KRW
South Korea
South Korea's bank spread is 1.46 %, the 2nd lowest of 62. And its inflation rate is 2.12 %, ranked 4th of 126.
Of 27 fields published for South Korea, these two sit furthest from the middle of the atlas.
Is it expensive, or does the pay keep up?
Price level
57 % of US prices
Average monthly salary
$4,525 PPP/mo
The average employee in South Korea earns about $4,525 a month before tax, measured in dollars adjusted for what they buy locally.
Average annual salary
$61,259 PPP
Money's value
54.20 %
100 saved in South Korea in 2000 buys what 54 buys today — 46 % of its purchasing power is gone.
What is left after the state takes its share?
Tax on pay
16.53 %
Of every $100 of gross pay at the average wage in South Korea, about $17 goes to income tax and employee social contributions.
Average monthly salary
$4,525 PPP/mo
The average employee in South Korea earns about $4,525 a month before tax, measured in dollars adjusted for what they buy locally.
Take-home pay
$51,130 PPP
The average job in South Korea pays about $51,130 a year (PPP) after income tax and the employee's social contributions.
Minimum wage
$2,362 PPP/mo
The law in South Korea sets the floor at about $2,362 a month, measured in dollars adjusted for what they buy locally.
What does borrowing actually cost here?
House price growth
-0.47 %
Real house prices in South Korea fell 0.5 % over the past year, adjusted for inflation.
Does money in the bank keep its value?
Savings vs inflation
0.61 %
A bank account in South Korea currently gains about 0.6 pp of purchasing power a year.
Deposit rate
2.73 %
Inflation rate
2.12 %
At 2.1 % a year, prices double in about 34 years if it holds.
Minimum wage
$2,362 PPP/mo
ranked 5th of 90
Public holidays
18 days
ranked 7th of 104
Tax on pay
16.53 %
ranked 5th of 37
Tax wedge
24.85 %
ranked 5th of 36
Where South Korea sits, field by field
Each dot is South Korea’s position among every country that publishes that field. Sorted by distance from the middle, so what is unusual about the country comes first.
- Bank spread1.46 %2 of 62
- Inflation rate2.12 %4 of 126
- Minimum wage$2,362 PPP/mo5 of 90
- Public holidays18 days7 of 104
- Lending rate4.19 %5 of 67
- Tax on pay16.53 %5 of 37
- Tax wedge24.85 %5 of 36
- Unemployment rate2.68 %17 of 124
- Average monthly salary$4,525 PPP/mo19 of 93
- GDP growth1.01 %101 of 127
- Retirement age (men)63 years11 of 49
- Take-home pay$51,130 PPP9 of 37
- House price growth-0.47 %14 of 54
- GDP per capita$36,22732 of 127
- Debt per person$18,98392 of 124
- Median income$42,543 PPP12 of 42
- Money's value54.20 %36 of 116
- Top income tax49.50 %26 of 37
- Price level57 % of US prices83 of 125
- Deposit rate2.73 %45 of 70
- Retirement age (women)63 years19 of 49
- Corporate tax25.00 %60 of 96
- Average annual salary$61,259 PPP17 of 37
- Government debt52.40 %58 of 125
- Currency-1.64 %35 of 71
- Savings vs inflation0.61 %36 of 70
- Real policy rate0.88 %27 of 53
- Cost of money
- Work & income
- Housing & living
- Macro
The money journey · average earner
Financially nearest · computed, not curated
New Zealand
avg gap 15.9 pp · 25 shared fields
Most separates them: public holidays — 18 days (South Korea) vs 11 days
Slovenia
avg gap 18.3 pp · 22 shared fields
Most separates them: tax on pay — 16.53 % (South Korea) vs 36.21 %
Malaysia
avg gap 19.7 pp · 17 shared fields
Most separates them: GDP growth — 1.01 % (South Korea) vs 5.17 %
Israel
avg gap 19.8 pp · 26 shared fields
Most separates them: retirement age (men) — 63 years (South Korea) vs 67 years
| Average monthly salary | $4,525 PPP/mo | ranked 19th of 93 | |
| GDP growth | 1.01 % | ranked 101st of 127 | |
| Retirement age (men) | 63 years | ranked 11th of 49 | |
| Take-home pay | $51,130 PPP | ranked 9th of 37 | |
| House price growth | -0.47 % | ranked 14th of 54 | |
| GDP per capita | $36,227 | ranked 32nd of 127 | |
| Debt per person | $18,983 | ranked 92nd of 124 | |
| Median income | $42,543 PPP | ranked 12th of 42 | |
| Money's value | 54.20 % | ranked 36th of 116 | |
| Top income tax | 49.50 % | ranked 26th of 37 | |
| Price level | 57 % of US prices | ranked 83rd of 125 | |
| Deposit rate | 2.73 % | ranked 45th of 70 | |
| Retirement age (women) | 63 years | ranked 19th of 49 | |
| Corporate tax | 25.00 % | ranked 60th of 96 | |
| Average annual salary | $61,259 PPP | ranked 17th of 37 | |
| Government debt | 52.40 % | ranked 58th of 125 | |
| Currency | -1.64 % | ranked 35th of 71 | |
| Savings vs inflation | 0.61 % | ranked 36th of 70 | |
| Real policy rate | 0.88 % | ranked 27th of 53 |
✓ 27 fields published for South Korea, every one dated and sourced · 8 not published yet
Awaiting an official source for South Korea: mortgage rate, house price growth since 2015, rent, petrol, electricity, minimum wage, median earnings, vat.
Sources for all 27 figures
- Bank spread — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2025
- Inflation rate — Annual CPI inflation (shared satsatlas data engine: World Bank + Eurostat + SSB) · 2025
- Minimum wage — ILO monthly earnings of employees (EAR_EMTA mean + EAR_EMTM median) · 2024
- Public holidays — Public holiday calendar (Nager.Date) · 2026
- Lending rate — IMF International Financial Statistics · 2025
- Tax on pay — OECD Taxing Wages + OECD Tax Database · 2025
- Tax wedge — OECD Taxing Wages + OECD Tax Database · 2025
- Unemployment rate — World Bank open data (GDP growth, GDP/capita, unemployment, government debt) · 2025
- Average monthly salary — ILO monthly earnings of employees (EAR_EMTA mean + EAR_EMTM median) · 2022
- GDP growth — World Bank open data (GDP growth, GDP/capita, unemployment, government debt) · 2025
- Retirement age (men) — OECD Pensions at a Glance — current normal retirement age (DF_DPS, CRPLF22) · 2024
- Take-home pay — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2025
- House price growth — BIS residential property prices · 2026-Q2
- GDP per capita — World Bank open data (GDP growth, GDP/capita, unemployment, government debt) · 2025
- Debt per person — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2025
- Median income — OECD Income Distribution Database · 2023
- Money's value — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2025
- Top income tax — OECD Personal Income Tax rates · 2025
- Price level — World Bank PPP conversion factor ÷ official exchange rate (PA.NUS.PPP, PA.NUS.FCRF) · 2025
- Deposit rate — IMF International Financial Statistics · 2025
- Retirement age (women) — OECD Pensions at a Glance — current normal retirement age (DF_DPS, CRPLF22) · 2024
- Corporate tax — OECD Corporate Tax Statistics · 2026
- Average annual salary — OECD Average annual wages · 2025
- Government debt — IMF World Economic Outlook (general government gross debt, % of GDP) · 2025
- Currency — Currency strength vs USD (own calculation from ECB reference-rate snapshots) · 2026-08-19
- Savings vs inflation — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2025
- Real policy rate — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2026-09
What changed
| 17 Oct 2026 | Real interest rate (policy − CPI) | 0.63 → 0.88 |
| 17 Oct 2026 | Policy rate | 2.75 → 3 |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Government debt per person (USD) | 18947 → 18983 |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Government debt (% of GDP) | 52.3 → 52.4 |
| 25 Sept 2026 | House price growth (real, y/y) | -0.2842 → -0.4739 |
| 6 Sept 2026 | Government debt per person (USD) | 17322 → 18947 |
| 6 Sept 2026 | Government debt (% of GDP) | 47.8141426119509 → 52.3 |
| 20 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -1.99 → -1.64 |
| 19 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -1.85 → -1.99 |
| 18 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -1.83 → -1.85 |
| 17 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -1.87 → -1.83 |
| 16 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -2.28 → -1.87 |
| 15 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -1.61 → -2.28 |
| 14 Aug 2026 | Real interest rate (policy − CPI) | 0.38 → 0.63 |
| 14 Aug 2026 | Policy rate | 2.5 → 2.75 |
| 13 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -1.77 → -1.61 |
| 12 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -2.8 → -1.77 |
| 8 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -2.48 → -2.8 |
| 7 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -2.64 → -2.48 |
| 6 Aug 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -3.21 → -2.64 |