Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Germany Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Germany

Name: Germany
Address: DE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,391 in South Korea versus $2,041 in Germany.

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

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

Living in South Korea costs about 32% less than in Germany on average.

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

$7.57 ₩10.4K

$17.57 €15.31

-56.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.89 ₩61.9K

$75.2 €65.5

-40.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 ₩8,821

$12.56 €10.95

-49.04%

Cappuccino

$3.93 ₩5,418

$4.25 €3.70

-7.53%

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

$1.64 ₩2,258

$3.53 €3.08

-53.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₩1,151

$3.11 €2.71

-72.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ₩4,970

$5.13 €4.47

-29.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,968

$4.67 €4.07

-7.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₩2,941

$1.36 €1.19

56.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₩4,172

$2.18 €1.90

38.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 ₩4,761

$3.70 €3.22

-6.76%

Eggs

$3.09 ₩4,255

$3.91 €3.41

-20.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 ₩20.0K

$14.68 €12.80

-1.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.68 ₩12.0K

$11.84 €10.32

-26.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.71 ₩34.0K

$21.38 €18.64

15.58%

Apples (1kg)

$8.31 ₩11.5K

$3.21 €2.80

158.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.42 ₩4,719

$2.14 €1.87

59.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.16 ₩8,489

$2.38 €2.07

158.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩8,206

$4.29 €3.74

38.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.83 ₩5,282

$1.48 €1.29

158.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 ₩3,689

$1.53 €1.33

75.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,706

$1.70 €1.48

58.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,611

$1.06 €0.92

10.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 ₩4,492

$9.96 €8.68

-67.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 ₩20.6K

$5.92 €5.16

152.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₩2,814

$1.15 €1.00

77.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ₩4,090

$1.60 €1.39

85.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,494

$3.91 €3.41

-72.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.28 ₩63.8K

$73.9 €64.4

-37.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 ₩4,869

$5.47 €4.77

-35.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩892

$2.93 €2.56

-77.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 ₩12.0K

$40.75 €35.52

-78.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,825

$2.13 €1.86

-38.03%

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

$29.6K ₩40.9M

$34.6K €30.2K

-14.31%

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

$30.4K ₩41.9M

$40.0K €34.8K

-23.98%

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

$201 ₩276.4K

$359 €313

-44.10%

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

$38.78 ₩53.4K

$25.93 €22.60

49.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.39 ₩32.2K

$48.77 €42.51

-52.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ₩77.8K

$41.62 €36.28

35.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.31 ₩22.5K

$28.33 €24.69

-42.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 ₩15.1K

$15.29 €13.33

-28.52%

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

$928 ₩1.3M

$582 €507

59.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K ₩31.4M

$17.8K €15.5K

28.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ₩76.7K

$91.2 €79.5

-38.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 ₩60.8K

$43.75 €38.14

0.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 ₩105.1K

$102 €88.9

-25.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 ₩133.4K

$133 €116

-27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₩809.0K

$925 €807

-36.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 ₩560.3K

$712 €621

-42.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 ₩2.1M

$1,715 €1,495

-10.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 ₩1.2M

$1,333 €1,162

-32.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.4K ₩21.2M

$6,235 €5,435

146.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,205 ₩11.3M

$4,085 €3,561

100.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,288 ₩3.2M

$3,390 €2,955

-32.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

3.96

6.31%

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

Last update for South Korea: September 15, 2026

Last update for Germany: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $2,121 in South Korea, $3,205 in Germany. 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

South Korea vs Germany: 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.