Moving to South Korea from United Arab Emirates
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United Arab Emirates to South Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United Arab Emirates to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 9.4% more expensive than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED275,486 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly ₩85,127,022 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Seoul averages 63°F vs 93°F in Abu Dhabi, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from United Arab Emirates to South Korea.
What does your salary buy?
AED275,486 → ₩85,127,022
To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 13.2% more
Groceries
pay 2.3 times more
Transportation
pay 0.7% more
Housing
pay 50.4% less
Childcare
pay 30.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 41.0% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United Arab Emirates to South Korea, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United Arab Emirates 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
How United Arab Emirates and South Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United Arab Emirates performs better than South Korea across all safety metrics.
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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Korea performs significantly better than United Arab Emirates 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
South Korea generally does better on infrastructure, though United Arab Emirates leads in electricity per capita.
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
United Arab Emirates 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 generally does better on family life, though United Arab Emirates leads in literacy rate.
Data: Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Abu Dhabi | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Abu Dhabi | Seoul |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) |
| Feb | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) |
| Apr | 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) |
| May | 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) |
| Jun | 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) |
| Jul | 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) |
| Aug | 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) |
| Sep | 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) |
| Oct | 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) |
| Nov | 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) |
| Dec | 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) |
Korea Meteorological AdministrationVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates 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 Arab Emirates passport holder visiting South Korea
Electronic Travel Authorisation
South Korea passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa on ArrivalData: 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 United Arab Emirates?
Generally yes: South Korea runs about 25% cheaper than United Arab Emirates 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 AED275,486 comparable salary, that's around ₩21,281,756 in South Korea for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from South Korea?
With 45.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, South Korea can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in United Arab Emirates and South Korea.
Is South Korea safe for expats?
United Arab Emirates performs better than South Korea across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in United Arab Emirates.
How is healthcare in South Korea compared to United Arab Emirates?
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in South Korea, compared to 29.1 in United Arab Emirates. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).
What's the weather like in South Korea compared to United Arab Emirates?
The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.
What language do they speak in South Korea?
The official language in South Korea is Korean. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.
