Short answer
Three questions decide where you live in Incheon: how much rent you can pay, where you travel every day, and whether you want help nearby in your language. Start with rent. The tables below use Seoulstart's monthly government records.
- Lowest rent: sort the table below by monthly rent and look at the first rows.
- Foreign universities and IFEZ jobs: Songdo, in Yeonsu-gu. The Incheon Global Campus is there.
- Largest foreign resident community: Bupyeong-gu had the most foreign residents in Incheon in 2023.
- Students: Michuhol-gu had the most international students in 2023. Inha University is there.
- Airport work: Yeongjong-gu, the island district around Incheon International Airport.
- New towns in the north: Geomdan-gu, at the north end of Incheon Line 1.
Figures below describe August 2026. Rent figures are medians of contracts reported that month. For the city as a whole, open the Incheon rent page.
Incheon's district names changed on July 1, 2026
Incheon redrew its district map on July 1, 2026. Two laws did it. The first abolished Jung-gu (중구) and Dong-gu (동구) and created Jemulpo-gu (제물포구), Yeongjong-gu (영종구) and Geomdan-gu (검단구). The second renamed what was left of Seo-gu (서구) as Seohae-gu (서해구). Incheon now has 9 districts (구) and 2 counties (군).
| Old district | New district | Well-known areas |
|---|---|---|
| Jung-gu (중구), inland port neighborhoods | Jemulpo-gu (제물포구) | Chinatown, Wolmido, Sinpo-dong |
| Dong-gu (동구), all of it | Jemulpo-gu (제물포구) | Songnim-dong, Songhyeon-dong, Manseok-dong, Hwasu-dong |
| Jung-gu (중구), Yeongjong and Yongyu islands | Yeongjong-gu (영종구) | Yeongjong island, Incheon International Airport, Unseo-dong, Yongyu-dong |
| Seo-gu (서구), northern part | Geomdan-gu (검단구) | Geomdan, Majeon, Dangha, Wondang, Bullo, Ara |
| Seo-gu (서구), the rest | Seohae-gu (서해구) | Cheongna, Geomam, Gajeong, Seoknam, Gajwa, Yeonhui |
| Yeonsu-gu (연수구) | No change | Songdo 1-dong to 5-dong |
Bupyeong-gu, Gyeyang-gu, Michuhol-gu, Namdong-gu, Yeonsu-gu, Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun kept their names.
Old names still show up. Leases signed before July 1, 2026, address records and housing listings may still say Jung-gu, Dong-gu or Seo-gu. Under the renaming law, any existing law that cites Incheon's Seo-gu is read as Seohae-gu. Old Seo-gu was split, though, so check the neighborhood (동) name to know which new district an address is in. The Incheon city website lists every neighborhood by district.
How to choose a district
Budget. Most homes in Korea are rented with monthly rent (월세, wolse) plus a deposit, or with one large lump-sum deposit (전세, jeonse). Work out your real move-in cost first with the move-in cost tool. Compare the two lease types with the jeonse vs wolse tool. If the terms are new, read How Korean Housing Works.
Commute to Seoul. If you work in Seoul, start with the commute. We have not measured commute times for this guide. Check the door-to-door time on a map app at the hour you will travel. Incheon's subway lines connect with the Airport Railroad (AREX, 공항철도), the Gyeongin Line (경인선) and the Suin Line (수인선).
Airport and port jobs. Yeongjong-gu holds the airport. Its free economic zone is planned around logistics and tourism.
Songdo's international area. Songdo is the business, IT and biotech part of the Incheon Free Economic Zone (인천경제자유구역, IFEZ). The Incheon Global Campus (인천글로벌캠퍼스) is in Songdo. It hosts SUNY Korea, George Mason University Korea, Ghent University Global Campus, the University of Utah Asia Campus and SUNY FIT.
Families. We do not list schools by district because we have no verified list. Ask each school about admission before you rent. Most districts and both counties have a family center (가족센터); the city's list includes the new Yeongjong-gu and Jemulpo-gu.
Students. Inha University is in Michuhol-gu. Yonsei University's International Campus and Incheon National University are in Songdo. All three run Korean-language programs. If you are looking at an officetel (오피스텔) near campus, read the officetel guide first.
All 11 districts compared by rent
This table shows the median monthly rent for officetels in every Incheon district and county, lowest first. An officetel is a studio-style unit that mixes living and office zoning.
| Area | Monthly rent | Deposit | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ganghwa-gun, Incheon | Too few | 0 | |
| Ongjin-gun, Incheon | Too few | 0 | |
| Gyeyang-gu, Incheon | ₩400,000 | ₩5m | 54 |
| Jemulpo-gu, Incheon | ₩500,000 | ₩5m | 25 |
| Namdong-gu, Incheon | ₩500,000 | ₩5m | 169 |
| Yeongjong-gu, Incheon | ₩530,000 | ₩5m | 160 |
| Seohae-gu, Incheon | ₩600,000 | ₩10m | 216 |
| Michuhol-gu, Incheon | ₩650,000 | ₩10m | 157 |
| Yeonsu-gu, Incheon | ₩700,000 | ₩10m | 250 |
| Geomdan-gu, Incheon | ₩725,000 | ₩10m | 16 |
| Bupyeong-gu, Incheon | ₩750,000 | ₩10m | 158 |
Medians of contracts reported in August 2026. Rent figures are for new leases, the price someone moving in signs; where fewer than 10 new leases were reported, all leases are used. Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport real transaction records (국토교통부 실거래가), processed by Seoulstart. Updated monthly.
Medians come from reported contracts. A district with few contracts can jump from month to month, so open its rent page before you decide.
Rent depends on the type of home. Here are the medians for Incheon as a whole:
| Home type | Monthly rent | Deposit | Jeonse deposit | Typical size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment | ₩750,000 | ₩30m | ₩300m | 59.9 m² |
| Officetel | ₩600,000 | ₩5m | ₩170m | 29.1 m² |
| Villa or row house | ₩450,000 | ₩9.5m | ₩78m | 42 m² |
Medians of contracts reported in August 2026. Rent figures are for new leases, the price someone moving in signs; where fewer than 10 new leases were reported, all leases are used. Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport real transaction records (국토교통부 실거래가), processed by Seoulstart. Updated monthly.
Here is the apartment view for every district, lowest first:
| Area | Monthly rent | Deposit | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ongjin-gun, Incheon | Too few | 0 | |
| Namdong-gu, Incheon | ₩465,000 | ₩20.3m | 254 |
| Gyeyang-gu, Incheon | ₩600,000 | ₩10m | 104 |
| Michuhol-gu, Incheon | ₩600,000 | ₩25m | 144 |
| Bupyeong-gu, Incheon | ₩650,000 | ₩30m | 248 |
| Jemulpo-gu, Incheon | ₩650,000 | ₩30m | 61 |
| Ganghwa-gun, Incheon | ₩700,000 | ₩20m | 14 |
| Seohae-gu, Incheon | ₩850,000 | ₩30m | 160 |
| Geomdan-gu, Incheon | ₩1,200,000 | ₩32.1m | 259 |
| Yeongjong-gu, Incheon | ₩1,250,000 | ₩30m | 112 |
| Yeonsu-gu, Incheon | ₩1,500,000 | ₩30m | 241 |
Medians of contracts reported in August 2026. Rent figures are for new leases, the price someone moving in signs; where fewer than 10 new leases were reported, all leases are used. Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport real transaction records (국토교통부 실거래가), processed by Seoulstart. Updated monthly.
If you plan to buy, or want a sense of how expensive each district is, here are apartment sale medians, highest first:
| Area | Median sale price | Typical size | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeonsu-gu, Incheon | ₩657m | 84.8 m² | 422 |
| Seohae-gu, Incheon | ₩547.3m | 84.6 m² | 234 |
| Geomdan-gu, Incheon | ₩486m | 84.7 m² | 236 |
| Bupyeong-gu, Incheon | ₩360m | 59.9 m² | 341 |
| Yeongjong-gu, Incheon | ₩352m | 83.4 m² | 85 |
| Namdong-gu, Incheon | ₩328m | 68.4 m² | 291 |
| Michuhol-gu, Incheon | ₩320m | 64.8 m² | 223 |
| Gyeyang-gu, Incheon | ₩270m | 59.9 m² | 190 |
| Jemulpo-gu, Incheon | ₩230m | 60 m² | 51 |
| Ganghwa-gun, Incheon | ₩200m | 75.6 m² | 10 |
| Ongjin-gun, Incheon | Too few | 0 |
Medians of contracts reported in August 2026. Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport real transaction records (국토교통부 실거래가), processed by Seoulstart. Updated monthly.
To see reported contracts month by month, open the price explorer. To compare districts side by side, use the compare view. Read Buying Property in Korea before you make an offer.
Songdo and the south
Yeonsu-gu (연수구)
Yeonsu-gu holds Songdo (송도), split into Songdo 1-dong to 5-dong. It had 29,513 foreign residents in 2023, 7.2% of the district, the highest share in Incheon, and the number grew 13.1% in one year. It had the third-largest Uzbek community of any district in Korea (3,634) and 1,104 US nationals. Incheon Line 1 runs through Songdo to Songdo Moonlight Festival Park (송도달빛축제공원). Songdo is not all of Yeonsu-gu, so check which part a listing is in. Median officetel rent: ₩700,000. See the Yeonsu-gu rent page.
Central Incheon
Michuhol-gu (미추홀구)
Michuhol-gu had 22,358 foreign residents in 2023 (5.4% of the district). It had 2,807 international students, the most in Incheon, because Inha University is here. It also had 6,270 Chinese-Korean residents (중국 한국계). Median officetel rent: ₩650,000. See the Michuhol-gu rent page.
Namdong-gu (남동구)
Namdong-gu had 24,746 foreign residents in 2023 (4.9% of the district), including 5,548 migrant workers. The Incheon Foreigner Support Center and the Incheon Foreign Workers Support Center are both here. Incheon Line 2 stops at Namdong-gu Office station. Median officetel rent: ₩500,000. See the Namdong-gu rent page.
Jemulpo-gu (제물포구)
Jemulpo-gu is new. It joins all of old Dong-gu with the old port neighborhoods of Jung-gu, including Chinatown and Wolmido. It has two office buildings, one in Sinpo and one in Songnim. Old Dong-gu had 594 multicultural households (다문화가구) in 2023. Median officetel rent: ₩500,000. See the Jemulpo-gu rent page.
North Incheon
Bupyeong-gu (부평구)
Bupyeong-gu had the most foreign residents in Incheon in 2023: 35,301, or 7.1% of the district. Its Chinese-Korean community (16,771) was the eighth-largest of any district in Korea. It also had 7,234 multicultural households, the most in Incheon. Median officetel rent: ₩750,000. See the Bupyeong-gu rent page.
Gyeyang-gu (계양구)
Gyeyang-gu is a stop on Incheon Line 1. It had 2,239 multicultural households in 2023. Kyungin Women's University, which runs a Korean-language program, is here. Median officetel rent: ₩400,000. See the Gyeyang-gu rent page.
West Incheon
Seohae-gu (서해구)
Seohae-gu is the renamed remainder of Seo-gu. It holds Cheongna (청라), the finance and leisure part of the free economic zone, plus Geomam, Gajeong, Seoknam, Gajwa and Yeonhui. Incheon Line 2 stops at Geomam and at Seo-gu Office station (서구청), which the operator still lists under the old district name. In 2023, old Seo-gu (today's Seohae-gu and Geomdan-gu together) had 27,611 foreign residents and 6,812 migrant workers, the most migrant workers in Incheon. Median officetel rent: ₩600,000. See the Seohae-gu rent page.
Geomdan-gu (검단구)
Geomdan-gu is the new district in the far north, covering Geomdan, Majeon, Dangha, Wondang, Bullo, Oryu, Wanggil and Ara. Incheon Line 1 ends here at Geomdan Lake Park (검단호수공원). Incheon Line 2 starts at Geomdan Oryu (검단오류) station, also named for the Geomdan Industrial Complex (검단산업단지). The district office is in Dangha-dong. Median officetel rent: ₩725,000. See the Geomdan-gu rent page.
The islands and counties
Yeongjong-gu (영종구)
Yeongjong-gu covers Yeongjong and Yongyu islands, where Incheon International Airport sits. Yeongjong International City, the logistics and tourism part of the free economic zone, is on these islands. The district office is on Haneuljungang-ro in Jungsan-dong. Median officetel rent: ₩530,000. See the Yeongjong-gu rent page.
Ganghwa-gun (강화군)
Ganghwa-gun is one of Incheon's two counties (군). It had 434 multicultural households in 2023. If few leases were reported, the figure reads "Too few". Median officetel rent: Too few. See the Ganghwa-gun rent page.
Ongjin-gun (옹진군)
Ongjin-gun is Incheon's other county. Its county office is on the mainland, in Yonghyeon-dong, Michuhol-gu. It had 102 multicultural households in 2023. Median officetel rent: Too few. See the Ongjin-gun rent page.
For more on daily life in Incheon and Songdo, read the Incheon neighborhood guide.
Deposit protection is different inside Incheon
If your landlord's home is sold at auction, small-deposit priority repayment (최우선변제) pays you part of your deposit before other creditors. To qualify, you must have moved in and registered your address (전입신고) before the auction was filed. Two numbers matter: the largest deposit that qualifies, and how much of it is protected. In Incheon, both depend on the exact address.
| Where the home is | Deposit must be at or below | Protected amount |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the overcrowding control region (과밀억제권역) | ₩145 million | ₩48 million |
| Outside it, in the city (the free economic zone, the Namdong National Industrial Complex and the excluded neighborhoods) | ₩85 million | ₩28 million |
| Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun | ₩75 million | ₩25 million |
Which parts are outside the overcrowding control region? Planning law covers all of Incheon except these areas:
- Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun.
- The Incheon Free Economic Zone (Songdo, Cheongna and Yeongjong), including land released from the zone.
- The Namdong National Industrial Complex (남동국가산업단지).
- Eight neighborhoods the law lists under old Seo-gu: Daegok-dong, Bullo-dong, Majeon-dong, Geumgok-dong, Oryu-dong, Wanggil-dong, Dangha-dong and Wondang-dong.
The county row follows the decree's wording: the middle tier is for metropolitan cities minus their county areas, so Ganghwa-gun and Ongjin-gun fall into the lowest tier.
The planning law still uses the old name Seo-gu, and most of those eight neighborhoods are now in Geomdan-gu. The free economic zone also does not match district lines. Songdo is not all of Yeonsu-gu, for example. So do not pick a tier from the district name alone. Check the parcel on a land-use map such as Eum (토지이음, eum.go.kr), or ask the agent in writing.
Two limits apply. The protected amount cannot be more than half of the home's value. And if a lender registered a mortgage on the home before February 21, 2023, the older amounts apply against that lender. Test a deposit with the deposit safety tool, and read How to Avoid Deposit Scams.
How to check a specific building before signing
A district is only the first filter. Before you pay a deposit:
- Open the district's rent page and compare the asking rent with the median for the same home type.
- Look up recent contracts for the building in the price explorer. How to Check Real Transaction Prices shows how.
- Ask the agent for the registry record (등기부등본) and read who owns the home and what debts are on it. The lease documents checklist lists every record to ask for.
- Check whether the address is inside the overcrowding control region (see above), then run the deposit safety tool.
- Add the deposit, fees and first month with the move-in cost tool.
- Read Renting an Apartment in Korea before you sign.
If you work in a factory area, Renting Near Korea's Industrial Cities covers housing near work sites. To compare Incheon with the capital, read Where to Live in Seoul.
Where to get help in your language
- Incheon Foreigner Support Center (인천외국인종합지원센터): 8th floor, Incheon Saemaul building, Yesul-ro 192beon-gil 40, Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu. Phone 1833-6333. Website: iscfr.or.kr.
- Incheon Foreign Workers Support Center (인천외국인근로자지원센터): for workers on E-9 and H-2 visas. 11th to 12th floors, Hogupo-ro 220, Namdong-gu. Phone 032-231-4546.
- IFEZ Global Center: 1st floor, G-Tower, Artcenter-daero 175, Songdo, Yeonsu-gu. Phone 032-453-7114. It offers multilingual support for foreign residents of the free economic zone.
- Family centers (가족센터): the city lists one for most districts and both counties, including the new Yeongjong-gu and Jemulpo-gu.
New district offices:
| District | Office address |
|---|---|
| Jemulpo-gu | Sinpo building: Sinpo-ro 27beon-gil 80. Songnim building: Geumgok-ro 67 |
| Yeongjong-gu | Haneuljungang-ro 201, Jungsan-dong |
| Seohae-gu | Seogot-ro 307, Simgok-dong |
| Geomdan-gu | Dokjeong-ro 125beon-gil 12, Dangha-dong |
Data note
Counts of foreign residents are from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) 2023 report, which counts residents as of November 1, 2023. That report uses the district names from before July 1, 2026. We do not split old Jung-gu or old Seo-gu numbers across the new districts, because the 2023 MOIS report counts only the old districts. Rent and sale figures come from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (국토교통부) real transaction records, processed monthly by Seoulstart. For the full Incheon picture, open the Incheon rent page.