Daegu is one of Korea's largest cities but far cheaper and more laid-back than Seoul, with a proud food culture and famously warm, and hot, character. It's home to Kyungpook National University and Keimyung, so the student community is large, and it sits beside Gyeongju and Busan for weekends. You get authentic, less touristy Korean life with a serious night-market and barbecue scene.

• Home to Kyungpook National University (KNU) and Keimyung, anchoring a big student population.
• Cheaper and more relaxed than Seoul, with a strong local food identity.
• Beside Gyeongju and under an hour from Busan by KTX.

Downtown Dongseongno is the heart of it, a huge pedestrian shopping and nightlife zone packed with students, bars and street food. The area around Kyungpook National University, the Buk-gu student streets, has the cheap bars and late-night eats, and Suseong Lake is the relaxed evening spot. Summers are hot, so a lot of life happens after dark.

• Dongseongno downtown for shopping, bars, clubs and street food in one dense zone.
• The KNU north-gate streets for cheap student bars and after-class eats.
• Ask the Daegu group on Studcasa about KNU and Keimyung events and Gyeongju day trips.

Daegu is well below Seoul on cost, so budget about 1.0 to 1.4 million won (roughly 700 to 980 euros) a month. Rent and eating out are the big savings, and the enormous Seomun Market makes cheap food a pleasure. Student dorms and one-rooms are affordable, and the metro-and-bus network is inexpensive with a transit card.

• A one-room or goshiwon runs about 300,000 to 500,000 won a month.
• Eat at Seomun Market or university canteens for 4,000 to 8,000 won a meal.
• Load a T-money or Cashbee card for the three metro lines and buses.

University dormitories at KNU, Keimyung and Yeungnam are the simplest first move; otherwise one-rooms and goshiwon cluster around the campuses, especially the KNU north gate and near Keimyung's Seongseo campus. Private rentals want a deposit, so check the wolse terms and view before paying. Base yourself near a metro line to beat the summer heat.

• Apply for KNU, Keimyung or Yeungnam dormitories early for the easiest landing.
• Look around the KNU north gate or Keimyung's Seongseo area for one-rooms.
• Check the Studcasa Daegu group for rooms and flatmates near your campus.

Daegu has three metro lines, including the elevated Line 3 monorail with great city views, plus a dense bus network, all on one transit card. The metro covers downtown, the universities and the main sights well. It's a hot city, so the air-conditioned metro beats walking in summer; taxis are cheap for the rest.

• Use a T-money or Cashbee card across the three metro lines and city buses.
• Ride the Line 3 monorail for the views as well as the transport.
• Route with Naver Map or KakaoMap; taxis are cheap for late or short trips.

Kyungpook National University is one of Korea's leading regional national universities, strong across medicine, engineering and the humanities, with a large international office and exchange intake. Keimyung University has a beautiful campus and good exchange programmes, and Yeungnam, in nearby Gyeongsan, is another big option. Some courses run in English, but basic Korean helps day to day.

• KNU is the flagship, with the broadest exchange offer and a busy international office.
• Keimyung and Yeungnam add further exchange places and English-taught courses.

For a full exchange semester (over 90 days) you'll need a D-2 student visa, not visa-free entry. Your host university issues a Certificate of Admission; you take that plus proof of funds to a Korean embassy or consulate in your home country. The exact process depends on your nationality, so check your local consulate, but nearly every exchange student ends up on the D-2.

Once you land, register for a Residence Card (the old Alien Registration Card, or ARC) within 90 days at your local immigration office. Book the slot on the HiKorea site early, because appointments vanish fast. You'll also enrol in mandatory national health insurance (NHIS). Some nationalities need a K-ETA travel authorisation on top, so verify before you fly.

• D-2 student visa, apply at your Korean consulate before flying
• Certificate of Admission, issued by your host university
• Residence Card (ARC), register within 90 days via HiKorea
• Check whether your nationality also needs a K-ETA

Daegu takes its food seriously and has its own specialities: makchang (grilled beef intestines), flat napjak mandu dumplings, and the fiery jjim-galbi braised ribs of Dongin-dong. The vast Seomun Market comes alive at night with stalls of every kind. It's hearty, spicy, unpretentious eating best done in a group.

• Graze the Seomun Market night stalls, one of Korea's best market-food experiences.
• Try makchang (grilled intestines) with soju, a proper Daegu ritual.
• Eat jjim-galbi (spicy braised ribs) in Dongin-dong and flat napjak mandu downtown.

Jung-gu, around Dongseongno, is the downtown core for shopping and nightlife; Buk-gu holds KNU and its student streets; Suseong-gu is the greener, upmarket district around Suseong Lake; and Dalseo-gu, or Seongseo, is home to Keimyung and E-World. Pick by campus, with the centre and KNU areas the most student-focused.

• Jung-gu and Dongseongno: downtown nightlife, shopping and street food.
• Buk-gu: the KNU student district, cheap and lively.
• Suseong-gu: leafier and calmer around Suseong Lake.

Daegu's location is a gift. Gyeongju, the open-air-museum capital of the ancient Silla kingdom, is about an hour away for tombs, temples and Bulguksa; Busan and its beaches are under an hour by KTX; and Haeinsa temple, home to the Tripitaka Koreana, sits in the mountains nearby. Palgongsan offers hiking right on the city's edge.

• Gyeongju (about 1 hour) for Silla-era tombs, Bulguksa temple and Anapji pond.
• Busan (about 50 minutes by KTX) for beaches, markets and seafood.
• Haeinsa temple and Palgongsan for mountain hikes and Buddhist heritage.

Prepare for heat, as Daegu is famously one of Korea's hottest cities in summer, so a room with good air-con and a metro habit help. It's less international than Seoul, which is a plus for immersion but means fewer English speakers, so learn some Korean and hangul early. Use the cheap KTX links to see the southeast most weekends.

• Prioritise air-conditioning and metro access, as Daegu summers are brutally hot.
• Learn hangul and basic Korean; English is less common than in Seoul.
• Sort your ARC, T-money and Naver and Kakao apps in the first weeks.