Moving to Greece from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to Greece — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to Greece, you would find that Greece is 18.6% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩112,436,250 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly €68,063 in Greece to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Greek. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Athens averages 72°F vs 63°F in Seoul, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Korea to Greece.
What does your salary buy?
₩112,436,250 → €68,063
To maintain the same standard of living in Greece
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 62.7% more
Groceries
pay 28.5% less
Transportation
pay 43.1% more
Housing
pay 33.6% more
Childcare
pay 19.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 27.6% 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.
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 Greece cost about 3% 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 Greece, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea and Greece stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
South Korea performs better than Greece 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
Greece 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 generally does better on environment, though Greece leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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 Greece 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 performs better than Greece 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 better than Greece across all family life metrics.
Data: National Tax Service, South Korea, 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 | Seoul | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea and Greece. To live, work, or study long-term in Greece, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Greece's immigration authority.
South Korea passport holder visiting Greece
Visa Free
Greece passport holder visiting South Korea
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 Greece than South Korea?
Day-to-day costs in Greece run about 4% higher than South Korea on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Greece?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₩112,436,250 comparable salary, that's around €17,016 in Greece for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Greece?
With 43.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Greece 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 Greece.
Is Greece safe for expats?
South Korea performs better than Greece across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Greece is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea.
How is healthcare in Greece compared to South Korea?
Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 63.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Greece, compared to 25.2 in South Korea. Greece scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Greece compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Athens is 72°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Athens receives around 16.3 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Greece?
The official language in Greece is Greek. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
