The same mid-size apartment on jeonse runs about 800 million won in Gangnam, 600 million in Bundang, and the high 400 millions in Busan's Haeundae. Nearly double across cities — which is why the city has to be settled before the budget is.
City by city
- Seoul — studio wolse around a 10 million won deposit plus 500,000 to 800,000 a month. The best infrastructure and expat community, and the highest prices
- Gyeonggi (Bundang, Ilsan, Gwanggyo) — cheaper as a Seoul suburb, and the new towns have good transit
- Busan — high-400-million jeonse for a mid-size unit in Haeundae, studio wolse around 350,000 a month
The gap between a Seoul studio and a Busan one is, month after month, simply what you have left over.
Where foreign residents cluster in Seoul
Itaewon and Hannam, Haebangchon, Yeonnam and Hongdae, Gangnam and Samseong-dong, Mapo and Hapjeong. How much English you will hear, and how dense the community is, differ between them.
What price alone hides
For the same budget, size and commute vary sharply by city and neighbourhood. Saving 200,000 won a month and adding an hour a day to your commute may not be a saving at all. Weigh the two together.
What leaves your account besides deposit and rent
A budget built from deposit and rent alone falls short. The brokerage fee and the move itself come out in one go at the start, and after that maintenance fees and utilities arrive every month on top of the rent. Compare cities on the figure that includes them.
The order to decide in
- Where you work or study — that settles the city
- Your ceiling on commuting time
- The deposit-and-rent combination that fits both
Price tables for jeonse and wolse, plus foreigner-friendliness and transit by area, are on the WeBring blog.