Cost of Living · DE vs KR
🇩🇪 Berlin vs 🇰🇷 Seoul: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,714 in Germany vs $1,390 in South Korea — 18.89% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in South Korea
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -21.24%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -21.24%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -21.24%
Closest to Germany prices
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -6.56%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -6.59%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -6.6%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Germany | South Korea | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,190 | $937 (1,332,671 KRW) | -21.24% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $952 | $750 (1,066,134 KRW) | -21.24% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,175 | $1,713 (2,436,897 KRW) | -21.24% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $13.29 | $11.02 (15,675 KRW) | -17.08% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $55.38 | $45.90 (65,290 KRW) | -17.12% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $8.35 | $7.04 (10,014 KRW) | -15.69% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.88 | $0.77 (1,095 KRW) | -12.5% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $2.57 | $2.24 (3,186 KRW) | -12.84% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $2.73 | $2.38 (3,385 KRW) | -12.82% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $8.02 | $7.00 (9,957 KRW) | -12.72% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.21 | $2.80 (3,983 KRW) | -12.77% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $3.85 | $3.36 (4,779 KRW) | -12.73% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $9.62 | $8.40 (11,949 KRW) | -12.68% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.60 | $1.40 (1,991 KRW) | -12.5% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $4.43 | $3.67 (5,220 KRW) | -17.16% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.16 | $6.69 (9,516 KRW) | -6.56% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $3.69 | $3.06 (4,353 KRW) | -17.07% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.84 | $1.61 (2,290 KRW) | -12.5% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $49.34 | $41.60 (59,174 KRW) | -15.69% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.09 | $1.76 (2,504 KRW) | -15.79% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $2.95 | $2.45 (3,485 KRW) | -16.95% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.33 | $1.10 (1,565 KRW) | -17.29% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.85 | $0.79 (1,124 KRW) | -7.06% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $152 | $128 (182,072 KRW) | -15.68% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $53.13 | $44.80 (63,725 KRW) | -15.68% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $34.16 | $28.80 (40,966 KRW) | -15.69% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $36.92 | $30.60 (43,527 KRW) | -17.12% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $10.34 | $8.57 (12,190 KRW) | -17.12% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $22.15 | $18.36 (26,116 KRW) | -17.11% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $49.26 | $46.01 (65,447 KRW) | -6.6% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $80.60 | $75.29 (107,096 KRW) | -6.59% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $185 | $153 (217,662 KRW) | -17.1% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is South Korea than Germany?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,390 in South Korea versus $1,714 in Germany — 18.89% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in South Korea?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.67 in South Korea (≈ 5220.36 KRW), versus about $4.43 in Germany.
- How much is rent in South Korea compared to Germany?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $937/month in South Korea versus $1,190/month in Germany (-21.24%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.