What It’s Like Living in Daegu, South Korea

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After calling Daegu home for two years, you could say I know a thing or two about what it’s like living there!

Before I moved to Daegu to start my new job teaching English with EPIK, I scoured the interwebs for any information about what living in Daegu was like. Even though Daegu is a pretty large city, finding decent information about it online was surprisingly difficult.

Cue panic mode where I began to question whether there was actually any fun things to do in Daegu! But after spending two years in South Korea’s hottest city, I now know a thing or two.

And with a growing fabulous expat community and an up and coming wave of delicious restaurants, cafes, bars, and more – I think the quality of life in Daegu is pretty great, and getting better every day. After Seoul and Busan, I dare say that Daegu may even be one of the best places to live in South Korea!

So if you’re headed to Daegu, here is a list of some pros and cons sharing what it’s like living in Daegu. No place is perfect, but life in Daegu has treated me pretty well and I think it can do the same for you.

Is Daegu Dangerous?

A common question I’ve seen online and have been asked myself is if Daegu is a dangerous place (who is Googling “is Daegu the hood?” ?!) and I can say with absolutely certainty – no! Daegu is totally safe. South Korea in general has some of the lowest crime rates in the world and it’s no different in Daegu.

However, no place is totally crime free and of course Daegu and Korea have their issues. But as a new expat moving to the country, you don’t have to worry any more than you would at home. I often walked home alone at night drunk and was never bothered.

What is Daegu Known For? The Pros and Cons of Teaching in Daegu

It’s hard to summarize what life is like in Daegu via a simple pros and cons list, but here we are. If you’re moving to South Korea and about to start teaching in Daegu, here’s what you should know.

Pros of Living in Daegu, South Korea

There’s a decently sized expat community.

As a fairly big city, Daegu is home to a good amount of expats. People come to Daegu to work as English teachers through EPIK and Hagwons, the American military (there are a few bases here), international universities and more.

This large community makes it really easy to make new friends who speak the same language as you. It also means there are so many different clubs, events, groups, communities, resources etc. to join and take advantage of.

Some include but aren’t limited to – ROKU Ultimate Frisbee Club, Daegu Fight Club, Good Eats in Daegu Facebook Page, Daegu Theater Troupe, etc. All have pages on Facebook and are a great way to meet people, discover what’s good, and have a fun time in Daegu.

Daegu is centrally located in the country.

Being centrally located makes it fairly easy to travel around the rest of the country. Seoul is about 1 hour and 45 minutes on the fast train and Busan is about 50 minutes.

Living in Daegu means you have numerous day and weekend trips around Korea right at your fingertips. And since Daegu is also a major city in the country, the network of national trains and buses is very comprehensive and convenient.

Public transportation is plentiful and makes it easy to get around the city

Even if you live in a more rural part of the city, Daegu has phenomenal public transportation making it convenient to get around to the different neighborhoods and downtown. There are numerous bus lines and three metro lines – with a fourth on the way – for ease.

The cost of living in Daegu is affordable.

For how big of a city Daegu is, the cost of living is actually pretty affordable. Especially in comparison to Seoul, which is very expensive and one of the most expensive cities in the world! In Daegu, you can enjoy the perks of a big city without the hefty price tag.

ALSO! If you’re an English teacher with the EPIK program, one of the biggest perks is free accommodation which makes living in Korea even more affordable.

Using data from Numbeo, here’s a brief summary of general expenses in Daegu (very roughly, ₩1,000 = >$1):

• Inexpensive meal out: ₩7,000
• Meal out for two: ₩32,000
• Bottle of water: ₩871
• A beer: ₩3,500
• 15 minute taxi ride: ~₩7,500 – ₩11,000
• Monthly Rent 1-bedroom: ₩250,000 – ₩500,000

There are mountains surrounding the city.

For those who enjoy hiking and nature, escaping the city streets is super easy in Daegu as the city is surrounded by fabulous hiking trails. The famous Palgong Mountain and Gatbawi statue lie to the north of the city, while Apsan and Biseul Mountain are to the south. Not to mention the other smaller trails and awesome hiking in Daegu.

There is an international airport with budget flights to Jeju, Hong Kong, Philippines, Japan and more.

The airport in Daegu can be a mega pro as it means not having to make the trek all the way to Busan or Seoul when traveling internationally. The only caveat however, is that the airport in Daegu is small.

This means the destinations, flight times and availability are limited and may not always work well with your schedule. Even so, living in a city that is big enough to have an airport provides all the more travel options.

Air pollution isn’t as much of an issue in Daegu as Seoul.

Compared to the capital city where pollution is an increasingly growing problem, Daegu’s position in the southern part of the country means that the pollution isn’t as bad as it is in Seoul. Pollution is definitely still an issue here, but there are far fewer extravagantly bad days in Daegu.

It’s Korea’s fourth-largest city.

With a population of 2.5 million people, Daegu comes in as one of Korea’s largest cities. Of all the job placements and rural towns you could live around the country, you could do worse if city life is a must for you.

Daegu is a great compromise to Seoul or Busan, which can be competitive or difficult to find a decent job. Not to mention there are actually some decently fun things to do in Daegu!

Cons of Living in Daegu, South Korea

Daegu is known as the most conservative city in Korea.

Compared to Seoul, Daegu is a conservative city. There isn’t as much diversity or multiculturalism here so traditional values are still widely held. As a westerner living in Daegu, you need to often think about what you wear in public and to work, if your tattoos or piercings are showing, your formal manners, if this bar or club will let you enter (yes, some places won’t let you in if you’re a foreigner) and more.

Of course this is not necessarily true in every scenario in Daegu. But with older Koreans and coworkers, it’s just something to keep top of mind when going about your life here. For some people, this can be one of the most difficult things to cope with when living in Daegu.

Locals speak less English and are less used to foreigners.

Although there is a decent expat community in Daegu, there are still far fewer foreigners living here compared to Seoul. This means people are less likely to speak English and may not be used to seeing foreigners casually walking around.

It can be an endearing experience chatting or attempting to chat with someone who speaks zero English, but it also means you may receive a lot of stares and attention when wandering around the smaller neighborhoods of the city.

Daegu is pretty big and spread out – with only one major downtown area.

Unlike Seoul that boasts numerous fun and interesting neighborhoods, Daegu really only has the one downtown area. So depending on where you work and live, you could be far from fun things to do or decent shopping. I live about a 45 minute bus ride away from downtown, and I have friends who live more than an hour from downtown! Not such a fun commute.

It’s the hottest city in Korea.

Daegu has the nickname of Daefrica (Daegu + Africa) because of it’s infamously hot and humid summers. It gets so hot here, that you only merely need to step outside and you’ll instantly begin to sweat. This characteristic does come in handy in the winter however, as it doesn’t get as cold here as it does in Seoul and the north!

Daegu is not Seoul.

Simple as that. As big and up and coming as Daegu is, it just isn’t Seoul. It lacks the character, vibrancy and hip vibes of Seoul. Korea’s capital city has so much more going on and boasts a better creative art scene and open-minded attitude.

It’s just easier to be a foreigner in Seoul and to meet other like-minded people. So while I would have preferred to live in Seoul – as I think 90% of expats do when moving to Korea –  living in Daegu gives me an opportunity to experience the best of Korean life; westernized city amenities with close access to rural life.

All in all though, it’s all about what you make of a place. I loved my time in Daegu.  

Are you ready to move to Daegu?! Let me know down below!