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: $2,018 in Germany versus $1,426 in South Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,052 in Germany versus $2,249 in South Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Germany versus $3,071 in South Korea.

Living in Germany is roughly 42% more expensive than South Korea on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 51% above, South Korea 6% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,336 to $2,796, compared to $1,253–$1,784 in South Korea. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.42 €14.87

$7.34 ₩10.8K

137.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 €65.2

$44.05 ₩64.9K

73.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 €9.78

$5.73 ₩8,448

99.83%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.54

$3.66 ₩5,396

13.39%

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

$3.38 €2.89

$1.64 ₩2,412

106.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$0.77 ₩1,138

276.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 €4.43

$3.74 ₩5,515

38.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.06

$4.68 ₩6,894

1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.08

$2.24 ₩3,301

-43.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.86

$3.15 ₩4,635

-30.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 €2.82

$2.95 ₩4,349

12.20%

Eggs

$3.78 €3.23

$3.03 ₩4,470

24.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.85 €12.68

$13.95 ₩20.5K

6.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.02 €11.97

$9.38 ₩13.8K

49.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.27 €17.31

$30.14 ₩44.4K

-32.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.72

$7.78 ₩11.5K

-59.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.61

$3.48 ₩5,134

-45.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €1.92

$5.84 ₩8,604

-61.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 €4.11

$6.11 ₩9,009

-21.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.31

$3.89 ₩5,730

-60.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.33

$2.84 ₩4,179

-45.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.41 ₩3,554

-19.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.19 ₩1,760

-7.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.85 €8.42

$3.38 ₩4,979

191.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 €5.48

$15.87 ₩23.4K

-59.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.94

$2.05 ₩3,025

-46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.39

$2.89 ₩4,254

-43.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 €3.10

$1.12 ₩1,656

224.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 €56.5

$46.99 ₩69.2K

40.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €4.82

$3.29 ₩4,842

71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.93

$0.56 ₩829

301.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.47 €32.85

$8.79 ₩12.9K

337.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.72

$1.19 ₩1,755

69.75%

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

$31.9K €27.3K

$27.7K ₩40.8M

15.29%

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

$37.6K €32.1K

$24.2K ₩35.7M

54.94%

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

$348 €297

$167 ₩246.2K

108.08%

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

$27.62 €23.59

$41.36 ₩60.9K

-33.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 €44.83

$21.78 ₩32.1K

141.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.10 €34.24

$51.8 ₩76.3K

-22.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 €21.30

$19.40 ₩28.6K

28.56%

Cinema Ticket

$13.67 €11.68

$11.22 ₩16.5K

21.84%

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

$478 €408

$392 ₩577.6K

21.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$22.6K ₩33.3M

-34.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €79.9

$57.9 ₩85.3K

61.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.16 €37.71

$47.54 ₩70.0K

-7.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.9

$80.6 ₩118.7K

27.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €114

$109 ₩160.6K

22.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 €874

$625 ₩920.5K

63.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 €675

$418 ₩615.3K

89.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 €1,637

$1,564 ₩2.3M

22.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,236

$963 ₩1.4M

50.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,372 €5,441

$13.0K ₩19.2M

-51.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,229 €3,611

$8,275 ₩12.2M

-48.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,467 €2,961

$2,241 ₩3.3M

54.70%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for South Korea: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $846 in Germany, $459 in South Korea. Capital cities: $1,390 in Berlin vs $956 in Seoul.

National salary averages: $3,255 in Germany, $1,973 in South Korea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 84% 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 $2,066 per month in Germany and $1,519 in South Korea, there's a 36% 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.