✦ Compare
San Francisco vs
Seoul
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Seoul, KR, you'd need
$53,336 / year
Seoul, KR is 29% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Seoul, KR vs San Francisco, CA)
- Housing-48%
- Food & groceries-10%
- Transport-40%
- Utilities-8%
- Healthcare-29%
- Goods & services-3%
Median 1-bed rent
$3,300 /mo
San Francisco, CA overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$900 /mo
Seoul, KR overview →
▤ Full comparison
| San Francisco, CA | Seoul, KR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 118 | 84 |
| Housing | 174 | 90 |
| Food | 94 | 85 |
| Transport | 92 | 55 |
| Utilities | 87 | 80 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 65 |
| Goods & services | 98 | 95 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $3,300/mo | $900/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $2,500/mo | $650/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $6,500/mo | $1,900/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $14,000 | $12,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $846 | $1,189 |
| Inexpensive meal | $22 | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | $98 | $45 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 10% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | — |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 24% |
| Capital gains | 20% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $2,500/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $1,500/mo |
| GDP per capita | $90,027 | $35,563 |
| Inflation (annual) | — | 2.3% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | Native | Moderate |
| Coworking spaces | 150 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 | UTC+9 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 45 | 78 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 82 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 55 |
| Internet speed | 220 Mbps | 220 Mbps |
| Walkability | 88 | 75 |
| Public transport | 80 | 92 |
| Family-friendly | 55 | 68 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $500/mo | — |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 84 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Low |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +11 °C | -2 °C |
| July avg | +17 °C | +25 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 256 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 600 mm | 1,400 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs South Korea. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from San Francisco to Seoul: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from San Francisco to Seoul, your cost of living will be roughly 29% cheaper. Seoul’s cost-of-living index is 84 versus 118 for San Francisco (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is San Francisco cheaper than Seoul?
Seoul is about 29% cheaper than San Francisco overall — its cost-of-living index is 84 versus 118 for San Francisco.
How much do you need to earn in Seoul to live like in San Francisco?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in San Francisco is worth about $53,336 in Seoul. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, San Francisco or Seoul?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 45% in South Korea.
◷ More comparisons from San Francisco
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.