Moving to South Korea from Iowa
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iowa to South Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iowa to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 17.9% cheaper than Iowa. A $75,000 salary in Iowa would need to be roughly ₩101,345,538 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 Iowa to South Korea.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → ₩101,345,538
To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 50.1% less
Groceries
pay 37.1% more
Transportation
pay 4.4% more
Housing
pay 45.3% less
Childcare
pay 43.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.8% 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 21% less than cities in Iowa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Iowa to South Korea, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States 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
-
4.68,050
United States
- 64,942
- 55,601
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iowa and South Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
South Korea performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
South Korea performs significantly better than Iowa across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Iowa generally does better on employment & economy, though South Korea leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
South Korea performs significantly better than Iowa across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Des Moines | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Des Moines | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Korea Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting South Korea
Visa Free
South Korea passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Iowa?
Generally yes: South Korea runs about 10% cheaper than Iowa 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around ₩25,336,384 in South Korea for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Korea?
Working remotely from South Korea's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Iowa and South Korea.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Iowa?
South Korea performs significantly better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Iowa?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 60°F in Des Moines. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Des Moines gets 36.0 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Iowa, the official language is English.
