Moving to South Korea from Turkey
What to Expect
Considering a move from Turkey to South Korea? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Turkey to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 45.2% more expensive than Turkey overall. A TRY3,700,000 salary in Turkey would need to be roughly ₩145,000,000 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is South Korea cheaper than Turkey?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.8% less
Groceries
pay 3.3 times more
Transportation
pay 3.7% less
Housing
pay 35.6% more
Childcare
pay 15.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 29.0% 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 South Korea?
What does your salary buy?
TRY3,700,000 → ₩145,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea
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 South Korea cost about 2% more than cities in Turkey.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Turkey to South Korea.
people moved from Turkey 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 Turkey.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
South Korea generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in road traffic deaths.
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 Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Turkey generally does better on environment, though South Korea leads in air pollution deaths.
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 Turkey 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
Turkey generally does better on employment & economy, though South Korea leads in unemployment rate.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
South Korea performs significantly better than Turkey across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2016–2019), Revenue Administration, Government of Turkey (2016), National Tax Service, South Korea (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in South Korea vs Turkey
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Istanbul | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/64°F (27°/18°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 60°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Istanbul | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°/37°F (8.7°/2.9°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 48°/37°F (9.1°/2.8°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 52°/39°F (11.2°/3.9°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/46°F (16.5°/7.7°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.0°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 79°/61°F (26.0°/16.0°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.5°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 83°/66°F (28.5°/18.7°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 77°/60°F (25.0°/15.5°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 68°/54°F (20.1°/12.0°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 60°/47°F (15.3°/8.5°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 52°/42°F (11.1°/5.3°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Data:
Turkish State Meteorological Service,
Korea Meteorological Administration
Can you move from Turkey to South Korea?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Turkey 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.
Turkey passport holder visiting South Korea
Electronic Travel Authorisation
South Korea passport holder visiting Turkey
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 Turkey?
On average South Korea is around 45% pricier than Turkey, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to South Korea?
Budget about ₩36,250,000 for 3 months in South Korea (based on a TRY3,700,000 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?
South Korea generally does better on safety, though Turkey leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 3.2 in Turkey. About 64% of people in South Korea feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Turkey?
South Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Turkey leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 22.4 in Turkey. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Turkey: 76).
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to Turkey?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 65°F in Istanbul. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Istanbul gets 26.7 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Turkey, the official language is Turkish.
