Moving to Washington from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to Washington — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to Washington, you would find that Washington is 97.4% more expensive than South Korea overall. A ₩115,146,750 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly $105,731 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Korea to Washington. What does your salary buy? ₩115,146,750 → $105,731 To maintain the same standard of living in Washington The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 2.4 times more Groceries pay 1.5% more Transportation pay 45.6% more Housing pay 3.1 times more Childcare pay 3.0 times more Entertainment and Sports pay 92.3% 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 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 Washington cost about 72% more than cities in South Korea. Compare cities head-to-head We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. Real numbers on people moving from South Korea to Washington, and how the trend has changed. people moved from South Korea to United States · OECD (latest data available) Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents. How South Korea and Washington stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. share of adults with obesity South Korea performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics. share of households with internet South Korea performs better than Washington across all infrastructure metrics. percentage of the labour force without work a broad measure of economic output per person share of people below the poverty line Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though South Korea leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth South Korea performs better than Washington across all family life metrics. Data: The World Factbook Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: 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 United States passport holder visiting South Korea Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. Day-to-day costs in Washington run about 41% higher than South Korea on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₩115,146,750 comparable salary, that's around $26,433 in Washington for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees. Working remotely from Washington's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in South Korea and Washington. South Korea performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in. The official language in Washington is English. In South Korea, the official language is Korean. How Far Will Your Money Go?
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Seoul Olympia Jan–Mar 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) Apr–Jun 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) Jul–Sep 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) Oct–Dec 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) View all months
Month Seoul Olympia Jan 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) Feb 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) Mar 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) Apr 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) May 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) Jun 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) Jul 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) Aug 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) Sep 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) Oct 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) Nov 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) Dec 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) 
Korea Meteorological Administration, 
National Weather Service Visitor Visa Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
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