Moving to Italy from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to Italy — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to Italy, you would find that Italy is 37.5% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩112,436,250 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly €79,028 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Korea to Italy.
What does your salary buy?
₩112,436,250 → €79,028
To maintain the same standard of living in Italy
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.1 times more
Groceries
pay 16.3% less
Transportation
pay 62.9% more
Housing
pay 46.8% more
Childcare
pay 4.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.6% 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 Italy cost about 24% 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 Italy, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from South Korea to Italy · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea and Italy 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
South Korea generally does better on safety, though Italy 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
Italy 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
Italy 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 Italy 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 Italy 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
percentage of adults who can read and write
South Korea generally does better on family life, though Italy leads in literacy rate.
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 | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea and Italy. To live, work, or study long-term in Italy, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Italy's immigration authority.
South Korea passport holder visiting Italy
Visa Free
Italy 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 Italy than South Korea?
Day-to-day costs in Italy run about 20% higher than South Korea on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Italy?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₩112,436,250 comparable salary, that's around €19,757 in Italy for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Italy?
With 31.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Italy 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 Italy.
Is Italy safe for expats?
South Korea generally does better on safety, though Italy leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea. About 61% of people in Italy feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Italy compared to South Korea?
Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 42.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 25.2 in South Korea. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Italy compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Italy?
The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
