Flexible, foreigner-friendly formats are abundant: goshiwon (low- or zero-deposit, short-term furnished rooms), officetels, share houses and co-living fill the gap between hotels and a 2-year lease
In wolse contracts the deposit and the monthly rent are negotiable and inversely related, so a higher deposit can buy a lower monthly rent and vice versa
Universal coverage: ~97% of the population is in NHIS and ~3% in the tax-funded Medical Aid program, so virtually everyone is covered.
Foreigners staying 6+ months are mandatorily enrolled in NHIS (since 16 July 2019); employed foreigners are enrolled compulsorily from the start of employment.

Watch out for

Deposits are lump sums, not 'X months rent' - jeonse can run to a large share (often 50-80%) of the property value and even wolse deposits are typically far higher than Western norms
Jeonse deposit-return fraud is a documented and large-scale risk; always get a 'confirmed date' (fixed date) on the contract and file your move-in report, and consider a HUG deposit guarantee
Short-term and tourist-visa holders (under 6 months / B-1, B-2) are not NHIS-eligible and must rely on out-of-pocket payment or private travel insurance.
Without insurance a local-clinic doctor visit typically runs roughly KRW 30,000-70,000 (about EUR 17-40 at mid-2026 rates), and large/tertiary hospitals charge more, with diagnostics adding cost.

Cost of living

Seoul

€1,500–€2,400/mo