Daejeon at a glance
- Daejeon ranks 5th of 7 priced cities in South Korea on cost: $1,012 a month in essentials, 16% above Incheon, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $2,544 covers that 2.5×.
- 104.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at sigungu level.
- PM2.5 averages 22.3 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 7 South Korea cities we track, so every row says whether Daejeon 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 | $1,012 | $982 | $30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $413 | $332 | $81 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $604 | $604 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $182 | $189 | $7 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $199 | $183 | $16 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $178 | $189 | $11 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $40 | $43 | $3 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $2,544 | $2,544 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $865 | $723 | $142 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,768 | $1,204 | 1.47× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Daejeon, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $7.76 | $7.76 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $55.21 | $44.08 | 1.25× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.97 | $6.04 | $0.07 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.34 | $3.34 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.98 | $3.39 | $0.41 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $4.78 | $4.78 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.34 | $1.42 | $0.08 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.67 | $0.67 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.70 | $1.93 | $0.23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.48 | $2.82 | $0.34 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $3.34 | $3.00 | $0.34 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.53 | $2.55 | $0.02 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $12.50 | $12.50 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $8.03 | $8.03 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $6.20 | $6.20 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.79 | $2.79 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $5.12 | $5.25 | $0.13 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $3.06 | $3.17 | $0.11 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.09 | $2.20 | $0.11 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.89 | $1.01 | $0.12 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.99 | $1.02 | $0.03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $40.49 | $43.07 | $2.58 |
| Taxi start | $3.06 | $3.06 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.53 | $0.56 | $0.03 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.26 | $1.26 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $160.76 | $171.02 | $10.26 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $17.15 | $18.24 | $1.09 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $29.20 | $31.06 | $1.86 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $46.55 | $46.55 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $8.95 | $10.17 | $1.22 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Daejeon has 104.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (sigungu level). That is the 6th-highest of 7 South Korea cities we track. South Korea's national figure is 111.9, so Daejeon runs 7 below the country as a whole.
Every South Korea region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Daejeon ranks against every city we track
Daejeon sits ahead of 98% of the 991 cities we track on salary against local costs. On safety it is ahead of 82% of 1016. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 15% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Daejeon sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Daejeon on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Daejeon beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Daejeon in the research deskOr unlock the South Korea deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Jo, CC BY 2.0.
Data updated