Moving to South Korea from Slovakia

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Slovakia to South Korea? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Slovakia to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 9.2% more expensive than Slovakia overall. A €67,000 salary in Slovakia would need to be roughly ₩110,000,000 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.

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Is South Korea cheaper than Slovakia?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 25.7% less

Groceries

pay 89.9% more

Transportation

pay 0.8% less

Housing

pay 14.7% less

Childcare

pay 47.9% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 23.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1499.65 KRW (October 2026)

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?

€67,000 → ₩110,000,000

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 12% more than cities in Slovakia.

Slovakia

Poprad 42%
Trnava 40%
Trencin 40%
Zilina 38%

South Korea

Seoul ★ 50%
Daejeon 45%
Incheon 44%
Suwon 43%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Slovakia to South Korea.

Moved in 2023
40 ↓ 11% vs 2022

people moved from Slovakia to South Korea · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to South Korea?

Top countries of origin for South Korea's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in South Korea compared to Slovakia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

SK
1.1
KR
0.5
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

SK
74%
KR
64%

Slovakia generally does better on safety, though South Korea leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

SK
$3,230
KR
$5,081
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

SK
37.0
KR
26.1

Slovakia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

SK
30.0
KR
19.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SK
5.5t
KR
11.4t

Slovakia generally does better on environment, though South Korea leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

SK
33.8
KR
47.8
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SK
2.4%
KR
85.2%

South Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though Slovakia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SK
5.4%
KR
2.7%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

SK
$28,544
KR
$36,227

Slovakia generally does better on employment & economy, though South Korea leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

SK
78.4 yrs
KR
83.6 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SK
5.3
KR
2.3

South Korea performs significantly better than Slovakia across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2013–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Tax Directorate, Slovakia (2016), National Tax Service, South Korea (2016), The World Factbook (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in South Korea vs Slovakia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Bratislava Rain: 22.6 in/yr (574 mm)
61° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Seoul Rain: 55.8 in/yr (1418 mm)
63° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Bratislava Seoul
Jan–Mar 44°/30°F (7°/-1°C) 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/51°F (22°/10°C) 73°/56°F (23°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 78°/58°F (26°/15°C) 83°/70°F (28°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 49°/37°F (9°/3°C) 54°/38°F (12°/4°C)
View all months
Month Bratislava Seoul
Jan 38°/27°F (3.1°/-2.8°C) 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C)
Feb 42°/29°F (5.8°/-1.7°C) 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C)
Mar 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.7°C) 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C)
Apr 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.0°C) 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C)
May 71°/51°F (21.8°/10.6°C) 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.6°/14.4°C) 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.8°/16.2°C) 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C)
Aug 82°/61°F (27.6°/15.9°C) 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C)
Sep 71°/53°F (21.9°/11.5°C) 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C)
Oct 60°/44°F (15.6°/6.6°C) 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C)
Nov 48°/37°F (9.0°/2.7°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C)
Dec 39°/29°F (3.7°/-1.5°C) 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C)

Data: Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, Korea Meteorological Administration Korea Meteorological Administration

Can you move from Slovakia to South Korea?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Slovakia 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.

Slovakia passport

Slovakia passport holder visiting South Korea

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Slovakia passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter South Korea.
South Korea passport

South Korea passport holder visiting Slovakia

Visa Free
South Korea passport holders can enter Slovakia without a visa.

Data: 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 Slovakia?

On average South Korea is around 9% pricier than Slovakia, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to South Korea?

Budget about ₩27,500,000 for 3 months in South Korea (based on a €67,000 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: 47.8 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?

Slovakia 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 1.1 in Slovakia. About 64% of people in South Korea feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Slovakia?

Slovakia 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 37.0 in Slovakia. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Slovakia: 82).

What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Slovakia?

The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 61°F in Bratislava. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Bratislava gets 22.6 in.

What language do they speak in South Korea?

The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Slovakia, the official language is Slovak.

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At a Glance

SK KR
Population 5,413,813 51,684,564
Currency Euro (€) South Korean Won (₩)
Languages Slovak Korean
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +421 +82
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112