Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and South Korea Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and South Korea

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,014 in Germany versus $1,425 in South Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,048 in Germany versus $2,249 in South Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,081 in Germany versus $3,073 in South Korea.

Living in Germany is roughly 41% more expensive than South Korea on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 50% above, South Korea 6% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,338 to $2,784, compared to $1,246–$1,761 in South Korea. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €14.86

$7.18 ₩10.9K

140.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 €63.9

$43.22 ₩65.6K

71.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.00

$5.82 ₩8,842

99.31%

Cappuccino

$3.98 €3.43

$3.83 ₩5,817

3.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.86

$1.58 ₩2,400

110.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$0.78 ₩1,184

280.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.30 €4.57

$3.64 ₩5,535

45.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.01

$4.72 ₩7,169

-1.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$2.24 ₩3,399

-43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.90

$3.14 ₩4,768

-29.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 €2.91

$3.05 ₩4,636

10.82%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.40

$3.11 ₩4,719

26.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.77 €12.73

$14.06 ₩21.4K

5.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.23 €12.26

$9.59 ₩14.6K

48.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.63 €16.91

$30.17 ₩45.8K

-34.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 €2.85

$8.02 ₩12.2K

-58.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.52 ₩5,343

-47.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$5.81 ₩8,816

-59.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 €4.09

$6.29 ₩9,556

-24.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$3.68 ₩5,587

-57.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.96 ₩4,495

-45.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.52 ₩3,820

-25.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.19 ₩1,811

-9.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.70 €8.36

$3.29 ₩4,994

194.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 €4.87

$16.53 ₩25.1K

-65.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$2.11 ₩3,200

-49.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.98 ₩4,518

-45.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.60 €3.10

$1.07 ₩1,630

236.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 €57.8

$46.80 ₩71.1K

43.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 €5.01

$3.36 ₩5,110

73.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.58 ₩876

291.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.44 €33.12

$8.73 ₩13.3K

340.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.24 ₩1,883

58.06%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.0K €27.6K

$27.9K ₩42.4M

14.73%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.3K €33.0K

$24.1K ₩36.6M

59.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$354 €305

$168 ₩255.6K

110.49%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$27.98 €24.11

$41.60 ₩63.2K

-32.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €44.79

$21.62 ₩32.8K

140.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.99 €35.32

$52.0 ₩79.0K

-21.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.66 €21.25

$19.62 ₩29.8K

25.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 €12.12

$11.10 ₩16.9K

26.76%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$464 €400

$383 ₩581.5K

21.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$22.7K ₩34.4M

-33.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €80.9

$58.6 ₩88.9K

60.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.97 €38.75

$48.36 ₩73.4K

-7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.9

$79.7 ₩121.0K

26.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$108 ₩164.3K

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 €893

$626 ₩951.3K

65.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 €664

$413 ₩627.8K

86.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 €1,674

$1,569 ₩2.4M

23.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 €1,239

$979 ₩1.5M

46.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,350 €5,471

$13.8K ₩21.0M

-54.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,151 €3,576

$7,144 ₩10.8M

-41.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,421 €2,948

$2,077 ₩3.2M

64.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

4.2

-5.24%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Germany: June 7, 2026

Last update for South Korea: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $847 in Germany, $457 in South Korea. Capital cities: $1,417 in Berlin vs $962 in Seoul.

National salary averages: $3,185 in Germany, $1,931 in South Korea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 85% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 80% more in Germany.

Public transport is 417% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 65% higher in Germany, giving Germany stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Germany vs South Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,061 per month in Germany and $1,504 in South Korea, there's a 37% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

South Korea is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Germany beats South Korea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In South Korea, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Germany, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. South Korea wins on affordability; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.