Moving to Minnesota from South Korea
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Korea to Minnesota? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Korea to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 40.9% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩100,000,000 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly $106,000 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Minnesota cheaper than South Korea?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.2 times more
Groceries
pay 21.6% less
Transportation
pay 13.6% more
Housing
pay 2.1 times more
Childcare
pay 49.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 40.1% 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 Minnesota?
What does your salary buy?
₩100,000,000 → $106,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota
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 Minnesota cost about 31% more than cities in South Korea.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from South Korea to Minnesota.
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.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
11.1,038,778
South Korea
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Minnesota compared to South Korea.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
South Korea performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
South Korea performs better than Minnesota across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Minnesota generally does better on employment & economy, though South Korea leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
South Korea performs better than Minnesota across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2016), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Minnesota vs South Korea
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seoul | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 31°/15°F (0°/-10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 69°/48°F (20°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 24°/8°F (-4.6°/-13.6°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 29°/13°F (-1.7°/-10.7°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 41°/24°F (5.2°/-4.3°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 58°/37°F (14.3°/2.9°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 69°/49°F (20.8°/9.4°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 79°/59°F (26.0°/14.9°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 83°/64°F (28.6°/17.8°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 80°/62°F (26.9°/16.6°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 72°/52°F (22.1°/11.3°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 58°/40°F (14.4°/4.3°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 27°/12°F (-2.7°/-10.9°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
National Weather Service
Can you move from South Korea to Minnesota?
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 holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 Minnesota than South Korea?
On average Minnesota is around 41% pricier than South Korea, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?
Budget about $26,500 for 3 months in Minnesota (based on a ₩100,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Minnesota?
From major Minnesota cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Korea and Minnesota are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to South Korea?
South Korea performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Minnesota compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Minneapolis is 55°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Minneapolis receives around 30.6 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Minnesota?
The official language in Minnesota is English. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
