Moving to South Korea from Japan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Japan to South Korea? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Japan to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 11.2% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,124,875 salary in Japan would need to be roughly ₩126,520,764 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.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Japan and South Korea.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,124,875 → ₩126,520,764
To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.9% more
Groceries
pay 35.7% more
Transportation
pay 17.5% less
Housing
pay 9.1% less
Childcare
pay 20.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.1% 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 8% more than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Japan to South Korea.
people moved from Japan 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
- · · ·
-
13.22,466
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Korea compared to Japan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Japan performs better than South Korea 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
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Japan 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 Japan 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 Japan leads in unemployment rate.
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
Japan generally does better on family life, though South Korea leads in education spending.
Data: National Tax Agency Japan, 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 | Tokyo | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Korea Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan 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.
Japan passport holder visiting South Korea
Visa Free
South Korea passport holder visiting Japan
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 Japan?
On average South Korea is around 13% pricier than Japan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Korea?
Budget about ₩31,630,191 for 3 months in South Korea (based on a ¥12,124,875 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?
Japan performs better than South Korea across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan. About 64% of people in South Korea feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Japan?
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 26.1 in Japan. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
