Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Daegu: $1,569 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Seoul outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Daegu and in Seoul

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

A single person spends $1,569 per month in Daegu vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Daegu $1,569
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Daegu vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Daegu $2,402
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $3,235 per month in Daegu vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Daegu $3,235
Seoul $3,931

Daegu is about 13% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Daegu and Seoul sit above the global median – Daegu by 16%, Seoul by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$8.80 ₩11.7K

5.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-45.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-24.80%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$4.23 ₩5,624

-6.15%

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

$1.56 ₩2,075

$1.63 ₩2,167

-4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$0.74 ₩985

21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$3.64 ₩4,843

4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$6.15 ₩8,175

-11.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$2.01 ₩2,679

18.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$3.13 ₩4,164

43.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$4.32 ₩5,744

-38.43%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$3.61 ₩4,794

-24.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-42.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-28.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$3.38 ₩4,499

-20.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

$5.81 ₩7,723

-1.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

$6.41 ₩8,520

-7.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$3.75 ₩4,983

-29.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$2.54 ₩3,375

-18.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$2.84 ₩3,782

53.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$1.11 ₩1,472

23.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

$3.35 ₩4,455

-14.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-19.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$2.40 ₩3,185

-10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$3.37 ₩4,480

-26.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$1.14 ₩1,521

-2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

$46.11 ₩61.3K

65.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

$3.49 ₩4,643

-10.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

$0.63 ₩840

-3.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-9.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$1.51 ₩2,005

-11.92%

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-2.61%

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

$41.5K ₩55.1M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

46.95%

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

$280 ₩371.6K

$218 ₩289.2K

28.49%

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

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$35.15 ₩46.7K

43.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$21.29 ₩28.3K

121.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-12.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-26.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-0.44%

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

$531 ₩706.4K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-72.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$22.9K ₩30.4M

22.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$57.0 ₩75.8K

-1.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$33.39 ₩44.4K

50.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$71.5 ₩95.0K

34.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$82.5 ₩109.7K

99.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$901 ₩1.2M

-54.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$612 ₩813.5K

-55.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-58.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-52.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-75.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-53.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-32.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

4.08

24.26%

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

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daegu

$414 26.4%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 15.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 27.3% $103

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 124% $338

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 2.8% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 33.4% $55

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 34.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 9.8% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Daegu versus $901 in Seoul. 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 47% higher in Seoul, 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 $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $477 – making Daegu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

Same time as Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

9,509,458 Capital

💱 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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Daegu vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,569 in Daegu, $1,794 in Seoul – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,353 per month in Daegu and $2,692 in Seoul. 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 $68.0 in Seoul. 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 $1,794 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Daegu, where all-in costs run around $1,569, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Daegu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul 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, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.