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Living in 광주시

광주시 is a city in South Korea. The city covered 431 km² in 2020. Population density was 922.5 people per km² in 2024. The unemployment rate was 4.2% at the end of 2025. The annual mean temperature estimate was 12.2°C at the end of 2024. In June 2026, 광주시 had a population of 399,111.

Which South Korea-wide rules apply when you move to 광주시?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in South KoreaNational rates and thresholds that apply in 광주시.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

The housing-vacancy rate was 6.41% at the end of 2024.

No city-level rent figure is published for 광주시. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month4 published recurring costs, € per month
광주시 recurring monthly costs, € per month€689Private kindergarten€105Utilities, 85 m² flat€47Fitness club€24Internet, 60 Mbps€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly47.15 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited23.58 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly689.2 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant5.08 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home104.8 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v221Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings146,434 dwellings31 Dec 2024DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality7Official
Housing Vacancy Rate Percent6.41 %31 Dec 2024DT_1JU1512 2024 vacant housing units by municipality8Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in 광주시?

The unemployment rate is 4.2 % (2025). Source: 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators2

Unemployment across cities in South KoreaUnemployment in 광주시 is 4.2%. Of 218 cities with data, 34 have unemployment of 0.5 to under 1%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in South Korea per band13 cities: 0% to under 0.5%130–0.534 cities: 0.5% to under 1%340.5–116 cities: 1% to under 1.5%161–1.520 cities: 1.5% to under 2%201.5–215 cities: 2% to under 2.5%152–2.527 cities: 2.5% to under 3%272.5–327 cities: 3% to under 3.5%273–3.532 cities: 3.5% to under 4%323.5–418 cities: 4% to under 4.5%184–4.5광주시 4.2%11 cities: 4.5% to under 5%114.5–53 cities: 5% to under 5.5%35–5.52 cities: 5.5% to under 6%25.5–6

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate4.2 %country median 2.7%31 Dec 20252025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators2Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to 광주시. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Work24 public employment service — Public employment service

Ministry of Employment and Labor, Republic of Korea

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the South Korea service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in 광주시. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
School Count57 schools21 Jul 2026Schoolinfo official open-data callback response18Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Doctors per 1,000 residents1.5 per 1,00031 Dec 2024KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors_per_100010Official
Hospital Beds Per 100k540 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital_beds_per_100k11Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in 광주시 under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Doctors per 1,000 residents1.5 per 1,000Verified 2026-07-21
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for 광주시. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Early Adaptation Program — Newcomer Adaptation

Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service

For newly arrived foreign residents, international students, workers, marriage migrants.

KoreanIn Person
Open official information

Social Integration Program (KIIP) — Integration course

Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service

For foreign residents in Korea, people within three years of naturalization.

KoreanIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full South Korea section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in 광주시.

Climate and air quality

The annual precipitation estimate was 1,480.1 mm at the end of 2024. Annual PM2.5 was 17 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in 광주시?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 17 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: 2024 Air Environment Annual Report — Appendix 1.3 city annual concentrations1

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
광주시 average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°0°10°20°30°40°JFMAMJJASOND30°-9°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
광주시 average monthly precipitation, mm01052103154201728387394134409331145474621JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
광주시 average monthly sunshine, hours060120180240173177207212231207150171181192154161JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
광주시 annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52517.0PM2.5154034.0PM10µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in South KoreaAnnual PM2.5 in 광주시 is 17.0 µg/m³. Of 234 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 17 to under 18 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in South Korea per band3 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³39–105 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³510–116 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³611–1217 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³1712–1332 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³3213–1425 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³2514–1527 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³2715–1624 cities: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³2416–1746 cities: 17 µg/m³ to under 18 µg/m³4617–18광주시 17.028 cities: 18 µg/m³ to under 19 µg/m³2818–199 cities: 19 µg/m³ to under 20 µg/m³919–207 cities: 20 µg/m³ to under 21 µg/m³720–214 cities: 21 µg/m³ to under 22 µg/m³421–221 city: 22 µg/m³ to under 23 µg/m³122–23

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM10 — annual mean34 µg/m³country median 30.031 Dec 20242024 Air Environment Annual Report — Appendix 1.3 city annual concentrations1Official
PM2.5 — annual mean17 µg/m³country median 16.031 Dec 20242024 Air Environment Annual Report — Appendix 1.3 city annual concentrations1Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 2.3 · Feb 5.6 · Mar 11.9 · Apr 19.2 · May 24.5 · Jun 28.3 · Jul 29.6 · Aug 30.3 · Sep 26.2 · Oct 20.2 · Nov 11.9 · Dec 4.1 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Yangpyeong_47202.csv20Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -8.6 · Feb -6.1 · Mar -0.7 · Apr 5.1 · May 11.2 · Jun 16.9 · Jul 21.2 · Aug 21.3 · Sep 15.4 · Oct 7.6 · Nov 0.6 · Dec -6 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Yangpyeong_47202.csv20Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan -3.4 · Feb -0.5 · Mar 5.4 · Apr 12 · May 17.6 · Jun 22.2 · Jul 24.9 · Aug 25.2 · Sep 20 · Oct 13 · Nov 5.7 · Dec -1.3 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Yangpyeong_47202.csv20Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 17.2 · Feb 28 · Mar 38 · Apr 72.5 · May 94.4 · Jun 134.2 · Jul 409 · Aug 330.9 · Sep 144.5 · Oct 47.1 · Nov 46.4 · Dec 21.4 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Yangpyeong_47202.csv20Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 173.2 · Feb 177.2 · Mar 206.5 · Apr 212.2 · May 230.8 · Jun 207.1 · Jul 150.3 · Aug 170.9 · Sep 181.2 · Oct 191.6 · Nov 154 · Dec 160.9 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Yangpyeong_47202.csv20Official · nearest-station reading
Annual mean temperature12.21 °C31 Dec 2024NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Precipitation Annual Mm1,480 mm31 Dec 2024NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context

Cities of a similar size in South Korea

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All South Korea cities
서북구402,529 residents구미시402,726 residentsbuggu406,915 residents세종특별자치시390,923 residents수성구408,147 residents연수구410,290 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in 광주시?

The published population was 399,111 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 202612

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
광주시 residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport96.1%Foreign residents 3.9%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents554.7 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu17Official
City area431 km²2020Official KOSIS visual statistics, Korea City Statistics, regional area; joined to the archived MOIS/KOSIS si-gun-gu code and name.15Official
Foreign-resident share3.9 %31 Dec 2025Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-319Official
Foreign residents15,412 people31 Mar 2026Registered foreigners by local government, March 202616Official
Population density922.5 people/km²31 Dec 2024Exact si-gun-gu density derived from archived official MOIS/KOSIS resident population and exact official KOSIS area row.15Official
Population Female196,043 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 202613Official
Population Male203,068 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 202613Official
Population399,111 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 202612Official

International community in 광주시

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Citizenship

Persons recorded in the official KOSIS registered-foreigner population table; this is not the total resident population and is not interchangeable with resident citizenship. · 2025

Published groupPeopleShare
계15,502100.0%
베트남2,03113.1%
한국계중국인2,02913.1%
캄보디아1,71811.1%
필리핀1,2177.9%
네팔1,0867.0%
미얀마1,0706.9%
방글라데시1,0496.8%
중국9706.3%
타이(태국)7234.7%
Show 85 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
몽골6804.4%
우즈베키스탄6624.3%
인도네시아4583.0%
스리랑카4402.8%
파키스탄3202.1%
일본1450.9%
러시아(연방)1250.8%
카자흐스탄1200.8%
키르기즈900.6%
라오스840.5%
미국830.5%
타이완(대만)390.3%
인도290.2%
티모르민주공화국(동티모르)230.1%
캐나다220.1%
영국170.1%
한국계러시아인150.1%
오스트레일리아140.1%
말레이시아140.1%
우크라이나130.1%
모로코130.1%
홍콩110.1%
타지키스탄110.1%
프랑스100.1%
독일100.1%
이란100.1%
튀르키예100.1%
예멘공화국100.1%
남아프리카공화국80.1%
가나80.1%
우간다70.0%
이집트60.0%
아프가니스탄60.0%
나이지리아40.0%
에티오피아40.0%
라이베리아40.0%
르완다40.0%
브라질30.0%
이탈리아30.0%
네덜란드30.0%
스페인30.0%
멕시코30.0%
벨기에30.0%
스위스30.0%
알제리30.0%
헝가리30.0%
기타30.0%
뉴질랜드20.0%
싱가포르20.0%
콜롬비아20.0%
오스트리아20.0%
칠레20.0%
과테말라20.0%
세네갈20.0%
부룬디20.0%
말리20.0%
말라위20.0%
아이티20.0%
에리트레아20.0%
아일랜드10.0%
카메룬10.0%
덴마크10.0%
이라크10.0%
핀란드10.0%
벨라루스10.0%
콩고민주공화국10.0%
코트디부아르10.0%
튀니지10.0%
불가리아10.0%
체코10.0%
포르투갈10.0%
베네수엘라10.0%
아르헨티나10.0%
짐바브웨10.0%
투르크메니스탄10.0%
세르비아10.0%
기니10.0%
슬로바크10.0%
가봉10.0%
엘살바도르10.0%
시에라리온10.0%
니카라과10.0%
보츠와나10.0%
북마케도니아10.0%
코모로10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source19

Is 광주시 a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker51%strong on work, weak on safety · range 41–61%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–73%
Student60%strong on education, weak on safety · range 51–69%
Family59%strong on family, weak on safety · range 49–69%
Retirement44%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 33–55%
Foreign residents15,412 people31 Mar 2026Official source · Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026
Population399,111 people30 Jun 2026Official source · MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026
Dwellings146,434 dwellings31 Dec 2024Official source · DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality
Unemployment rate4.2 %31 Dec 2025Official source · 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators
PM10 — annual mean34 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · 2024 Air Environment Annual Report — Appendix 1.3 city annual concentrations
PM2.5 — annual mean17 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · 2024 Air Environment Annual Report — Appendix 1.3 city annual concentrations
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-07-31

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households177,343 households30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 202613Official

Is 광주시 part of Seoul?

광주시 is near Seoul, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 32.5 km away by straight-line distance.

Relationship type: Nearby Independent Place. Source22

Which comparable places record less crime than 광주시?

23 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than 광주시 in this strictly source-matched cohort.

광주시: 2,856.8 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents (2024).

노원구 — 2,056.8 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024과천시 — 2,064.9 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024성북구 — 2,133.7 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024도봉구 — 2,140.1 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024의왕시 — 2,185.6 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024안양시 — 2,323.7 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024서대문구 — 2,356 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024양천구 — 2,364.4 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024

Only the same source family, offence definition, period, grain and denominator method are compared. This is recorded crime, not a claim about personal safety. Official source5

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in 광주시?

The published population was 399,111 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026.

Is the air quality good in 광주시?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 17 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: 2024 Air Environment Annual Report — Appendix 1.3 city annual concentrations.

What is the unemployment rate in 광주시?

The unemployment rate is 4.2 % (2025). Source: 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators.

How many foreign residents live in 광주시?

15,412 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026.

Is 광주시 a good place to live?

광주시 may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Is 광주시 part of Seoul?

광주시 is near Seoul, but the collected evidence does not establish that it is administratively part of the hub or an official satellite. It is about 32.5 km away by straight-line distance.

How many people are in the 지부티 citizenship group in 광주시?

The official citizenship distribution records 0 people (0.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Which comparable places record less crime than 광주시?

23 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than 광주시 in this strictly source-matched cohort. The comparison uses Korean National Police Agency regional crime occurrence CSV 2024 + 2024 Registered Census population, period 2024, and does not compare across incompatible police definitions.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). 광주시, South Korea: cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/gwangjusi/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_south-korea-cost-of-living-jobs_56b4b3f28515,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {광주시, South Korea: cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/gwangjusi/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[광주시, South Korea: cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/gwangjusi/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. 2024 Air Environment Annual Report — Appendix 1.3 city annual concentrations 2024 Air Environment Annual Report · airkorea.or.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  2. 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey · korea.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  3. census.go.kr recorded crime data census.go.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  4. census.go.kr recorded crime data census.go.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  5. data.go.kr recorded crime data data.go.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  6. data.go.kr recorded crime data data.go.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  7. DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  8. DT_1JU1512 2024 vacant housing units by municipality kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  9. Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-31 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  10. KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors_per_1000 kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
Show 12 more sources
  1. KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital_beds_per_100k kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  2. MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  3. MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  4. NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-07-22
  5. Official KOSIS visual statistics, Korea City Statistics, regional area; joined to the archived MOIS/KOSIS si-gun-gu code and name. kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-15
  6. Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  7. Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu stat.molit.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  8. Schoolinfo official open-data callback response schoolinfo.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  9. Statistics Korea / KOSIS citizenship distribution kosis.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  10. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Yangpyeong_47202.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
  11. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  12. wikidata.org place coordinates wikidata.org · checked 2026-08-28

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.