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: $2,041 in Germany versus $1,391 in South Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,068 in Germany versus $2,187 in South Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,094 in Germany versus $2,983 in South Korea.

Living in Germany is roughly 47% more expensive than in South Korea on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 49% above, South Korea 2% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,405 to $2,841, compared to $1,029–$1,757 in South Korea. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 €15.31

$7.57 ₩10.4K

132.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 €65.5

$44.89 ₩61.9K

67.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 €10.95

$6.40 ₩8,821

96.25%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.70

$3.93 ₩5,418

8.14%

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

$3.53 €3.08

$1.64 ₩2,258

115.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.84 ₩1,151

270.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 €4.47

$3.61 ₩4,970

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.07

$4.33 ₩5,968

7.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$2.13 ₩2,941

-36.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.90

$3.03 ₩4,172

-28.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 €3.22

$3.45 ₩4,761

7.25%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.41

$3.09 ₩4,255

26.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.68 €12.80

$14.49 ₩20.0K

1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 €10.32

$8.68 ₩12.0K

36.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.38 €18.64

$24.71 ₩34.0K

-13.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 €2.80

$8.31 ₩11.5K

-61.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$3.42 ₩4,719

-37.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.07

$6.16 ₩8,489

-61.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.74

$5.95 ₩8,206

-27.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.83 ₩5,282

-61.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.33

$2.68 ₩3,689

-42.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.69 ₩3,706

-36.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.17 ₩1,611

-9.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 €8.68

$3.26 ₩4,492

205.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.16

$14.93 ₩20.6K

-60.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.04 ₩2,814

-43.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.39

$2.97 ₩4,090

-46.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 €3.41

$1.08 ₩1,494

262.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.9 €64.4

$46.28 ₩63.8K

59.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 €4.77

$3.53 ₩4,869

54.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 €2.56

$0.65 ₩892

350.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.75 €35.52

$8.73 ₩12.0K

366.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.32 ₩1,825

61.36%

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

$34.6K €30.2K

$29.6K ₩40.9M

16.70%

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

$40.0K €34.8K

$30.4K ₩41.9M

31.55%

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

$359 €313

$201 ₩276.4K

78.88%

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

$25.93 €22.60

$38.78 ₩53.4K

-33.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.77 €42.51

$23.39 ₩32.2K

108.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 €36.28

$56.4 ₩77.8K

-26.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.33 €24.69

$16.31 ₩22.5K

73.70%

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 €13.33

$10.93 ₩15.1K

39.89%

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

$582 €507

$928 ₩1.3M

-37.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.5K

$22.8K ₩31.4M

-22.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €79.5

$55.7 ₩76.7K

63.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.75 €38.14

$44.13 ₩60.8K

-0.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.9

$76.3 ₩105.1K

33.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €116

$96.8 ₩133.4K

37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 €807

$587 ₩809.0K

57.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 €621

$407 ₩560.3K

75.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 €1,495

$1,536 ₩2.1M

11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 €1,162

$906 ₩1.2M

47.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,235 €5,435

$15.4K ₩21.2M

-59.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,085 €3,561

$8,205 ₩11.3M

-50.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,390 €2,955

$2,288 ₩3.2M

48.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

4.21

-5.94%

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

Last update for Germany: September 14, 2026

Last update for South Korea: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $832 in Germany, $420 in South Korea. Capital cities: $1,551 in Berlin vs $891 in Seoul.

National salary averages: $3,205 in Germany, $2,121 in South Korea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 98% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 78% more in Germany.

Public transport is 467% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 51% higher in Germany.

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 $2,123 per month in Germany and $1,393 in South Korea, there's a 52% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in South Korea: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.