Moving to South Korea from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to South Korea? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 53.1% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly ₩47,000,000 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Switzerland and South Korea.
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → ₩47,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 73.5% less
Groceries
pay 6.9% more
Transportation
pay 49.7% less
Housing
pay 67.0% less
Childcare
pay 64.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 50.7% less
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 South Korea cost about 48% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Switzerland to South Korea.
people moved from Switzerland to South Korea · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to South Korea?
Top countries of origin for South Korea's foreign-born residents.
- 803,011
- 177,274
- 159,264
- 68,050
- 64,942
- 55,601
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in South Korea compared to Switzerland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Switzerland 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 Switzerland 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
Switzerland performs 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 Switzerland 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 Switzerland 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 generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), National Tax Service, South Korea (2016), The World Factbook (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bern | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Korea Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and South Korea. To live, work, or study long-term in South Korea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check South Korea's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting South Korea
Electronic Travel Authorisation
South Korea passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 South Korea than Switzerland?
On average South Korea is about 53% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to South Korea?
Budget about ₩11,750,000 for 3 months in South Korea (based on a CHF62,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Korea?
Connectivity is usually fine (South Korea: 47.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does South Korea offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is South Korea safe for expats?
Switzerland generally does better on safety, though South Korea leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland. About 64% of people in South Korea feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Switzerland?
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Switzerland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
