

-73.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$2,063 $2,063

-49.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$1,684 $1,684

-63.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$2,070 $2,070

244.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$1,594 $1,594

248.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$6,117 $6,117

-59.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

6.56

-22.71%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Last update for East Lansing, MI: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Daegu

$414 26.4%

East Lansing, MI

$446 19.3% 7.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

East Lansing, MI

$290 12.5% 23.2% $87

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

East Lansing, MI

$1K 44.9% 281% $768

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

East Lansing, MI

$289 12.5% 61.5% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

East Lansing, MI

$110 4.8% 33.1% $55

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

East Lansing, MI

$83 3.6% 4.9% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

East Lansing, MI

$59 2.5% 20.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Daegu versus $1,231 in East Lansing, MI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 147% higher in East Lansing, MI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Daegu versus $74.0 in East Lansing, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $446 – making Daegu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇺🇸 East Lansing, MI

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

05:33 5:33 AM

13 h behind Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

47,741

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Daegu East Lansing, MI 10,650 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Daegu
East Lansing, MI

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Daegu vs East Lansing, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,569 in Daegu, $2,318 in East Lansing, MI – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,353 per month in Daegu and $3,477 in East Lansing, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Daegu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Daegu and $74.0 in East Lansing, MI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,569 in Daegu and $2,318 in East Lansing, MI. That's a gap of about 48%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Daegu, where all-in costs run around $1,569, than in East Lansing, MI at $2,318. In Daegu it covers expenses comfortably, while in East Lansing, MI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Daegu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Daegu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, East Lansing, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.