Moving to South Korea from Uzbekistan

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Uzbekistan to South Korea? Here's how the two countries compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Uzbekistan to South Korea, you would find that South Korea is 2.4 times more expensive than Uzbekistan overall. A UZS900,475,986 salary in Uzbekistan would need to be roughly ₩173,161,858 in South Korea to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Uzbekistan and South Korea.

What does your salary buy?

UZS900,475,986 ₩173,161,858

To maintain the same standard of living in South Korea

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 60.5% more

Groceries

pay 3.9 times more

Transportation

pay 2.8 times more

Housing

pay 2.4 times more

Childcare

pay 2.4 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 87.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 UZS = 0.1256 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?

What the data shows about people moving from Uzbekistan to South Korea.

Moved in 2023
19,121 ↓ 14% vs 2022

people moved from Uzbekistan 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

The numbers behind daily life in South Korea compared to Uzbekistan.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

UZ
1.4
KR
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

UZ
9.3
KR
6.9

South Korea performs significantly better than Uzbekistan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

UZ
$749
KR
$5,081
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

UZ
28.0
KR
25.2

Uzbekistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

UZ
117.0
KR
19.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

UZ
4.1t
KR
11.4t

Uzbekistan generally does better on environment, though South Korea leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

UZ
26.0
KR
45.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

UZ
121.8%
KR
85.2%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

UZ
4.5%
KR
2.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

UZ
$8,800
KR
$50,600

South Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Uzbekistan leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

UZ
75.3 yrs
KR
83.0 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

UZ
19.0
KR
2.9

Uzbekistan generally does better on family life, though South Korea leads in life expectancy.

Data: State Tax Committee, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Tashkent Rain: 16.5 in/yr (419 mm)
70° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tashkent Seoul
Jan–Mar 49°/32°F (9°/0°C) 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 81°/57°F (27°/14°C) 73°/56°F (23°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 91°/61°F (33°/16°C) 83°/70°F (28°/21°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) 54°/38°F (12°/4°C)
View all months
Month Tashkent Seoul
Jan 42°/26°F (5.8°/-3.1°C) 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C)
Feb 46°/29°F (7.9°/-1.5°C) 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C)
Mar 58°/40°F (14.3°/4.2°C) 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C)
Apr 71°/50°F (21.8°/9.9°C) 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C)
May 81°/57°F (27.4°/13.7°C) 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C)
Jun 92°/64°F (33.2°/17.7°C) 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C)
Jul 96°/67°F (35.7°/19.4°C) 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C)
Aug 93°/63°F (34.0°/17.2°C) 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C)
Sep 84°/54°F (28.7°/12.4°C) 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C)
Oct 70°/45°F (21.0°/7.2°C) 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C)
Nov 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C)
Dec 47°/31°F (8.5°/-0.3°C) 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C)

Data: Uzhydromet Uzhydromet, Korea Meteorological Administration Korea Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Uzbekistan 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.

Uzbekistan passport

Uzbekistan passport holder visiting South Korea

Visa Required
Uzbekistan passport holders need a visa to enter South Korea.
South Korea passport

South Korea passport holder visiting Uzbekistan

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

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 Uzbekistan?

On average South Korea is around 53% pricier than Uzbekistan, with notable variation by city.

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

Budget about ₩43,290,464 for 3 months in South Korea (based on a UZS900,475,986 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, rental deposit, visa fees.

Can I work remotely from South Korea?

Connectivity is usually fine (South Korea: 45.4 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 performs significantly better than Uzbekistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in South Korea is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.4 in Uzbekistan.

How is healthcare in South Korea compared to Uzbekistan?

Uzbekistan 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 28.0 in Uzbekistan. South Korea scores 89 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Uzbekistan: 75).

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

The average high temperature in Seoul is 63°F, compared to 70°F in Tashkent. Seoul receives around 55.8 in of rainfall per year, while Tashkent gets 16.5 in.

What language do they speak in South Korea?

The official language in South Korea is Korean. In Uzbekistan, the official languages are Russian and Uzbek.

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At a Glance

UZ KR
Population 31,104,937 51,844,834
Currency Uzbekistan Som (UZS) South Korean Won (₩)
Languages Russian, Uzbek Korean
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +998 +82
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112