Moving to South Korea from Croatia

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Croatia to South Korea? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Croatia to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 7.8% more expensive than Croatia overall. A HRK494,038 salary in Croatia would need to be roughly ₩103,414,111 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Croatia and South Korea.

What does your salary buy?

HRK494,038 ₩103,414,111

To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 51.9% less

Groceries

pay 2.1 times more

Transportation

pay 25.0% less

Housing

pay 25.7% less

Childcare

pay 53.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 HRK = 225.88 KRW (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in South Korea cost about 16% less than cities in Croatia.

Croatia

Dubrovnik 56%
Zadar 51%

South Korea

Seoul 48%
Daegu 45%
Daejeon 43%
Incheon 41%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Croatia to South Korea.

Moved in 2023
30 ↓ 14% vs 2022

people moved from Croatia to South Korea · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to South Korea?

Top countries of origin for South Korea's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in South Korea compared to Croatia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

HR
0.8
KR
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

HR
8.1
KR
6.9

South Korea performs significantly better than Croatia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

HR
$3,229
KR
$5,081
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

HR
36.1
KR
25.2

Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

HR
31.0
KR
19.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

HR
4.8t
KR
11.4t

Croatia generally does better on environment, though South Korea leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

HR
27.0
KR
45.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

HR
1.5%
KR
85.2%

South Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Croatia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

HR
6.1%
KR
2.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

HR
$41,300
KR
$50,600

South Korea performs significantly better than Croatia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

HR
77.2 yrs
KR
83.0 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

HR
8.7
KR
2.9

Croatia generally does better on family life, though South Korea leads in life expectancy.

Data: Croatia Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Zagreb Rain: 33.7 in/yr (856 mm)
60° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Seoul Rain: 55.8 in/yr (1418 mm)
63° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Zagreb Seoul
Jan–Mar 44°/29°F (7°/-2°C) 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 69°/48°F (21°/9°C) 73°/56°F (23°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 77°/55°F (25°/13°C) 83°/70°F (28°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/35°F (10°/2°C) 54°/38°F (12°/4°C)
View all months
Month Zagreb Seoul
Jan 38°/25°F (3.1°/-4.0°C) 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C)
Feb 43°/28°F (6.1°/-2.5°C) 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C)
Mar 52°/34°F (11.3°/0.9°C) 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C)
Apr 62°/41°F (16.4°/4.9°C) 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C)
May 70°/49°F (21.3°/9.2°C) 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C)
Jun 76°/55°F (24.6°/12.7°C) 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C)
Jul 80°/58°F (26.7°/14.2°C) 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C)
Aug 79°/57°F (26.2°/13.7°C) 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C)
Sep 72°/51°F (22.3°/10.4°C) 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C)
Oct 61°/42°F (16.2°/5.8°C) 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C)
Nov 49°/35°F (9.3°/1.8°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C)
Dec 40°/29°F (4.4°/-1.9°C) 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C)

Data: Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Korea Meteorological Administration Korea Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Croatia and South Korea. To live, work, or study long-term in South Korea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Korea's immigration authority.

Croatia passport

Croatia passport holder visiting South Korea

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Croatia passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter South Korea.
South Korea passport

South Korea passport holder visiting Croatia

Visa Free
South Korea passport holders can enter Croatia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in South Korea than Croatia?

On average South Korea is about 7% less expensive than Croatia, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to South Korea?

Budget about ₩25,853,528 for 3 months in South Korea (based on a HRK494,038 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from South Korea?

Connectivity is usually fine (South Korea: 45.4 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does South Korea offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is South Korea safe for expats?

South Korea performs significantly better than Croatia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Croatia.

How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Croatia?

Croatia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 36.1 in Croatia. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Croatia: 80).

What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Croatia?

The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 60°F in Zagreb. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Zagreb gets 33.7 in.

What language do they speak in South Korea?

The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Croatia, the official language is Croatian.

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At a Glance

HR KR
Population 4,188,853 51,844,834
Currency Croatian Kuna (HRK) South Korean Won (₩)
Languages Croatian Korean
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +385 +82
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112