Moving to South Korea from New Zealand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from New Zealand to South Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from New Zealand to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 17.0% cheaper than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,000 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly ₩81,500,000 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.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is South Korea cheaper than New Zealand?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 40.4% less
Groceries
pay 55.2% more
Transportation
pay 22.2% less
Housing
pay 39.1% less
Childcare
pay 4.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.7% 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.
What salary do you need in South Korea?
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,000 → ₩81,500,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea
Calculate with your salary →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 6% less than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from New Zealand to South Korea, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from New Zealand 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
- · · ·
-
21.3,161
New Zealand
Key Indicator Comparison
How New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand 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 New Zealand 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
New Zealand generally does better on employment & economy, though South Korea 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
South Korea performs significantly better than New Zealand across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), New Zealand Inland Revenue Department (2016), National Tax Service, South Korea (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in South Korea vs New Zealand
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Auckland | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 74°/61°F (23°/16°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 63°/51°F (18°/11°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 60°/47°F (15°/8°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/55°F (20°/13°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Auckland | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/61°F (23.6°/16.0°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 75°/62°F (24.1°/16.5°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 73°/59°F (22.6°/14.9°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 68°/55°F (20.0°/12.7°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 63°/51°F (17.4°/10.6°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 59°/47°F (15.2°/8.4°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 58°/46°F (14.3°/7.5°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 59°/47°F (14.9°/8.2°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 62°/49°F (16.4°/9.7°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 64°/52°F (17.7°/11.2°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 67°/55°F (19.5°/12.8°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 71°/59°F (21.8°/14.9°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Korea Meteorological Administration
Can you move from New Zealand to South Korea?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting South Korea
Visa Free
South Korea passport holder visiting New Zealand
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 New Zealand?
Generally yes: South Korea runs about 17% cheaper than New Zealand 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 NZ$130,000 comparable salary, that's around ₩20,375,000 in South Korea for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Korea?
With 47.8 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 New Zealand and South Korea.
Is South Korea safe for expats?
New Zealand 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 1.5 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to New Zealand?
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 36.1 in New Zealand. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 66°F in Auckland. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Auckland gets 43.3 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
