Moving to France from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to France — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to France, you would find that France is 25.2% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩100,000,000 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly €83,500 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is France cheaper than South Korea?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.3 times more
Groceries
pay 28.2% less
Transportation
pay 40.2% more
Housing
pay 44.7% more
Childcare
pay 2.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 24.6% 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.
What salary do you need in France?
What does your salary buy?
₩100,000,000 → €83,500
To maintain the same standard of living in France
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 France cost about 26% more than cities in South Korea.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Korea to France, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from South Korea to France · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea and France stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
France 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 France 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
France performs significantly 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 France 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
share of people below the poverty line
South Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in gdp per capita.
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 better than France across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), National Tax Service, South Korea (2016), Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (2016), The World Factbook (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in France vs South Korea
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seoul | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 48°/38°F (9°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 74°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 52°/43°F (11°/6°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Paris |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C) |
Korea Meteorological Administration
Météo-FranceCan you move from South Korea to France?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.
South Korea passport holder visiting France
Visa Free
France passport holder visiting South Korea
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 France than South Korea?
Day-to-day costs in France run about 25% higher than South Korea on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to France?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₩100,000,000 comparable salary, that's around €20,875 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from France?
With 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Korea and France.
Is France safe for expats?
France generally does better on safety, though South Korea leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in France is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea. About 82% of people in France feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in France compared to South Korea?
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 26.1 in South Korea. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in France compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in France?
The official language in France is French. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
