Daegu at a glance
- Daegu ranks 3rd of 5 priced cities in South Korea on cost: $973 a month in essentials, 12% above Incheon, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $2,225 covers that 2.3×.
- 112.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at city level.
- PM2.5 averages 17.9 µg/m³ a year, 4× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 5 South Korea cities we track, so every row says whether Daegu is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $973 | $973 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $247 | $331 | 1.34ร as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $381 | $555 | 1.46ร as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $189 | $196 | $7 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $183 | $168 | $15 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $286 | $189 | 1.51ร as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $68 | $43 | 1.58ร as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,225 | $2,255 | $30 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $563 | $647 | $84 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $954 | $1,172 | $218 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Daegu, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.82 | $6.78 | 1.30ร as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $33.91 | $33.91 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.02 | $6.10 | $1.08 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.60 | $3.40 | $0.20 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.39 | $3.39 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.82 | $4.41 | $0.41 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.47 | $1.47 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.80 | $0.76 | $0.04 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $2.24 | $2.13 | $0.11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $4.10 | $2.82 | 1.45ร as much |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.54 | $2.84 | $0.30 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.55 | $2.88 | $0.33 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.61 | $10.61 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.56 | $9.12 | 1.39ร as much |
| Apples, 1 kg | $6.01 | $6.90 | $0.89 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.45 | $2.94 | $0.49 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $5.25 | $5.39 | $0.14 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.42 | $3.17 | 1.31ร as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.88 | $2.38 | 1.27ร as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.22 | $1.19 | $0.03 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.02 | $1.05 | $0.03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $67.82 | $43.07 | 1.57ร as much |
| Taxi start | $2.88 | $3.26 | $0.38 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.54 | $0.56 | $0.02 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.19 | $1.23 | $0.04 |
| Basic utilities, 85 mยฒ flat | $248.68 | $171.02 | 1.45ร as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $37.75 | $18.24 | 2.07ร as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $44.63 | $31.06 | 1.44ร as much |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $46.80 | $46.80 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $10.17 | $10.17 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Daegu has 112.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (city level). That is the highest of the 6 South Korea cities we track. South Korea's national figure is 111.9 โ about even.
Every South Korea region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Daegu ranks against every city we track
Daegu sits ahead of 95% of the 534 cities we track on salary against local costs. On city-centre rent it is ahead of 79% of 553. Its weakest measure is women aged 20โ39, ahead of only 9% of 892.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Daegu sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: ๋๊ตฌ๊ด์ญ์, CC BY-SA 4.0.
