Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Daegu

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.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
Learn more

Daegu Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Daegu

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

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

Seoul $1,794
Daegu $1,569

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

Seoul $2,863
Daegu $2,402

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

Seoul $3,931
Daegu $3,235

Seoul costs about 14% more than Daegu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$9.29 ₩12.3K

-5.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$37.12 ₩49.4K

84.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.67 ₩7,536

32.98%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.97 ₩5,284

6.55%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.56 ₩2,075

4.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.90 ₩1,202

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$3.82 ₩5,082

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$5.42 ₩7,204

13.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.38 ₩3,161

-15.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$4.49 ₩5,976

-30.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.66 ₩3,541

62.41%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.72 ₩3,619

32.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$10.30 ₩13.7K

73.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$7.44 ₩9,888

40.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$20.76 ₩27.6K

24.28%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$6.59 ₩8,762

16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$2.69 ₩3,577

25.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$5.72 ₩7,599

1.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$5.96 ₩7,921

7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$2.65 ₩3,518

41.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.06 ₩2,735

23.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$4.35 ₩5,789

-34.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.37 ₩1,825

-18.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$2.88 ₩3,832

16.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$14.91 ₩19.8K

24.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$2.14 ₩2,848

12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$2.49 ₩3,317

35.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$1.11 ₩1,473

2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$76.4 ₩101.5K

-39.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.14 ₩4,172

11.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.61 ₩811

3.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$8.02 ₩10.7K

10.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.33 ₩1,775

13.53%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$28.5K ₩37.9M

2.68%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$41.5K ₩55.1M

-31.95%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$280 ₩371.6K

-22.18%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$50.5 ₩67.1K

-30.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$47.09 ₩62.6K

-54.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$51.0 ₩67.8K

13.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$11.89 ₩15.8K

35.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$11.26 ₩15.0K

0.44%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$531 ₩706.4K

266.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$27.9K ₩37.1M

-18.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$56.3 ₩74.8K

1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$50.3 ₩66.9K

-33.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$96.0 ₩127.7K

-25.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$164 ₩218.5K

-49.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$408 ₩542.1K

120.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$273 ₩363.6K

123.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,044 ₩1.4M

141.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$607 ₩806.7K

108.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$7,125 ₩9.5M

312.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$5,559 ₩7.4M

114.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,478 ₩3.3M

47.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.07

-19.53%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Daegu

$273 17.4% 55.3% $338

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Daegu

$414 26.4% 13.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Daegu

$377 24% 37.6% $103

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Daegu

$179 11.4% 2.7% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Daegu

$165 10.5% 50.1% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Daegu

$73 4.7% 8.9% $7.2

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Daegu

$87 5.5% 51.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $408 in Daegu. 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $37.00 in Daegu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $414 – making Daegu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Daegu

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

2,528,933

💱 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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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Daegu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,692 per month in Seoul and $2,353 in Daegu. 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 $68.0 in Seoul and $37.00 in Daegu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,794 in Seoul and $1,569 in Daegu. 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.