Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Germany

Name: Germany
Address: DE

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.

77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
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South Korea Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
Learn more

Germany Living Index

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🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

South Korea $1,596
Germany $2,080

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

South Korea $2,542
Germany $3,130

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

South Korea $3,487
Germany $4,180

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 South Korea costs about 23% less than in Germany on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,936

$16.60 €14.87

-55.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 ₩59.5K

$71.8 €64.3

-37.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,694

$12.12 €10.86

-46.29%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₩5,113

$3.96 €3.55

-3.28%

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

$1.59 ₩2,125

$3.36 €3.01

-52.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,039

$2.89 €2.59

-73.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,122

$5.07 €4.54

-24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₩5,906

$4.50 €4.03

-1.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,937

$1.26 €1.13

74.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 ₩3,954

$2.20 €1.97

34.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,722

$3.54 €3.17

Eggs

$3.22 ₩4,296

$3.88 €3.48

-17.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 ₩17.8K

$14.24 €12.75

-6.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 ₩11.9K

$11.90 €10.66

-25.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩34.9K

$20.68 €18.52

26.55%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩11.3K

$3.28 €2.94

158.84%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,521

$2.05 €1.83

65.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 ₩8,565

$2.31 €2.07

177.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,840

$4.29 €3.84

36.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,196

$1.53 €1.37

154.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$1.50 €1.34

89.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,589

$1.64 €1.46

64.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$1.02 €0.91

12.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,570

$9.69 €8.68

-64.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩22.1K

$6.01 €5.38

175.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₩2,837

$1.12 €1.01

90.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,883

$1.56 €1.40

86.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,465

$3.85 €3.44

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 ₩64.6K

$69.7 €62.4

-30.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,694

$5.34 €4.78

-34.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩872

$2.81 €2.51

-76.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 ₩12.2K

$38.83 €34.78

-76.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₩1,844

$2.13 €1.91

-35.21%

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

$30.3K ₩40.4M

$32.6K €29.2K

-7.07%

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

$30.0K ₩40.0M

$37.7K €33.8K

-20.53%

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

$210 ₩280.0K

$342 €306

-38.70%

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

$40.27 ₩53.8K

$24.87 €22.27

61.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 ₩32.3K

$48.49 €43.43

-50.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 ₩71.8K

$39.42 €35.30

36.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ₩22.4K

$27.47 €24.61

-38.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.4K

$14.65 €13.12

-21.50%

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

$985 ₩1.3M

$611 €547

61.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$17.3K €15.5K

36.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.6K

$89.1 €79.8

-33.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.48 ₩60.7K

$42.07 €37.67

8.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩104.6K

$98.3 €88.0

-20.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ₩130.4K

$131 €117

-25.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₩861.1K

$934 €837

-30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₩595.3K

$718 €643

-37.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 ₩2.3M

$1,704 €1,526

0.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 ₩1.3M

$1,294 €1,159

-22.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K ₩21.1M

$5,944 €5,323

165.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,299 ₩11.1M

$3,958 €3,545

109.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,345 ₩3.1M

$3,290 €2,946

-28.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

3.96

6.82%

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

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

South Korea

$451 28.3%

Germany

$335 16.1% 25.7% $116

Accommodation & Living

South Korea

$446 27.9%

Germany

$718 34.6% 61.1% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Korea

$274 17.2%

Germany

$415 20% 51.5% $141

Eating Out

South Korea

$163 10.2%

Germany

$276 13.3% 69.8% $114

Clothing & Footwear

South Korea

$126 7.9%

Germany

$162 7.8% 28.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

South Korea

$77 4.8%

Germany

$69 3.3% 10.5% $8.1

Getting Around

South Korea

$60 3.7%

Germany

$104 5% 75.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $2,148 in South Korea, $3,107 in Germany. 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

🇰🇷 South Korea

🇩🇪 Germany

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

23:36 11:36 PM

8 h behind South Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,466,201

84,358,845

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

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

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

South Korea
Germany

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

South Korea vs Germany: 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.