Moving to South Korea from Tennessee

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Tennessee to South Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Tennessee to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 27.0% cheaper than Tennessee. A $75,000 salary in Tennessee would need to be roughly ₩90,362,564 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Tennessee to South Korea.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 ₩90,362,564

To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 54.9% less

Groceries

pay 22.8% more

Transportation

pay 0.6% less

Housing

pay 56.9% less

Childcare

pay 48.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 24.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate:1 USD = 1535.29 KRW(June 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Tennessee to South Korea, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
23,710 ↑ 10% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to South Korea?

Top countries of origin for South Korea's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Tennessee and South Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

TN
37.9%
KR
4.7%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

TN
87.6%
KR
98.0%

South Korea performs significantly better than Tennessee across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

TN
3.4%
KR
2.6%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

TN
$60,177
KR
$50,600

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

TN
73.8 yrs
KR
83.0 yrs

South Korea performs significantly better than Tennessee across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

NashvilleRain: 47.2 in/yr (1200 mm)
70°/49°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsNashvilleSeoul
Jan–Mar53°/33°F (12°/1°C)43°/28°F (6°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun78°/56°F (26°/14°C)73°/56°F (23°/13°C)
Jul–Sep87°/66°F (30°/19°C)83°/70°F (28°/21°C)
Oct–Dec60°/40°F (16°/4°C)54°/38°F (12°/4°C)
View all months
MonthNashvilleSeoul
Jan47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C)
Feb52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C)
Mar61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C)
Apr71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C)
May78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C)
Jun86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C)
Jul89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C)
Aug89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C)
Sep82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C)
Oct72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C)
Nov60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C)
Dec49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C)40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C)

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

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting South Korea

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter South Korea without a visa.
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.

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 South Korea than Tennessee?

Generally yes: South Korea runs about 22% cheaper than Tennessee on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to South Korea?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around ₩22,590,641 in South Korea for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from South Korea?

Working remotely from South Korea's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Tennessee and South Korea.

How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Tennessee?

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

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

The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 70°F in Nashville. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Nashville gets 47.2 in.

What language do they speak in South Korea?

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

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At a Glance

KR
Population6,346,10551,844,834
CurrencyUnited States Dollar ($)South Korean Won (₩)
LanguagesEnglishKorean
Driving sideRightRight
Calling code+1+82
Time zones111
Emergency number911112