Moving to Ireland from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to Ireland — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to Ireland, you would find that Ireland is 86.0% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩114,600,750 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly €100,513 in Ireland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English and Irish. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Korea to Ireland.
What does your salary buy?
₩114,600,750 → €100,513
To maintain the same standard of living in Ireland
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.2 times more
Groceries
pay 20.2% less
Transportation
pay 2.1 times more
Housing
pay 2.7 times more
Childcare
pay 69.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.4 times 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 Ireland cost about 54% 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 Ireland, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Ireland?
Top countries of origin for Ireland's foreign-born residents.
- 305,197
- 146,211
- 44,229
- 35,190
- 25,371
- 25,104
- · · ·
-
83.219
South Korea
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea and Ireland 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
Ireland 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 Ireland 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
Ireland 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 Ireland 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 generally does better on employment & economy, though Ireland 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 Ireland 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 | Dublin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 49°/37°F (10°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 59°/44°F (15°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 66°/52°F (19°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 51°/41°F (11°/5°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Dublin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.4°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 47°/36°F (8.3°/2.3°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 54°/38°F (12.1°/3.4°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 54°/40°F (12.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 59°/44°F (14.8°/6.9°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 64°/49°F (17.6°/9.6°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 67°/53°F (19.5°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 67°/53°F (19.2°/11.5°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 63°/50°F (17.0°/9.8°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 56°/45°F (13.6°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 51°/40°F (10.3°/4.5°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 47°/37°F (8.3°/2.8°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
Met Éireann, The Irish Meteorological Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea and Ireland. To live, work, or study long-term in Ireland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Ireland's immigration authority.
South Korea passport holder visiting Ireland
Visa Free
Ireland 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 Ireland than South Korea?
Day-to-day costs in Ireland run about 54% higher than South Korea on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Ireland?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₩114,600,750 comparable salary, that's around €25,128 in Ireland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Ireland?
With 32.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 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 Ireland.
Is Ireland safe for expats?
Ireland generally does better on safety, though South Korea leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Ireland is 0.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea. About 75% of people in Ireland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Ireland compared to South Korea?
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ireland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 40.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Ireland, compared to 25.2 in South Korea. Ireland scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Ireland compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Dublin is 56°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Dublin receives around 29.8 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Ireland?
The official languages in Ireland are English and Irish. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
