Moving to South Korea from Germany
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Germany to South Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Germany to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 21.9% cheaper than Germany overall. A €65,700 salary in Germany would need to be roughly ₩87,145,590 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Germany to South Korea.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → ₩87,145,590
To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 59.9% less
Groceries
pay 52.3% more
Transportation
pay 38.3% less
Housing
pay 49.6% less
Childcare
pay 16.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.1% less
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 27% less than cities in Germany.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Germany to South Korea, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Germany to South Korea · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to South Korea?
Top countries of origin for South Korea's foreign-born residents.
- 803,011
- 177,274
- 159,264
- 68,050
- 64,942
- 55,601
- · · ·
-
25.2,121
Germany
Key Indicator Comparison
How Germany and South Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Germany generally does better on safety, though South Korea leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Germany leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Germany performs better than South Korea across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
South Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Germany leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
South Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Germany leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
South Korea generally does better on family life, though Germany leads in education spending.
Data: Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Berlin | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/31°F (5°/-1°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/55°F (22°/13°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 47°/37°F (8°/3°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Berlin | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.9°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.5°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 47°/34°F (8.5°/1.3°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 56°/40°F (13.2°/4.2°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 66°/48°F (18.9°/9.0°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.3°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.3°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 74°/57°F (23.6°/14.1°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 66°/51°F (18.8°/10.6°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 56°/44°F (13.4°/6.4°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 45°/36°F (7.1°/2.2°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 40°/31°F (4.4°/-0.4°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Deutscher Wetterdienst,
Korea Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Germany 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.
Germany passport holder visiting South Korea
Visa Free
South Korea passport holder visiting Germany
Visa FreeData: 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 Germany?
Generally yes: South Korea runs about 22% cheaper than Germany on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to South Korea?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around ₩21,786,398 in South Korea for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Korea?
With 45.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, South Korea can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Germany and South Korea.
Is South Korea safe for expats?
Germany generally does better on safety, though South Korea leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Germany. About 64% of people in South Korea feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Germany?
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Germany leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 45.2 in Germany. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Germany: 88).
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Germany?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 56°F in Berlin. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Berlin gets 22.5 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Germany, the official language is German.
