Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Daejeon

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.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index

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Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Daejeon

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

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

Seoul $1,794
Daejeon $1,344

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

Seoul $2,863
Daejeon $2,104

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

Seoul $3,931
Daejeon $2,865

Seoul costs about 34% more than Daejeon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$7.28 ₩9,678

20.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$36.77 ₩48.9K

85.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$5.57 ₩7,412

35.37%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.60 ₩4,784

17.50%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.22 ₩1,622

33.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.65 ₩859

13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$3.50 ₩4,659

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$3.70 ₩4,917

66.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.18 ₩2,900

-7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$2.66 ₩3,542

17.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$2.64 ₩3,514

63.64%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.55 ₩3,385

41.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$10.92 ₩14.5K

63.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$8.24 ₩11.0K

26.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$20.43 ₩27.2K

26.28%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$11.12 ₩14.8K

-31.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$5.49 ₩7,300

-38.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$5.81 ₩7,732

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$6.07 ₩8,072

5.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$5.34 ₩7,102

-29.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$2.82 ₩3,744

-9.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$1.71 ₩2,273

66.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.14 ₩1,510

-2.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.33 ₩4,426

0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$18.90 ₩25.1K

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$2.55 ₩3,393

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.54 ₩4,712

-4.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

$1.10 ₩1,456

3.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

$11.09 ₩14.7K

315.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.31 ₩4,398

5.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.71 ₩950

-11.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$16.82 ₩22.4K

-47.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.23 ₩1,638

22.76%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$28.5K ₩37.8M

2.88%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$23.7K ₩31.6M

18.83%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$172 ₩228.4K

26.61%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$42.96 ₩57.1K

-18.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$22.18 ₩29.5K

-4.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$33.10 ₩44.0K

75.41%

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)

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$304 ₩403.8K

541.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$21.9K ₩29.1M

4.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$64.5 ₩85.8K

-11.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$41.91 ₩55.7K

-20.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$92.4 ₩122.8K

-22.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$107 ₩142.0K

-22.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

$369 ₩490.2K

144.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$294 ₩391.3K

107.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

$1,028 ₩1.4M

145.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

$593 ₩788.5K

113.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

$5,547 ₩7.4M

430.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$4,546 ₩6.0M

161.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,336 ₩3.1M

56.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.65

11.78%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Daejeon

$294 21.9% 51.9% $318

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Daejeon

$446 33.2% 6.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Daejeon

$237 17.6% 13.5% $37

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Daejeon

$151 11.2% 18.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Daejeon

$138 10.2% 25% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Daejeon

$56 4.2% 30.9% $25

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Daejeon

$22 1.7% 61% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Seoul versus $369 in Daejeon. 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 $68.0 in Seoul versus $37.00 in Daejeon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $446 – making Daejeon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

1,537,324

💱 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 Daejeon: 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 $2,692 per month in Seoul and $2,016 in Daejeon. 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 $1,794 in Seoul and $1,344 in Daejeon. 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.