Living in Taebaek-si

In Taebaek-si, tenants pay an average rent of €253 a month (2026) and unemployment is 0.5% (2025).

Annual PM2.5 was 9.62 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The city covered 303.5 km² in 2020. Population density was 125 people per km² in 2024. The annual mean temperature estimate was 10.7°C at the end of 2024. The annual precipitation estimate was 1,353.2 mm at the end of 2024. The unemployment rate was 0.5% at the end of 2025. The housing-vacancy rate was 20.1% at the end of 2024. 태백시 had a population of 36,811 in June 2026.

Last checked 2026-10-0720 sources

Population36,811people30 Jun 2026Official source · MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026

Average rent253.3EUR/month31 Aug 2026Official source · (월) 평균월세가격_아파트

Unemployment rate0.5%country median 2.7% — 81% belowOfficial source · KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate

Recorded crime2,990incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2024Regional figureOfficial source · KOSIS e-Regional Indicators; population-adjusted crime rate by city/province (Table DT_1YL3001)

PM2.5, annual mean9.62µg/m³country median 16.0 — 40% belowOfficial source · Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations

Lower unemployment than 96% of South Korean cities that publish it and cleaner air than any other South Korean city that publishes it.

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

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 Taebaek-si.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

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

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€32

Mobile plan, 10 GB€29

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	31.8 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	KT 100 Mbps internet¹⁰Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	28.91 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	KT mobile data plan¹¹Official · national market
Dwellings	21,880 dwellings	31 Dec 2024	DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality³Official
Housing vacancy rate	20.1 %	31 Dec 2024	DT_1JU1512 2024 vacant housing units by municipality⁴Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	253.3 EUR/month	31 Aug 2026	(월) 평균월세가격_아파트¹Official

Is Taebaek-si 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 worker59%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 49–69%

Skilled employee70%strong on work, weak on safety · range 61–79%

Student37%strong on cost, weak on work · range 28–46%

Family53%strong on family, weak on cost · range 43–63%

Retirement46%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 35–57%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in 태백시?

The unemployment rate is 0.5 % (2025). Source: KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate⁹

Unemployment across cities in South KoreaUnemployment in Taebaek-si is 0.5%. Of 218 cities with data, 36 have unemployment of 0.5 to under 1%.

0–0.50.5–11–1.51.5–22–2.52.5–33–3.53.5–44–4.54.5–55–5.55.5–6

Taebaek-si 0.5%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Unemployment rate	0.5 %country median 2.7%	31 Dec 2025	KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate⁹Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Taebaek-si. 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 Taebaek-si. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Schools	26 schools	21 Jul 2026	Schoolinfo official open-data callback response¹⁸Official

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Doctors per 1,000 residents	2 per 1,000	31 Dec 2024	KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors per 1000⁷Official
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents	1,110 beds per 100,000	31 Dec 2024	KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital beds per 100k⁸Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Taebaek-si 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 residents2 per 1,000Verified 2026-07-21

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	2,990 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2024	KOSIS e-Regional Indicators; population-adjusted crime rate by city/province (Table DT_1YL3001)⁶Official · regional context

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Taebaek-si. 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 Taebaek-si.

Find courses near Taebaek-si

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in 태백시?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9.6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

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

PM2.5 — annual mean: 9.62 µg/m³ · Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations²

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

1°-10°

3°-8°

8°-3°

15°3°

21°8°

24°13°

26°18°

22°12°

17°5°

10°-1°

3°-7°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

140

274

279

198

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

175

178

203

207

233

193

144

142

147

179

160

170

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.59.6WHO 5 · EU 25

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 Taebaek-si is 9.6 µg/m³. Of 235 cities with data, 47 have annual PM2.5 of 17 to under 18 µg/m³.

9–1010–1111–1212–1313–1414–1515–1616–1717–1818–1919–2020–2121–2222–23

Taebaek-si 9.6

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	9.62 µg/m³country median 16.0	31 Dec 2024	Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations²Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 0.7 · Feb 3.1 · Mar 7.9 · Apr 15.1 · May 20.8 · Jun 24 · Jul 25.9 · Aug 26 · Sep 21.5 · Oct 16.8 · Nov 9.9 · Dec 3 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Taebaek_47216.csv²⁰Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan -9.6 · Feb -7.8 · Mar -2.9 · Apr 2.9 · May 8.4 · Jun 12.9 · Jul 17.7 · Aug 17.7 · Sep 11.7 · Oct 5 · Nov -0.9 · Dec -7.1 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Taebaek_47216.csv²⁰Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan -4.7 · Feb -2.6 · Mar 2.4 · Apr 8.9 · May 14.5 · Jun 18.1 · Jul 21.4 · Aug 21.3 · Sep 16.2 · Oct 10.5 · Nov 4.2 · Dec -2.3 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Taebaek_47216.csv²⁰Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 26.6 · Feb 28.8 · Mar 54.8 · Apr 85.8 · May 90.2 · Jun 140.4 · Jul 274.2 · Aug 278.7 · Sep 198.4 · Oct 65.5 · Nov 45.2 · Dec 19.4 mm	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Taebaek_47216.csv²⁰Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by month	Jan 174.9 · Feb 178.3 · Mar 202.7 · Apr 207.2 · May 232.9 · Jun 192.7 · Jul 143.8 · Aug 141.7 · Sep 147.4 · Oct 178.7 · Nov 159.6 · Dec 169.8 hours	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Taebaek_47216.csv²⁰Official · nearest-station reading
Annual mean temperature	10.66 °C	31 Dec 2024	NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities¹⁴Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Annual precipitation	1,353 mm	31 Dec 2024	NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities¹⁴Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context

Population and city profile

How many people live in 태백시?

The published population was 36,811 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026¹²

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport99.1%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Cars per 1,000 residents	551.7 cars/1000 residents	31 Dec 2024	Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu¹⁷Official
City area	303.5 km²	2020	Official KOSIS visual statistics, Korea City Statistics, regional area; joined to the archived MOIS/KOSIS si-gun-gu code and name.¹⁵Official
Foreign-resident share	0.919 %	31 Dec 2025	Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-31⁵Official
Foreign residents	341 people	31 Mar 2026	Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026¹⁶Official
Population density	125 people/km²	31 Dec 2024	Exact si-gun-gu density derived from archived official MOIS/KOSIS resident population and exact official KOSIS area row.¹⁵Official
Female residents	18,174 people	30 Jun 2026	MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 2026¹³Official
Male residents	18,637 people	30 Jun 2026	MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 2026¹³Official
Population	36,811 people	30 Jun 2026	MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026¹²Official

International community in Taebaek-si

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 group	People	Share
계	341	100.0%
베트남	76	22.3%
중국	30	8.8%
필리핀	27	7.9%
타이(태국)	23	6.7%
미국	23	6.7%
미얀마	21	6.2%
한국계중국인	20	5.9%
인도	17	5.0%
러시아(연방)	16	4.7%

Show 21 more groups

Published group	People	Share
네팔	12	3.5%
남아프리카공화국	11	3.2%
캄보디아	8	2.3%
카자흐스탄	8	2.3%
일본	7	2.1%
인도네시아	6	1.8%
라오스	6	1.8%
브라질	5	1.5%
타이완(대만)	4	1.2%
몽골	4	1.2%
우즈베키스탄	3	0.9%
키르기즈	3	0.9%
캐나다	2	0.6%
말레이시아	2	0.6%
스리랑카	1	0.3%
방글라데시	1	0.3%
영국	1	0.3%
독일	1	0.3%
뉴질랜드	1	0.3%
수단	1	0.3%
과테말라	1	0.3%

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

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Households	20,121 households	30 Jun 2026	MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 2026¹³Official

Alternatives for people set on Taebaek-si

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Gochang-gun as a Taebaek-si alternative in the same country

Better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

Foreign residents: 4.1% Gochang-gun vs 0.9% Taebaek-si+349%
Hospital beds, per 100k: 2,200.0 Gochang-gun vs 1,110.0 Taebaek-si+98%
Unemployment: 0.3% Gochang-gun vs 0.5% Taebaek-si−40%
Annual PM2.5: 14.2 µg/m³ Gochang-gun vs 9.6 µg/m³ Taebaek-si+47%
Empty flats: 14.8% Gochang-gun vs 20.1% Taebaek-si−27%
Residents: 50,071 Gochang-gun vs 36,811 Taebaek-si+36%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,880 Gochang-gun vs 2,990 Taebaek-si−4%

Full comparison More about Gochang-gun

Alternative cities in South Korea

Other cities in South Korea to compare with Taebaek-si, nearest in population first.

All South Korea cities

Jeungpyeong-gun36,741 residents Jung-gu, Busan36,306 residents Goesan-gun37,415 residents Yeongwol-gun35,714 residents Hamyang-gun35,141 residents Jeongseon-gun35,128 residents

How does Taebaek-si compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Taebaek-si's.

Open the full comparison

Taebaek-si in rankings

#3 of 30 in South Korean cities with the lowest annual PM2.5 #6 of 30 in South Korean cities with the highest housing vacancy

Common questions

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

How many people live in 태백시?

The published population was 36,811 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026.

Is the air quality good in 태백시?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9.6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations.

What is the unemployment rate in 태백시?

The unemployment rate is 0.5 % (2025). Source: KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate.

How many foreign residents live in Taebaek-si?

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

Is Taebaek-si a good place to live?

Taebaek-si 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.

How many people are in the 계 citizenship group in Taebaek-si?

The official citizenship distribution records 341 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

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, October 16). Taebaek-si, South Korea: population, rent, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 40879875fa853bf80698b2cf657aaa28]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/taebaegsi/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_taebaek-si-south-korea-population-rent-cost-of-living_a0b20917e50b,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Taebaek-si, South Korea: population, rent, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {40879875fa853bf80698b2cf657aaa28},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/taebaegsi/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Taebaek-si, South Korea: population, rent, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/taebaegsi/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 40879875fa853bf80698b2cf657aaa28; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

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

(월) 평균월세가격_아파트 reb.or.kr · checked 2026-10-06
Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data · data.go.kr · checked 2026-07-26
DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-22
DT_1JU1512 2024 vacant housing units by municipality kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-22
Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-31 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
KOSIS e-Regional Indicators; population-adjusted crime rate by city/province (Table DT_1YL3001) kosis.kr · checked 2026-09-25
KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors per 1000 kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital beds per 100k kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey — si/gun/gu unemployment rate KOSIS Local Area Labour Force Survey · kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-26
KT 100 Mbps internet product.kt.com · checked 2026-09-15

Show 10 more sources

KT mobile data plan product.kt.com · checked 2026-09-15
MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-07-22
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
Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu stat.molit.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
Schoolinfo official open-data callback response schoolinfo.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
Statistics Korea / KOSIS citizenship distribution kosis.kr · checked 2026-08-28
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Taebaek_47216.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31

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.