South Korea
$2500 / month
The weather: Usually in winter, the average temperature is a few degrees below freezing; the sun is quite frequent, and a cold wind blows from the Asian continent. During cold periods, the temperature remains below freezing also during the day; in the worst moments, at night it can drop to -20 ° C.
Spring is mild, but the rains gradually increase. The rainiest season, however, is summer, due to the summer monsoon: from June to August more than 800 millimeters of rainfall. The rains can sometimes be torrential. The worst month, wetter and less sunny, is generally July. Whereas, in autumn, the precipitation decreases, and in October the rains are already quite rare.
Internet: South Korea is known for being one of the most connected countries in the world with its highly developed telecommunications network. During your expatriation in South Korea, you will easily get your Internet connection at home and on your mobile phone. In addition, most public places also offer free Wi-Fi to their customers and large cities such as Seoul have connection points scattered everywhere.
Safety: Many people have claimed that it’s ridiculously safe in Seoul, where women can roam around freely at night without being worried about kidnappers and robberies or other crimes. As a result, you are able to be a solo traveler wandering wherever you want as long as you are still conscious enough to not put yourself in danger (knowing where to stand and wait for the subways, for example).
Cost of living: Rents are relatively high as in any big capital as well as gas and electricity. In this regard, most of the heaters are gas and so are the stoves. Korean use Won as their official currency, 1 Korean Won =0.00082952 American Dollar. A dinner costs you an average of $9, which is reasonable. You also need only $4 for a cup of coffee in this liveliest city of Korea.
You will find in Seoul absolutely everything you can buy. The consumer here is king! Most shops and supermarkets are open 24/7. They deliver free of charge, even the small neighborhood convenience store. They all have parking or valet parking. In short, everything is done so that you can spend carefree.
Life at Seoul can be described by 2 words: practical and pleasant. Indeed, despite the vastness of this city, the quality and speed of transport make life particularly pleasant. The metro for example is effective in shaking its Parisian counterpart: always clean, regular, never traffic disruptions. It serves the whole city very well, and, the bus system takes over. A real pleasure to be able to move so easily in a city of this size!
If you want to stay in the heart of the city, then, be aware that most neighborhoods resemble a few details in terms of costs. Indeed, you will not easily find affordable accommodation unless you choose to settle in Gangnam. This district of Seoul is known for its affordable rents and its practical and easily accessible apartments. After careful research, you will be able to find a good deal.
The Itaewon and Haebangchon districts of the Yongsan district are also interesting since they are the districts that have the most foreign residents. However, the latter is less easy to access and the apartments offered there are priced slightly higher than those offered in other districts.
If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city then, opt for the suburbs. You can enjoy nature inthe clean air while enjoying cheaper rent than in the city center. I particularly recommend the province of Gyeonggi and the cities of Bundang, Suwon, ,and Bucheon. These last two are also perfect if you want to immerse yourself in a picturesque setting. As with all medals, you will have to face some disadvantages such as transportation and the nightlife that is almost nonexistent in these small provinces.
Avoid renting an apartment in Insadong (traffic congestion is always an issue), or even the business districts like Myeongdong or Songpa, because once the shopping centers and towers close, the district will be like dead. Itaewon is also in the list, since it is a rather noisy area and the night activities are quite particular, there are fights that break out almost every evening.
At the FREE co-working spaces like:
Seoul global startup center
Global Internship
Google’s space for startups
Seoul global center
Seoul Global Business Center Free Incubation
Or at some of the beautiful cafes in the areas:
Paul Bassett
TOM N TOMS cafe
Cafe bridge
My workspace
And many more!