Moving to South Korea from Iran
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iran to South Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iran to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 4.0 times more expensive than Iran overall. A IRR101,328,750,000 salary in Iran would need to be roughly ₩136,150,174 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Seoul averages 63°F vs 72°F in Tehran, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iran to South Korea.
What does your salary buy?
IRR101,328,750,000 → ₩136,150,174
To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 49.5% more
Groceries
pay 4.9 times more
Transportation
pay 2.5 times more
Housing
pay 4.2 times more
Childcare
pay 10.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.6 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.
Get free moving quotes to South Korea
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.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Iran to South Korea, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Iran 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
Key Indicator Comparison
How Iran and South Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
South Korea performs significantly better than Iran across all safety metrics.
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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Iran generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea 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
Iran generally does better on environment, though South Korea leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
South Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Iran 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
South Korea performs significantly better than Iran across all employment & economy metrics.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
South Korea performs significantly better than Iran across all family life metrics.
Data: 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 | Tehran | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/35°F (11°/2°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 82°/61°F (28°/16°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 94°/72°F (35°/22°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tehran | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/30°F (7.2°/-1.1°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 50°/33°F (9.9°/0.7°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 60°/41°F (15.4°/5.2°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 71°/52°F (21.9°/10.9°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 82°/61°F (28.0°/16.1°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 93°/70°F (34.1°/20.9°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 98°/75°F (36.8°/24.0°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 96°/73°F (35.4°/23.0°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 89°/67°F (31.5°/19.2°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 62°/44°F (16.5°/6.7°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.3°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Korea Meteorological AdministrationVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iran 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.
Iran passport holder visiting South Korea
Visa Required
South Korea passport holder visiting Iran
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 Iran?
Day-to-day costs in South Korea run about 20% higher than Iran on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 IRR101,328,750,000 comparable salary, that's around ₩34,037,544 in South Korea for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 Iran and South Korea.
Is South Korea safe for expats?
South Korea performs significantly better than Iran across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.4 in Iran.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Iran?
Iran 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 15.1 in Iran. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iran: 74).
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Iran?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 72°F in Tehran. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Tehran gets 9.1 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Iran, the official language is Persian (Farsi).
