Investing in property in South Korea: what to buy and what it costs
Two-bedroom apartment by Hadan metro in western Busan
$130,000
A 59 m² apartment with two bedrooms, a living room with kitchen and an enclosed balcony in a residential complex with parking and security in Saha, western Busan. Hadan metro station and the Dong-A University campus are 10 minutes' walk away, Dadaepo beach 10 minutes by metro. Apartments by the metro here are rented by students, lecturers and workers from the nearby industrial districts.
Two-bedroom apartment in Dalseo by the metro and an industrial park
$160,000
A 59 m² apartment with two bedrooms, a living room with kitchen and a balcony in a residential complex with a playground and parking in Dalseo, south-western Daegu. The metro is 5 minutes' walk away, the Seongseo industrial park and the Keimyung University campus 10-15 minutes. Apartments by the metro here are rented long-term by families of engineers and workers.
Two-bedroom apartment near Seomyeon, the centre of Busan
$180,000
A 59 m² apartment with two bedrooms, a living room with kitchen and a balcony in a residential complex with lifts and parking in Busanjin, next to Seomyeon, Busan's main shopping and business centre. Seomyeon metro interchange is 10 minutes' walk away, Busan station 15 minutes by metro. Apartments here are rented by office workers, doctors from the nearby hospitals and young couples, and they rarely stand empty.
Two-bedroom apartment in Jeju City near the airport
$190,000
A 59 m² apartment with two bedrooms, a living room with kitchen and a balcony with a view of Hallasan mountain in a residential complex in Jeju City, the island's capital. The international airport and the city centre are 15 minutes by car, the sea 10 minutes. Apartments are rented by staff of hotels, travel companies and city offices.
Three-bedroom family apartment in Gwangsan by the high-speed rail station
$220,000
An 84 m² apartment with three bedrooms, a living room with kitchen, two bathrooms and a parking space in a residential complex in Gwangsan, western Gwangju. Gwangju Songjeong station is 10 minutes away, and from there Seoul is about 2 hours by high-speed train; the Hanam industrial complex with electronics plants is 15 minutes away. Family apartments here are rented by engineers and factory staff.
Two-bedroom apartment in Yuseong by the science town
$230,000
A 59 m² apartment with two bedrooms, a living room with kitchen and a balcony in a residential complex in Yuseong, Daejeon's science district with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Chungnam National University and dozens of research institutes. The metro is 5 minutes' walk away, and from Daejeon station Seoul is about an hour by high-speed train. Apartments are rented by researchers, graduate students and lecturers.
Three-bedroom apartment in Nam District, the business centre of Ulsan
$330,000
An 84 m² apartment with three bedrooms, a living room with kitchen, two bathrooms and a balcony in a residential complex in Nam District, the business and shopping centre of Ulsan, Korea's industrial capital with a car plant, shipyards and a petrochemical complex. The plants are 20-30 minutes away by car. Apartments are rented by families of engineers and managers of industrial companies.
Three-bedroom apartment in Sejong by the government complex
$410,000
An 84 m² apartment with three bedrooms, a living room with kitchen, two bathrooms and a balcony in a new residential complex in Sejong, the administrative capital where most of Korea's ministries have moved. The government complex is 10 minutes away by rapid bus, and from Osong station Seoul is about an hour by high-speed train. Apartments are rented by families of civil servants and research institute staff.
What property investors buy in South Korea
Above are the most interesting offers selected by our experts: apartments in residential complexes outside the capital region that a foreigner buys without a permit. A manager will find a property for your requirements.
Apartments for sale in Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan, Sejong and on Jeju - by the metro, universities and factories, prices by district, yield, rules for foreigners and taxes.
A foreigner buys an apartment in South Korea like a Korean buyer: checks the registry, signs the contract, reports the deal to the district office and registers ownership in the court registry. In Seoul, 23 cities and counties of Gyeonggi and most of Incheon a permit and 2 years of living in the apartment are required until 25 August 2027, so apartments to let are bought in Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan, Sejong and on Jeju - no permit is needed there. An average apartment in Busan costs about $280,000, an apartment by the metro in Saha $130,000, an apartment in Daejeon's science district $230,000. An apartment near central Busan lets monthly at about 3.3% a year before tax, and purchase costs are about 2% of the price.
This page covers apartments in 6 cities and on Jeju Island: near central Busan and by the metro in its west, in districts by the factories of Daegu, Gwangju and Ulsan, in Daejeon's science town, in the administrative capital Sejong and in Jeju City. It also covers prices and rents by district, taxes for a foreign owner and the deal process. What is for sale today and the exact price will be confirmed by a manager.
The market in brief
Prices and rules as of 2026.
How much an apartment in South Korea costs in 2026
Apartment prices in Korea differ several times between cities: an average apartment in Seoul costs about $1,100,000, in Busan about $280,000, and in districts of Daegu, Gwangju and western Busan about $200,000. Almost all city housing is apartments in residential complexes with parking, security and playgrounds, so the choice is about the district: by the metro, universities, hospitals and factories apartments let faster. Before the deposit the registry, debts on the apartment and the tenant's contract, if the apartment is let, are checked.
| District | Average apartment | Monthly apartment rent |
|---|---|---|
| Busan, Saha | ~$170,000 | ~$440 |
| Daegu, Dalseo | ~$220,000 | ~$600 |
| Busan, Busanjin | ~$220,000 | ~$530 |
| Jeju, Jeju City | ~$240,000 | ~$630 |
| Gwangju, Gwangsan | ~$200,000 | ~$530 |
| Daejeon, Yuseong | ~$330,000 | ~$740 |
| Ulsan, Nam District | ~$330,000 | ~$680 |
| Sejong | ~$400,000 | ~$700 |
| Busan, average | ~$280,000 | ~$590 |
| Seoul, for comparison | ~$1,100,000 | ~$1,300 |
Average prices and monthly rents of apartments by district for September 2026 from the Korea Real Estate Board; rent excludes the tenant's deposit; dollars at the rate of October 23, 2026, rounded up.
What yield letting gives
The gross yield of a monthly let of an apartment in Busanjin, near central Busan, is about 3.3% a year before tax and costs. In Korea an apartment is let with a deposit: the tenant pays a deposit, usually about 10% of the apartment's price, plus monthly rent, and the deposit is returned on moving out. The yield is calculated on the owner's own money - annual rent divided by the price minus the tenant's deposit. Apartments are let for 1-2 years through a property agency that finds the tenant and draws up the contract.
| Tax | Rate |
|---|---|
| Rental income | on the 6-45% scale plus local tax of 10% of the tax amount, after expenses |
| Property tax | 0.1-0.4% a year of the taxable value, which is below the market price |
| Gain on sale | on the 6-45% scale plus local tax of 10% of the tax amount; 70% on a sale within a year, 60% within 2 years |
| Taking money out | through the foreign exchange bank where the purchase was registered |
Data for 2026: the yield is based on the average price, monthly rent and deposit of apartments in Busanjin; the country comparison is in the rental yield table.
Rental income from an apartment in Korea is taxed in Korea even if the owner does not live there: a return is filed every May for the previous year, and on a sale the tax is paid before the money is transferred abroad.
What costs to add to the property price
| Payment | Amount |
|---|---|
| Acquisition tax | 1% for a price up to 600 million won ($460,000) plus education tax of 0.1% for apartments up to 85 m² |
| Agent's fee | 0.4% of the price for apartments from 200 to 900 million won |
| Registration of ownership | registration specialist's services and registry fees, at the set rates |
| Report to the foreign exchange bank | for a non-resident buyer before the money is transferred |
Data for 2026. For an apartment at 230 million won this is about 2% on top of the price. Korean banks rarely lend to non-residents, so the purchase is planned with your own money, and its origin is confirmed at the foreign exchange bank. The total for a specific property is calculated by a manager.
In Korea the registry, the tenant's deposit and the permit zone are checked before the deposit
Mistakes cost more than the tax: an apartment in the permit zone where you have to live yourself for 2 years, a tenant's deposit that passes to the new owner on purchase, debts and seizures in the registry, money that did not come through a foreign exchange bank, without which the sale proceeds cannot later be taken abroad. Murblz support removes these risks: we find an apartment for the budget and goal, check the registry and the tenant's contract, prepare the report to the foreign exchange bank, calculate the taxes and take the deal through to registration.
The cost of support depends on the purchase budget and the goal - investment, a home for your children's studies or for yourself; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
Does buying give a residence permit
Buying an ordinary apartment does not give a residence permit in Korea. On Jeju an investment from 1 billion won ($760,000) in approved resort properties - condominiums and serviced apartments in tourist zones - gives a residence permit, and after 5 years permanent residence; the programme runs until 31 December 2027.
A foreigner becomes the owner without a visa and without travelling to the country: a representative signs the contract under an apostilled power of attorney, the money arrives through a foreign exchange bank, and ownership is recorded in the district court registry.
How we select a property
- Budget and goal: investment, a home for your children's studies or for yourself. A manager checks whether the city falls within the permit zone.
- A selection of real properties: apartments with the seller's price, complex maintenance costs, the tenant's deposit and rent and a yield calculation.
- Checks before the deposit: the registry of the owner and debts, the tenant's contract and deposit amount, the purchase report at the foreign exchange bank.
- A remote deal: contract and a deposit of about 10% of the price, the deal report to the district office within 30 days, acquisition tax and registration.
The manager sends the selection to the chat, with sellers' prices as of the selection date.
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More on buying in this country:
- Property in South Korea for foreigners: rules, taxes and the deal
- How to buy an apartment in South Korea
- How to get residency in South Korea
- Taxes in South Korea
- Busan: what to see and whether to move there
- Seoul: what to see and whether to move there
- South Korea: all programs
All countries and budgets compared - on the page Investment property abroad.
FAQ
How much does an apartment in South Korea cost in 2026?
Can foreigners buy property in South Korea?
Does buying property give a residence permit in South Korea?
What yield does letting an apartment in South Korea give?
What taxes does a foreigner pay when buying a home in South Korea?
Is the sale of an apartment in South Korea taxed?
Which city in Korea to buy an apartment in for investment?
Can you buy an apartment in South Korea remotely?
Don’t want to figure this out alone?
We handle the whole process end to end: we shortlist properties for your goal, run legal checks and support the deal through to registration. Ask your question in the chat: the free consultation starts right here. Legal representation before authorities and courts is handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.
The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.
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