Korean Job Discussion Forums

ArEyBee · Joined: 19 Feb 2012 Location: Daejeon, South Korea

I dislike answering questions like this because you'll get different answers from EVERYONE, but I'm going to anyway because you're moving to my city and I feel obliged to help a newcomer as I was a newcomer just this past April!

There will be those who don't cook for themselves because it's A) Costly to make what they WANT to eat. B) Timely to prepare what's cost-efficient to make. C) Enjoy the freedom of not having to cook in order to eat a meal. Then there will be those who think cooking for themselves is better because A) It's healthier. (debatable) B) It can be more cost-efficient. C) It's satisfying to do something for oneself.

I, personally, do both. I eat out and I eat at home. If I eat at home I eat ramen with an egg or 2 (sometimes I go crazy and add a slice of cheese!). Sometimes I make a tuna/rice concoction similar to one I had in a restaurant near my school once. Sometimes I go out to eat with friends. Sometimes I just get a 2500won tuna kimbap from Kimbap Nara and call it a night! Overall, though, I spend about 60k/week on food for myself. Your experience may vary depending on your preferences! For your sake, I hope you love Korean food, as that will almost always be the cheaper option when eating out.

What school will you be working in? Or are you with EPIK?

yodanole · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: La Florida

The reality of this question is that there are so many variables that almost any answer is meaningless. The short answer is that it's ultimately cheaper to eat at home, unless you're having Beluga caviar flown in from the Caspian Sea on a regular basis.

However if you value your leisure and your leisure time, the neighborhood 정식당 is an excellent choice to eat well frugally. I just like to cook and eat at home 99% of the, unless it's a special occasion, or work related.