Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,107 a month against $1,569 in Daegu, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. The total is higher in Daegu despite lower rent and utilities.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
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Jeju Living Index

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Daegu and in Jeju

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 Jeju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,569 per month in Daegu vs $1,107 in Jeju, rent included.

Daegu $1,569
Jeju $1,107

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Daegu vs $1,900 in Jeju, rent included.

Daegu $2,402
Jeju $1,900

A family of three spends $3,235 per month in Daegu vs $2,694 in Jeju, rent included.

Daegu $3,235
Jeju $2,694

Daegu costs about 42% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Daegu sits 16% above the global median, while Jeju is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$7.40 ₩9,835

25.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$53.2 ₩70.7K

-30.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$5.44 ₩7,233

4.23%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$5.75 ₩7,640

-30.96%

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

$1.56 ₩2,075

$2.21 ₩2,945

-29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$1.94 ₩2,575

-53.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$3.44 ₩4,578

11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$3.05 ₩4,050

77.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$2.26 ₩2,998

5.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$2.30 ₩3,060

95.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$2.21 ₩2,941

20.36%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$2.59 ₩3,444

5.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$2.16 ₩2,867

24.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$3.04 ₩4,047

-12.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$1.85 ₩2,454

11.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$2.19 ₩2,908

98.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$0.47 ₩620

191.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$11.22 ₩14.9K

32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$1.87 ₩2,490

14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$1.65 ₩2,200

50.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$1.03 ₩1,370

7.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$1.33 ₩1,762

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

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

$41.5K ₩55.1M

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

$280 ₩371.6K

$216 ₩287.8K

29.11%

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

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$53.7 ₩71.4K

-6.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$19.50 ₩25.9K

141.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

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

$531 ₩706.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$25.3K ₩33.6M

10.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$51.6 ₩68.6K

9.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$30.38 ₩40.4K

65.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$66.5 ₩88.5K

44.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$89.7 ₩119.2K

83.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$462 ₩614.5K

-11.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$381 ₩506.9K

-28.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$1,369 ₩1.8M

-23.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$1,174 ₩1.6M

-48.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$10.3K ₩13.8M

-31.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$6,733 ₩9.0M

-17.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$1,856 ₩2.5M

33.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

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

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daegu

$414 26.4%

Jeju

$140 * 12.7% 66.2% $274

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

Jeju

$290 26.2% 23.2% $87

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

Jeju

$381 34.5% 39.4% $108

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

Jeju

$184 16.7% 3.1% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

Jeju

$107 9.7% 35.1% $58

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

Jeju

$4.1 * 0.4% 95.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

Jeju

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Daegu versus $462 in Jeju. 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 33% higher in Daegu, 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 $53.0 in Jeju. Groceries tell a different story – $414 in Daegu vs $140 in Jeju – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

Same time as Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

469,279

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Daegu
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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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,569 in Daegu, $1,107 in Jeju – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,353 per month in Daegu and $1,660 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, 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 $53.0 in Jeju. 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 $1,107 in Jeju. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,107, than in Daegu at $1,569. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Daegu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jeju – 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 Jeju. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Daegu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.