The rent is the same for everyone. What Korean students know — and you don't yet — is where to search, what the words mean, and how not to get scammed. Here's the whole system.
Forget Google. Koreans find rooms on three apps. All are in Korean — use your phone's translator, or ask a student guide to search with you.
| App | What it is |
|---|---|
| 직방 Zigbang | The biggest room-listing app. Photos, price, location, virtual tours. Start here. |
| 다방 Dabang | Second-biggest, similar to Zigbang. Cross-check listings — same room can be on both. |
| 네이버 부동산 Naver Real Estate | Most accurate prices; used by serious renters and realtors. Fewer scams. |
For your first place, most students skip apps entirely and take the university dormitory or a goshiwon for a few months — then find a proper room once they know the city and have an ARC.
| Type | Cost (Seoul, rough) | For who |
|---|---|---|
| 기숙사 Dormitory | ₩300k–600k/mo | Easiest first option. Apply early — spots run out. |
| 고시원 Goshiwon | ₩300k–500k/mo, tiny, often no deposit | Cheapest, smallest. Good landing pad for month 1–3. |
| 원룸 One-room (studio) | Deposit ₩5–10M + ₩400k–700k/mo | Most students after the first semester. |
| 셰어하우스 Share house | ₩400k–600k/mo, low deposit | Social, furnished, English-friendly operators exist. |
A lump sum you pay up front and get back when you leave. For a one-room it's often ₩5–10 million. Bigger deposit = lower monthly rent.
A small deposit + monthly payment. This is what almost every student uses.
You hand the landlord a huge deposit (tens of thousands of dollars) and pay no monthly rent; you get it all back at the end. Rare for students — you usually won't use this.
₩50k–150k/month on top of rent, for water/cleaning/internet/elevator. Always ask what's included.
Foreigners can legally rent. Two friction points: some landlords hesitate without an ARC (Alien Registration Card), and a Korean contract is, well, in Korean. A licensed realtor (공인중개사) can serve foreigners, and many near big universities are used to it.
Empty room? Koreans buy furniture, appliances, bikes and more secondhand on 당근마켓 Daangn (Karrot) — a hyper-local marketplace where you meet nearby to buy in person, often for a fraction of new prices. Great for a desk, mini-fridge, microwave or fan when you first move in. 번개장터 Bunjang is another big one for electronics. Meet in a public place, check the item before paying.
Viewing in person, a contract in Korean, and a deposit of millions of won — this is the moment most students wish they weren't alone. A verified student who's done it can come with you.
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