Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daejeon and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Daejeon: $1,344 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,344 per month in Daejeon vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Daejeon $1,344
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $2,104 per month in Daejeon vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Daejeon $2,104
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $2,865 per month in Daejeon vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Daejeon $2,865
Seoul $3,931

Daejeon is about 25% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Daejeon and Seoul sit above the global median – Daejeon by 0%, Seoul by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 ₩9,678

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-17.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 ₩48.9K

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-46.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ₩7,412

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-26.13%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₩4,784

$4.23 ₩5,624

-14.89%

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

$1.22 ₩1,622

$1.63 ₩2,167

-25.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₩859

$0.74 ₩985

-12.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,659

$3.64 ₩4,843

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₩4,917

$6.15 ₩8,175

-39.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,900

$2.01 ₩2,679

8.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 ₩3,542

$3.13 ₩4,164

-15.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,514

$4.32 ₩5,744

-38.89%

Eggs

$2.55 ₩3,385

$3.61 ₩4,794

-29.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 ₩14.5K

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-38.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-21.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.43 ₩27.2K

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-20.81%

Apples (1kg)

$11.12 ₩14.8K

$7.66 ₩10.2K

45.17%

Banana (1kg)

$5.49 ₩7,300

$3.38 ₩4,499

62.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,732

$5.81 ₩7,723

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ₩8,072

$6.41 ₩8,520

-5.30%

Potato (1kg)

$5.34 ₩7,102

$3.75 ₩4,983

42.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 ₩3,744

$2.54 ₩3,375

11.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₩2,273

$2.84 ₩3,782

-39.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,510

$1.11 ₩1,472

2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,426

$3.35 ₩4,455

-0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 ₩25.1K

$18.49 ₩24.6K

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₩3,393

$2.40 ₩3,185

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₩4,712

$3.37 ₩4,480

5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$1.14 ₩1,521

-3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-75.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₩4,398

$3.49 ₩4,643

-5.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩950

$0.63 ₩840

12.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩22.4K

$8.86 ₩11.8K

89.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,638

$1.51 ₩2,005

-18.54%

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

$28.5K ₩37.8M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

-2.80%

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

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-15.85%

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

$172 ₩228.4K

$218 ₩289.2K

-21.02%

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

$42.96 ₩57.1K

$35.15 ₩46.7K

22.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 ₩29.5K

$21.29 ₩28.3K

4.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 ₩44.0K

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-42.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

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

$304 ₩403.8K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-84.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-4.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 ₩85.8K

$57.0 ₩75.8K

13.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 ₩55.7K

$33.39 ₩44.4K

25.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ₩122.8K

$71.5 ₩95.0K

29.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₩142.0K

$82.5 ₩109.7K

29.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩490.2K

$901 ₩1.2M

-59.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₩391.3K

$612 ₩813.5K

-51.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ₩1.4M

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-59.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₩788.5K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-53.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,547 ₩7.4M

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-81.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,546 ₩6.0M

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-61.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,336 ₩3.1M

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-35.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

4.08

-10.54%

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

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daejeon

$446 33.2%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 6.8% $30

Accommodation & Living

Daejeon

$294 21.9%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 108% $318

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daejeon

$237 17.6%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 15.6% $37

Eating Out

Daejeon

$151 11.2%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 22.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Daejeon

$138 10.2%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 20% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Daejeon

$56 4.2%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 44.8% $25

Getting Around

Daejeon

$22 1.7%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 157% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $369 in Daejeon 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 56% 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 Daejeon versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $477 – making Daejeon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

Same time as Daejeon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,324

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)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Daejeon vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 34% more than Daejeon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $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 Daejeon, 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 $1,794 in Seoul. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 316% less in Daejeon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Daejeon, where all-in costs run around $1,344, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Daejeon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Daejeon – 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 Daejeon. 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.