Moving to South Korea from Qatar
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Qatar to South Korea — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Qatar to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 0.5% more expensive than Qatar overall. A QAR270,000 salary in Qatar would need to be roughly ₩99,000,000 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 91°F in Doha, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is South Korea cheaper than Qatar?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 14.8% more
Groceries
pay 2.3 times more
Transportation
pay 49.4% more
Housing
pay 46.5% less
Childcare
pay 30.9% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.7% 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?
QAR270,000 → ₩99,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea
Calculate with your salary →Get free moving quotes to South Korea
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Qatar to South Korea, based on official data.
people moved from Qatar 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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Qatar to South Korea.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Qatar generally does better on safety, though South Korea leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Qatar generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Korea performs significantly better than Qatar 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
Qatar generally does better on infrastructure, though South Korea leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Qatar performs better than South Korea 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 Qatar across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2017–2019), Public Revenues and Tax Department, Qatar (2016), National Tax Service, South Korea (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in South Korea vs Qatar
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Doha | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 99°/76°F (37°/24°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 104°/83°F (40°/28°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 85°/67°F (30°/19°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Doha | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71°/55°F (21.7°/12.8°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 73°/57°F (23.0°/13.7°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 80°/62°F (26.8°/16.7°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 89°/69°F (31.9°/20.6°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 101°/77°F (38.2°/25.0°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 106°/82°F (41.2°/27.7°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 107°/84°F (41.5°/29.1°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 105°/84°F (40.7°/28.9°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 101°/80°F (38.6°/26.5°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 95°/74°F (35.2°/23.4°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 85°/67°F (29.5°/19.5°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 75°/59°F (24.1°/15.0°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Qatar Meteorology Department,
Korea Meteorological Administration
Can you move from Qatar to South Korea?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Qatar 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.
Qatar passport holder visiting South Korea
Electronic Travel Authorisation
South Korea passport holder visiting Qatar
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 Qatar?
Costs in South Korea and Qatar are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to South Korea?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ₩24,750,000 in South Korea on a QAR270,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from South Korea?
Internet is rarely the blocker — South Korea has 47.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is South Korea safe for expats?
Qatar generally does better on safety, though South Korea leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Qatar.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Qatar?
Qatar generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 30.2 in Qatar. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Qatar: 76).
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Qatar?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 91°F in Doha. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Doha gets 3.0 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Qatar, the official language is Arabic.
