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: $2,015 in Germany versus $1,429 in South Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,051 in Germany versus $2,249 in South Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,087 in Germany versus $3,068 in South Korea.

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

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 51% above, South Korea 7% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,339 to $2,885, compared to $1,229–$1,770 in South Korea. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.11

$7.19 ₩10.3K

142.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 €65.3

$43.49 ₩62.6K

73.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 €10.18

$5.71 ₩8,218

105.78%

Cappuccino

$4.04 €3.50

$3.67 ₩5,283

10.08%

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

$3.38 €2.93

$1.57 ₩2,264

115.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.65

$0.78 ₩1,122

292.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 €4.43

$3.63 ₩5,224

40.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.93

$4.89 ₩7,035

-7.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$2.20 ₩3,169

-43.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.89

$3.06 ₩4,406

-28.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 €2.92

$3.10 ₩4,462

8.71%

Eggs

$3.80 €3.29

$2.95 ₩4,247

28.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.75 €12.77

$13.86 ₩19.9K

6.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.17 €12.27

$9.43 ₩13.6K

50.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.58 €16.96

$30.00 ₩43.2K

-34.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.81

$7.89 ₩11.4K

-58.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$3.56 ₩5,119

-48.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €2.00

$5.84 ₩8,401

-60.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 €4.14

$6.33 ₩9,103

-24.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 €1.38

$3.80 ₩5,470

-58.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.36

$2.94 ₩4,227

-46.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.46 ₩3,539

-21.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.20 ₩1,733

-10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.34 ₩4,801

185.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.60 €4.85

$14.93 ₩21.5K

-62.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.96

$2.03 ₩2,919

-45.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.93 ₩4,219

-42.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 €3.16

$1.09 ₩1,566

234.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 €57.5

$46.70 ₩67.2K

42.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 €4.94

$3.22 ₩4,627

77.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.32 €2.01

$0.57 ₩824

307.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.40 €33.25

$8.75 ₩12.6K

338.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.19 ₩1,711

65.55%

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

$30.8K €26.7K

$27.4K ₩39.4M

12.56%

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

$37.8K €32.8K

$24.3K ₩35.0M

55.37%

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

$348 €302

$169 ₩242.4K

106.66%

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

$27.70 €23.99

$41.27 ₩59.4K

-32.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 €45.21

$22.12 ₩31.8K

136.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.90 €34.56

$53.1 ₩76.3K

-24.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.62 €21.32

$20.08 ₩28.9K

22.61%

Cinema Ticket

$14.02 €12.14

$10.90 ₩15.7K

28.62%

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

$459 €398

$383 ₩550.2K

20.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$23.2K ₩33.4M

-34.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €79.7

$57.6 ₩82.8K

59.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.40 €38.45

$48.05 ₩69.1K

-7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.2

$80.3 ₩115.5K

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €116

$109 ₩157.2K

22.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 €872

$614 ₩882.4K

64.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 €665

$408 ₩586.7K

88.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 €1,673

$1,580 ₩2.3M

22.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 €1,236

$977 ₩1.4M

46.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,101 €5,283

$14.4K ₩20.7M

-57.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,028 €3,488

$7,535 ₩10.8M

-46.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,305 €2,862

$2,161 ₩3.1M

52.92%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for South Korea: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $846 in Germany, $457 in South Korea. Capital cities: $1,424 in Berlin vs $964 in Seoul.

National salary averages: $3,136 in Germany, $1,951 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 61% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger 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 $2,112 per month in Germany and $1,500 in South Korea, there's a 41% 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.