Stays
Tourist or workation? Find your perfect Korean base
Short-stay pricing and long-stay contracts are two different games in Korea — deposits, visa rules and monthly costs change completely once you cross 90 days. Here's the honest breakdown.
Tourist — 1 to 90 days
Hotels, hanok guesthouses and serviced apartments — book by the night with free cancellation and zero deposit.
- Hotels ₩100k–300k/night, hanok & guesthouses ₩60k–120k/night
- Free cancellation on Agoda & Booking.com member rates
- Fully furnished with utilities and Wi-Fi included
- K-ETA or visa-free entry — no extra paperwork
Workation — 1 to 36 months
Officetels, deposit-free co-living and goshiwon for remote workers on the F-1-D workation visa.
- Officetel ₩0.6M–1.2M/month, co-living ₩0.7M–1.1M/month, goshiwon ₩350k–600k/month
- F-1-D visa: stay up to 36 months with up to 30 hrs/week of work
- Deposit-free co-living rooms beat ₩5M–10M key money
- Register your address at immigration within 14 days of moving
The 90-day line, side by side
Everything that changes when a trip becomes a residence.
| Compare | Tourist (1–90 days) | Workation (1–36 months) |
|---|---|---|
| Length of stay | 1–90 nights — book by the night, cancel freely | 1–36 months — contract with 1–2 months' notice |
| Typical cost (Seoul) | Hotels ₩100k–300k/night; hanok & guesthouses ₩60k–120k/night | Officetel ₩0.6M–1.2M/month; co-living ₩0.7M–1.1M/month; goshiwon ₩350k–600k/month |
| Deposit | Credit-card hold only — no key money | ₩0–10M key money, or deposit-free co-living rooms |
| Where to book | Agoda, Booking.com, Airbnb — compare both for member rates | Local realtors, Zigbang & Dabang apps, or book co-living directly |
| Furnishings & utilities | Fully furnished, utilities and Wi-Fi included | Officetels usually furnished; budget ₩80k–150k/month for utilities |
| Internet | Hotel Wi-Fi plus your travel eSIM | KT/LG gigabit fiber ≈ ₩25k/month, often free in co-living |
| Visa | K-ETA or visa-free entry covers most tourists | F-1-D workation visa — income requirement, up to 30 hrs/week work allowed |
| Pro tip | Stay near an AREX station for a painless arrival night | Register your new address at the immigration office within 14 days of moving |
Length of stay
1–90 nights — book by the night, cancel freely
1–36 months — contract with 1–2 months' notice
Typical cost (Seoul)
Hotels ₩100k–300k/night; hanok & guesthouses ₩60k–120k/night
Officetel ₩0.6M–1.2M/month; co-living ₩0.7M–1.1M/month; goshiwon ₩350k–600k/month
Deposit
Credit-card hold only — no key money
₩0–10M key money, or deposit-free co-living rooms
Where to book
Agoda, Booking.com, Airbnb — compare both for member rates
Local realtors, Zigbang & Dabang apps, or book co-living directly
Furnishings & utilities
Fully furnished, utilities and Wi-Fi included
Officetels usually furnished; budget ₩80k–150k/month for utilities
Internet
Hotel Wi-Fi plus your travel eSIM
KT/LG gigabit fiber ≈ ₩25k/month, often free in co-living
Visa
K-ETA or visa-free entry covers most tourists
F-1-D workation visa — income requirement, up to 30 hrs/week work allowed
Pro tip
Stay near an AREX station for a painless arrival night
Register your new address at the immigration office within 14 days of moving
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