Moving to Maryland from South Korea

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from South Korea to Maryland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from South Korea to Maryland, you would find that Maryland is 2.0 times more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩112,436,250 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly $107,176 in Maryland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from South Korea to Maryland.

What does your salary buy?

₩112,436,250 $107,176

To maintain the same standard of living in Maryland

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.2 times more

Groceries

pay 14.5% more

Transportation

pay 47.0% more

Housing

pay 3.0 times more

Childcare

pay 3.5 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 80.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 KRW = 0.0007 USD (July 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.

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 Maryland cost about 62% more than cities in South Korea.

South Korea

Seoul 48%
Daegu 45%
Daejeon 43%
Incheon 41%

Maryland

Bethesda 71%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from South Korea to Maryland, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
14,240 ↓ 11% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Korea to Maryland.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

KR
4.7%
MD
33.4%

South Korea performs better than Maryland across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

KR
98.0%
MD
91.6%

South Korea performs better than Maryland across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

KR
2.6%
MD
3.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

KR
$50,600
MD
$69,127

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

KR
83.0 yrs
MD
76.8 yrs

South Korea performs better than Maryland across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Annapolis Rain: 47.3 in/yr (1201 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Seoul Annapolis
Jan–Mar 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) 50°/33°F (10°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) 77°/57°F (25°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) 86°/69°F (30°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) 59°/42°F (15°/6°C)
View all months
Month Seoul Annapolis
Jan 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) 44°/29°F (6.9°/-1.6°C)
Feb 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) 48°/31°F (9.0°/-0.5°C)
Mar 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.5°C)
Apr 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) 68°/47°F (20.1°/8.6°C)
May 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) 77°/57°F (25.0°/13.7°C)
Jun 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.2°C)
Jul 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) 89°/71°F (31.9°/21.9°C)
Aug 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.4°C)
Sep 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.6°C)
Oct 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) 69°/52°F (20.7°/10.9°C)
Nov 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) 59°/42°F (14.9°/5.3°C)
Dec 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.4°C)

Data: Korea Meteorological Administration Korea Meteorological Administration, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

South Korea passport

South Korea passport holder visiting United States

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

United States passport holder visiting South Korea

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter South Korea 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 Maryland than South Korea?

No — Maryland is on average about 43% more expensive than South Korea. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Maryland?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $26,794 in Maryland on a ₩112,436,250 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Maryland?

Usually fine from major cities in Maryland. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Maryland compared to South Korea?

South Korea performs better than Maryland across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Annapolis is 68°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Annapolis receives around 47.3 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.

What language do they speak in Maryland?

The official language in Maryland is English. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.

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At a Glance

KR
Population 51,844,834 5,773,552
Currency South Korean Won (₩) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Korean English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +82 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911