City Guide · Statistics Korea (2023)

Gyeonggi Province

Home to 37.1% of all foreign workers in Korea — the single largest concentration. Lower cost than Seoul with direct access to Samsung, SK, LG, and Hyundai campuses.

#1 region for foreign workersLower cost than SeoulBest: manufacturing + IT balance

Cost of Living Snapshot

Monthly living expenses (avg)

₩1,910,000

Studio apartment rent

₩400,000–600,000/mo

1-bedroom apartment

₩600,000–900,000/mo

Meal (local restaurant)

₩7,000–10,000

Savings vs Seoul (same salary)

+₩400,000/mo

Foreign workers (2025)

102,895 (37.1%)

Source: Statistics Korea 1-person private consumption expenditure (2023). Rent figures are estimates.

₩40M Salary: Gyeonggi vs Seoul

Seoul

Monthly expenses

₩2,310,000

Monthly disposable

≈ ₩350,000

Gyeonggi

Monthly expenses

₩1,910,000

Monthly disposable

≈ ₩760,000

→ Same salary, same job — but Gyeonggi leaves you with 2× more per month.

Key Cities in Gyeonggi

Seongnam (Pangyo)

IT Hub

Pangyo Techno Valley — Korea's top IT cluster. Kakao, Naver, Krafton. Easy subway access to Gangnam (20 min). Premium area with higher rents.

Suwon

Samsung City

Samsung Electronics headquarters and major campus. Semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. Well-developed city with good transport.

Hwaseong / Pyeongtaek

Manufacturing

Samsung semiconductor fabs, global logistics hubs, and Hyundai Motor. Lower cost, high manufacturing employment.

Goyang / Ilsan

Seoul Adjacent

Directly north of Seoul (GTX-A connected). Lower cost than Seoul with easy access. Media and service industries.

Ansan

Diverse Community

One of Korea's most multicultural cities. Large foreign worker community, manufacturing-focused. Very affordable.

Job Market

  • →37.1% of all foreign workers in Korea are in Gyeonggi — the highest of any region (Ministry of Justice, 2025)
  • →Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor Research Institute all have major Gyeonggi operations
  • →Manufacturing (semiconductors, automotive, electronics) is the dominant industry
  • →IT sector concentrated in Pangyo — comparable to Seoul in terms of company quality
  • →E-9 workers: Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, and Ansan have large manufacturing employment
  • →Most Gyeonggi cities have subway or fast rail connections to Seoul — commuting is common

💡 Best for

Gyeonggi is the best overall choice for most foreign professionals — it combines the highest job density, proximity to Seoul, and significantly lower living costs. Particularly strong for IT (Pangyo), semiconductor/manufacturing (Suwon, Hwaseong), and E-9 workers (Ansan, Hwaseong).

Calculate Take-Home →Seoul Guide →

Data: Statistics Korea (2023), Ministry of Justice foreign worker statistics (2025 Q3).