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daegu salary reality check: is grinding here even worth paying rent?

@Ethan Hunt2/8/2026blog

okay, so i'm not supposed to be doing this, but i pulled up daegu's average salary data on my phone while waiting for the subway, and it's a hot mess. as a former consultant-yeah, i used to tell companies how to cut costs, now i'm here trying to figure out if my own paycheck covers rent in this city. spoiler: it doesn't feel like it. my spreadsheet (old habits die hard) says average monthly salary is about 2.8 million won. sounds solid until you see rent: a one-bedroom in daegu proper? 600,000 to 800,000 won easy. that's 20-30% gone before you even buy rice. add utilities (another 100,000 won), food (if you cook, maybe 300,000; if you eat out, 500,000+), and transport (subway card, 50,000 won). i'm left with maybe 1 million won for everything else-clothes, emergencies, soju. and don't get me started on the hidden costs like that mandatory national pension or health insurance. it's a gray-area nightmare.

and the weather! it's july, and the humidity here is like a wet blanket you can't shake off. sticky, you know? i walked outside and immediately regretted not bringing a second shirt. daegu's summers are no joke-hot, humid, and the air smells... industrial? maybe from all the factories in the west. but last week, yellow dust from china rolled in, and my throat felt like sandpaper. locals just shrug and say 'it's daegu.' like breathing grit is normal. winters? brutal. last year my heater broke, and i wore gloves to type. not ideal for a consultant who needs to send reports.

buses and subways are decent, but if you want to escape, busan's beaches are just a two-hour train ride away. which feels like a luxury when you're breathing in daegu's factory-scented breeze. seoul's a short flight for those high-paying gigs, but then you're back to seoul rents. i talked to a guy at a gogi restaurant last night-freelance graphic designer, makes 2.5 million won, lives in a goshiwon (that's a tiny studio, for the uninitiated) for 400,000 won, eats ramen three nights a week. "is it worth it?" he asked, pouring soju. "i came here for lower rent, but now it's not so low. and the freelance jobs? they're drying up."

over a soju shot, a local teacher muttered: "i teach english for 2.2 million won. my apartment leaks when it rains. worth it?"


that's the vibe. wages aren't terrible compared to seoul, but costs are creeping up. i checked some data-daegu's average rent increased 5% last year while salaries barely budged. safety? south korea is super safe, daegu included. i can walk home at 2 am without looking over my shoulder, which in my book is worth something. but the job market? if you're in tech or finance, you're probably in seoul. daegu's strength is traditional industries-manufacturing, textiles, some healthcare. not exactly booming for digital nomads or consultants like me. i tried to find local consulting gigs, but companies are family-owned and skeptical of outsiders. now i work remote for a seoul firm, which means my schedule's flipped: working nights because of the time difference, sleeping days when construction crews are loud. trade-off city.

i met this street artist near daegu station-weird area, full of murals. he does commissions for 300,000 won a pop, but it's irregular. "sometimes i have money for good coffee, sometimes i eat at convenience stores," he said, pointing to his dragon mural with won symbols. "this city eats artists alive, but i love it anyway. the rent's cheap in the studio i share, but it's illegal. police raided it last month."

a bartender told me, "the young folks are leaving for busan or seoul. those who stay? either stuck or stubborn. or they got a gig at the hospital or factory. stable, but soul-crushing."


and let's talk about food. daegu has amazing street food-tteokbokki, hotteok, and this insane chicken place i found on yelp [link to yelp]. but eating out daily? that'll murder your budget. that chicken? 18,000 won for half. i treat myself once a month, and it feels like a victory. i try to cook, but after a 12-hour day (even if remote), i just want jjigae from a pojangmacha. and those add up fast. i've been lurking on r/korea [link to reddit thread] and there's this debate about daegu vs daejeon for cost of living. daegu wins on rent, but daejeon has more tech jobs. tripadvisor's list of underrated daegu attractions [link] is mostly free parks and markets, which is good for dates that don't cost 100,000 won.

my neighbor, a retired nurse, warned me: "don't believe the cheap rent ads. they're for rooms without windows. literal dungeon vibes. i saw one for 300,000 won-it was a basement with mold. you get what you pay for."


so are wages worth the costs? depends on what you value. if you want peace, space, and a slower pace, daegu's great. but if you want career growth and high pay, you'll feel the squeeze. i'm still here because i got a remote gig, but even then, the internet's spotty in some areas-try video calls with buffering. and the community? there's an expat facebook group that's half helpful, half drama. i found a language exchange at a coffee shop, but the snobs there judged my korean. not exactly welcoming.

anyway, i'm going to grab some jjigae. maybe if i drink enough soju, the numbers will make sense. or maybe i'll just accept that most of us are just trying to survive, daegu or not.


see that map? daegu's stuck between busan's ocean and seoul's frenzy. a flyover state in korea, some call it. these photos from unsplash? the first one shows the city skyline-all concrete and patience, with those apartment blocks that look like beige fortresses. the second's an aerial view, makes it look organized, but from the ground, it's chaotic alleys, neon signs, and markets spilling onto streets. kind of like my life here: messy but somehow holding together.

final thought: daegu's average salary might cover basics if you're frugal-think goshiwon, cup ramen, no savings-but 'worth it' is personal. for me, i'm debating a move to busan for the sea air. but that's a commute, and i hate traffic. plus, busan rents are catching up. maybe i'll just learn to love the humidity and the leaky apartments. or maybe i'll finally demand a raise from my seoul clients. decisions, decisions, all while sweating through my shirt.

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About the author: Ethan Hunt

Advocate for mindful living in a digital age.

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