Food: not so cheap... a comparison.

I find it peculiar that I can go out for lunch or dinner and enjoy a GINORMOUS amount of food for $4-7, and yet an American" style latte/espresso/etc. is the same price!  Coffee shops are ubiquitous here; even more so than in the States, but from what I've heard, coffee is a newer acquisition of Korean culture.  As you walk along the waterfront in Tongyeong, there are four, if not five, coffee/dessert shops within 1/4 mile of each other! 
A shot of espresso or latte runs $4-5.50.  Dessert is $5 and up and usually consists of some form of flavored cheesecake or Tiramisu.  Unfortunately, the desserts I've tried have not been very good (granted, I've tried 2), or somewhat dry, (excluding the brownie--while not near as good as mine, it was very rich and chocolatey, though still dry-ish).  The quality of coffee varies greatly.  I order espresso during the day, and certain places I've learned to avoid because the flavor is awful.  Other shops provide decent or good coffee drinks.  They also offer some other odd coffee-like drinks we don't have in the States, along with tea, but I have yet to find decaf anywhere, which is a bummer.  So at night, I have herbal tea or hot chocolate.
The main point here is that meals are cheap and the portions are huge (in turn, the calorie content is very low, so you tend to eat more), while coffee is expensive in direct comparison.  Considering there is not much to do here in Tongyeong, since I have yet to make friends, it is a worthwhile expense to sit at a coffee shop after work, to relax and enjoy a hot similar to my fav Spot Coffee in Buffalo I so adore, with a funky and fun interior, delish homemade food (created by me of course), and truly good coffee drinks and such.  Might be a fun endeavor!