Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and South Korea

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

For one person, living is cheaper in South Korea: $1,596 a month against $2,080 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
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South Korea Living Index

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,080

/mo nomad

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Germany and in South Korea

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Germany and in South Korea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,080 in Germany versus $1,596 in South Korea.

Germany $2,080
South Korea $1,596

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,130 in Germany versus $2,542 in South Korea.

Germany $3,130
South Korea $2,542

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,180 in Germany versus $3,487 in South Korea.

Germany $4,180
South Korea $3,487

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,337 to $2,681, compared to $1,044–$1,848 in South Korea. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Living in Germany is roughly 30% more expensive than in South Korea on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 53% above, South Korea 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 €14.88

$7.44 ₩9,925

123.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.8 €64.4

$44.54 ₩59.4K

61.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 €10.86

$6.51 ₩8,684

86.18%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.55

$3.83 ₩5,107

3.39%

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

$3.36 €3.01

$1.59 ₩2,122

111.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.59

$0.78 ₩1,038

270.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 €4.54

$3.84 ₩5,116

32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €4.03

$4.42 ₩5,899

1.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.13

$2.20 ₩2,933

-42.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.96 ₩3,949

-25.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.17

$3.54 ₩4,716

Eggs

$3.88 €3.48

$3.22 ₩4,291

20.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 €12.76

$13.36 ₩17.8K

6.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 €10.66

$8.89 ₩11.9K

33.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.68 €18.53

$26.17 ₩34.9K

-20.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.94

$8.49 ₩11.3K

-61.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$3.39 ₩4,515

-39.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$6.42 ₩8,555

-64.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.84

$5.87 ₩7,831

-26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$3.89 ₩5,190

-60.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$2.84 ₩3,791

-47.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.47

$2.69 ₩3,585

-39.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$1.15 ₩1,540

-11.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.69 €8.68

$3.42 ₩4,565

183.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 €5.38

$16.56 ₩22.1K

-63.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.01

$2.13 ₩2,834

-47.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.40

$2.91 ₩3,878

-46.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.45

$1.10 ₩1,463

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.7 €62.5

$48.35 ₩64.5K

44.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 €4.78

$3.52 ₩4,688

51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 €2.52

$0.65 ₩871

332.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.83 €34.80

$9.13 ₩12.2K

325.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.91

$1.38 ₩1,842

54.35%

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

$32.6K €29.2K

$30.3K ₩40.3M

7.61%

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

$37.7K €33.8K

$30.0K ₩40.0M

25.83%

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

$342 €307

$210 ₩279.7K

63.12%

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

$24.87 €22.29

$40.27 ₩53.7K

-38.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.49 €43.45

$24.18 ₩32.2K

100.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 €35.32

$53.8 ₩71.7K

-26.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 €24.62

$16.81 ₩22.4K

63.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 €13.13

$11.50 ₩15.3K

27.39%

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

$611 €547

$985 ₩1.3M

-38.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K €15.5K

$23.7K ₩31.5M

-26.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.8

$58.9 ₩78.6K

51.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.07 €37.70

$45.48 ₩60.6K

-7.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €88.1

$78.3 ₩104.4K

25.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$97.7 ₩130.3K

33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 €837

$645 ₩860.1K

44.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 €644

$446 ₩594.6K

61.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,527

$1,711 ₩2.3M

-0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,159

$999 ₩1.3M

29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,944 €5,326

$15.8K ₩21.0M

-62.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,958 €3,547

$8,299 ₩11.1M

-52.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,290 €2,948

$2,345 ₩3.1M

40.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

4.23

-6.38%

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

Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Germany

$718 34.6%

South Korea

$446 27.9% 37.9% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Germany

$415 20%

South Korea

$274 17.2% 34% $141

Groceries & Markets

Germany

$335 16.1%

South Korea

$451 28.3% 34.6% $116

Eating Out

Germany

$276 13.3%

South Korea

$163 10.2% 41.1% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Germany

$162 7.8%

South Korea

$126 7.9% 22.1% $36

Getting Around

Germany

$104 5%

South Korea

$60 3.7% 43% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Germany

$69 3.3%

South Korea

$77 4.8% 11.7% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $812 in Germany, $493 in South Korea. Capital cities: $1,407 in Berlin vs $924 in Seoul.

National salary averages: $3,107 in Germany, $2,148 in South Korea. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 65% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 69% more in Germany.

Public transport is 42% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 45% higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Germany

🇰🇷 South Korea

🕒 Local time

03:53 3:53 AM

11:53 11:53 AM

8 h ahead of Germany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,358,845

51,466,201

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,489 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Germany South Korea 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Germany
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 $2,080 per month in Germany and $1,596 in South Korea, South Korea comes out about 23% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $812 in Germany and $493 in South Korea. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.