Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daejeon and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,107 a month against $1,344 in Daejeon, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. The total is higher in Daejeon despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
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Jeju Living Index

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Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Daejeon 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 Daejeon and in Jeju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,344 per month in Daejeon vs $1,107 in Jeju, rent included.

Daejeon $1,344
Jeju $1,107

A couple spends around $2,104 per month in Daejeon vs $1,900 in Jeju, rent included.

Daejeon $2,104
Jeju $1,900

A family of three spends $2,865 per month in Daejeon vs $2,694 in Jeju, rent included.

Daejeon $2,865
Jeju $2,694

Daejeon costs about 21% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Daejeon sits 0% above the global median, while Jeju is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 ₩9,678

$7.40 ₩9,835

-1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 ₩48.9K

$53.2 ₩70.7K

-30.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ₩7,412

$5.44 ₩7,233

2.39%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₩4,784

$5.75 ₩7,640

-37.39%

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

$1.22 ₩1,622

$2.21 ₩2,945

-44.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₩859

$1.94 ₩2,575

-66.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,659

$3.44 ₩4,578

1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₩4,917

$3.05 ₩4,050

21.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,900

$2.26 ₩2,998

-3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 ₩3,542

$2.30 ₩3,060

15.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,514

$2.21 ₩2,941

19.46%

Eggs

$2.55 ₩3,385

$2.59 ₩3,444

-1.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 ₩14.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.43 ₩27.2K

Apples (1kg)

$11.12 ₩14.8K

Banana (1kg)

$5.49 ₩7,300

$2.16 ₩2,867

154.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,732

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ₩8,072

Potato (1kg)

$5.34 ₩7,102

$3.04 ₩4,047

75.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 ₩3,744

$1.85 ₩2,454

52.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₩2,273

$2.19 ₩2,908

-21.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,510

$0.47 ₩620

142.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,426

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 ₩25.1K

$11.22 ₩14.9K

68.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₩3,393

$1.87 ₩2,490

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₩4,712

$1.65 ₩2,200

114.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$1.03 ₩1,370

6.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₩4,398

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩950

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩22.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,638

$1.33 ₩1,762

-7.52%

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

$28.5K ₩37.8M

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

$23.7K ₩31.6M

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

$172 ₩228.4K

$216 ₩287.8K

-20.64%

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

$42.96 ₩57.1K

$53.7 ₩71.4K

-20.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 ₩29.5K

$19.50 ₩25.9K

13.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 ₩44.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

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

$304 ₩403.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$25.3K ₩33.6M

-13.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 ₩85.8K

$51.6 ₩68.6K

25.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 ₩55.7K

$30.38 ₩40.4K

37.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ₩122.8K

$66.5 ₩88.5K

38.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₩142.0K

$89.7 ₩119.2K

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩490.2K

$462 ₩614.5K

-20.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₩391.3K

$381 ₩506.9K

-22.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ₩1.4M

$1,369 ₩1.8M

-24.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₩788.5K

$1,174 ₩1.6M

-49.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,547 ₩7.4M

$10.3K ₩13.8M

-46.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,546 ₩6.0M

$6,733 ₩9.0M

-32.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,336 ₩3.1M

$1,856 ₩2.5M

25.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

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

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jeju: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daejeon

$446 33.2%

Jeju

$140 * 12.7% 68.6% $306

Accommodation & Living

Daejeon

$294 21.9%

Jeju

$381 34.5% 29.6% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daejeon

$237 17.6%

Jeju

$290 26.2% 22.3% $53

Eating Out

Daejeon

$151 11.2%

Jeju

$184 16.7% 22.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Daejeon

$138 10.2%

Jeju

$107 9.7% 22.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Daejeon

$56 4.2%

Jeju

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Daejeon

$22 1.7%

Jeju

$4.1 * 0.4% 81.6% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Daejeon 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 26% higher in Daejeon, 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 Daejeon versus $53.0 in Jeju. Groceries tell a different story – $446 in Daejeon vs $140 in Jeju – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

Same time as Daejeon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,324

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

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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

Daejeon vs Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Daejeon costs about 21% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,016 per month in Daejeon 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,344 in Daejeon and $1,107 in Jeju. That's a gap of about 21%.

Groceries cost about 219% more in Daejeon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jeju, where all-in costs run around $1,107, than in Daejeon at $1,344. In Jeju it covers expenses comfortably, while in Daejeon 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, Daejeon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.