Hi there! This is Daria speaking 🙂

Today I came back with a very important topic (as usual), which is finding accommodation in Korea. 

Well, the first thing that one needs to start with when trying to find a place to live is considering how much money you’re ready to leave as a deposit. Deposits in Korea are quite high and they may start from 1.000.000 won (~$750) for a small studio that is rented for 3 months, located far away from the city centre (it’s a real price that my friend paid). It can go up to 10.000.000 won (~$7500) and higher if you want to live in a bigger place with a long-term contract closer to the city centre. 

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When it comes to Gyeonggi-do (the area around Seoul. For example, Suwon-si, Seongnam-si, etc.), prices are smaller. In my opinion, you can find a decent place there with a deposit of around 5.000.000 ($3750).  

"But Daria, what if I don’t have any money for the deposit? I cannot go to Korea?:’("

Do not worry, there is an option for you as well! Places with no deposit exist - they are called "goshiwon" or "goshitel" (고시원 or 고시텔 in Korean).

Such places usually only have a monthly payment. However, the tricky thing is - they are very small. I mean, VERY small. Some don’t even have a window (but there are a lot of options with a window). Moreover, you will have to share a kitchen and washing machines with others. Some rooms do not have a bathroom as well, which is a good thing if you want to spend less money and a bad thing if you want more privacy.

Talking about the monthly payment, I would say that it is usually around 500.000 won ($375) a month, but it is going to depend on the area and the amount of deposit.

Here are websites where you can look for an apartment: https://land.naver.com/, https://www.zigbang.com/.
You can also search for goshiwons on the Naver map and visit the ones that you like.

Accommodation search is a bit of a quest here, but it is possible to find a good place! I wish you the best of luck!