Cost of living

Daejeon Cost of Living for Foreign Residents (2026)

Monthly cost-of-living breakdown for Daejeon in Daejeon for a single foreign resident in 2026.

Estimated total monthly cost

₩2.1M

Single foreign resident, one-bedroom rental in Daejeon, mid-tier lifestyle (eating out 4-5x/week, occasional leisure spending). Rent is the dominant variable; the rest is roughly Korea-wide.

What does cost of living in Daejeon include?

CategoryMonthly
Rent (one-bedroom, monthly wolse)₩540K
Utilities (electricity, gas, water, management)₩284K
Internet₩44K
Mobile phone (one line)₩49K
Food (single, eating out + groceries)₩503K
Transit (T-money + occasional taxi)₩62K
National Health Insurance (NHIS) premium₩160K
Leisure and discretionary₩250K
Miscellaneous₩200K
Total estimated monthly₩2.1M

What is rent in Daejeon by apartment size?

Unit typeDepositMonthly (wolse)Jeonse (lump-sum)
Studio / officetel₩10.0M₩420K₩125.0M
1-bedroom₩17.0M₩540K₩170.0M
2-bedroom₩28.0M₩690K₩235.0M

Deposit and jeonse figures are typical Q2 2026 ranges. Actual listings vary by unit age, building amenities, and floor.

Why does Daejeon cost what it does?

Daejeon is described as: Research city, affordable, university-driven, outdoor access, slower pace than Seoul. For foreign-resident foreign friendliness, we rate it medium: this affects English availability at services and how easy daily life feels for someone without strong Korean.

For a deeper neighborhood profile (transit, food, schools, where foreign residents tend to live), see the full Daejeon guide.

Read the full neighborhood guide

Daejeon, Daejeon

Continue to the full Daejeon guide

For a personalized cost-of-living estimate based on your household, tier, and unit type, try our Korea cost-of-living calculator.