Moving to South Korea from India
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from India to South Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from India to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 4.0 times more expensive than India overall. A ₹7,077,037 salary in India would need to be roughly ₩343,157,274 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Seoul averages 63°F vs 88°F in Delhi, making it significantly cooler. How your spending power changes when you relocate from India to South Korea. What does your salary buy? ₹7,077,037 → ₩343,157,274 To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 3.3 times more Groceries pay 5.4 times more Transportation pay 2.7 times more Housing pay 3.9 times more Childcare pay 8.2 times more Entertainment and Sports pay 2.3 times more 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 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 138% more than cities in India. Compare cities head-to-head We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. Real numbers on people moving from India to South Korea, and how the trend has changed. people moved from India to South Korea · OECD (latest data available) Top countries of origin for South Korea's foreign-born residents. How India and South Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. per 100,000 people per year per 100,000 people per year South Korea performs significantly better than India across all safety metrics. 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 India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in doctors per 10,000 people. deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year India generally does better on environment, though South Korea leads in air pollution deaths. 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 India leads in water stress level. 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 India leads in top income tax rate. average years of life at birth deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better government spending on education as % of GDP percentage of adults who can read and write South Korea performs significantly better than India across all family life metrics. Data: Ministry of Finance, Government of India, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Short-stay tourist visa rules between India 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. India passport holder visiting South Korea South Korea passport holder visiting India Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. Day-to-day costs in South Korea run about 198% higher than India on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₹7,077,037 comparable salary, that's around ₩85,789,318 in South Korea for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees. 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 India and South Korea. South Korea performs significantly better than India across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.8 in India. India generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 7.3 in India. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (India: 63). The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 88°F in Delhi. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Delhi gets 28.2 in. The official language in South Korea is Korean. In India, the official languages are English, Hindi and Tamil. How Far Will Your Money Go?
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Delhi Seoul Jan–Mar 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) Apr–Jun 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) Jul–Sep 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) Oct–Dec 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) View all months
Month Delhi Seoul Jan 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) Feb 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) Mar 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) Apr 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) May 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) Jun 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) Jul 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) Aug 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) Sep 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) Oct 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) Nov 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) Dec 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) 
India Meteorological Department, 
Korea Meteorological Administration Visitor Visa Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
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