GeoRealityMatch
Aerial skyline of Seoul from forested hillsides, featuring distant mountains.South Korea
Peaceful view of Hoan Kiem Lake with Turtle Tower in Hanoi, Vietnam with city skyline.Vietnam

Compare countries · South Korea vs Vietnam

South Korea vs Vietnam

South KoreaEastern AsiaVietnamSouth-Eastern Asia

Vietnam is cheaper (cost of living 26.4 vs 61.6) and more peaceful (Global Peace Index 1.738 vs 1.839).South Korea scores higher on human development (0.937 vs 0.766), has the higher income per person ($37,880 vs $4,970) and has the longer life expectancy (83.6 vs 74.7 years).

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Safety

Vietnam is the more peaceful

Global Peace Indexlower is more peaceful
South Korea1.839High safety#56 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Vietnam1.738High safety#41 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Homicidesper 100,000 people a year
South Korea0.5Very lowUNODC / World Bank · 2023
VietnamNo figure from UNODC / World Bank
Safety indexNumbeo's safety index, higher is safer
South Korea71HighNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam59.9ModerateNumbeo · 2026
UK travel adviceFCDO, for British travellers
South KoreaNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
VietnamNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
Money

Income per person is higher in South Korea

GNI per personnational income per person, US dollars
South Korea$37,880Very highWorld Bank · 2025
Vietnam$4,970LowWorld Bank · 2025
Cost of living indexexcluding rent, New York = 100
South Korea61.6ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam26.4Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Rent indexNew York = 100
South Korea16.1ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam9.9AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Property price to incomeyears of median income to buy a median flat
South Korea24.1Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam30.2Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Health

People live longer in South Korea

Life expectancyyears, at birth
South Korea83.6Very high#11 of 195World Bank · 2024
Vietnam74.7Moderate#92 of 195World Bank · 2024
Health coverageWHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100
South Korea88Very highWHO · 2023
Vietnam71ModerateWHO · 2023
Air pollutionPM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national average
South Korea19.2ModerateWHO · 2023
Vietnam22.8HighWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Broadband is faster in Vietnam

Home internetmedian download speed
South Korea253 MbpsVery fast#18 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
Vietnam289 MbpsVery fast#7 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiencyEF English Proficiency Index score
South Korea522ModerateEF EPI · 2025
Vietnam500ModerateEF EPI · 2025
How it changed

Human development: South Korea 0.937, Vietnam 0.766

South KoreaVietnam

UNDP Human Development Report, 1990–2023.

Year by year:South KoreaVietnam

Practical facts

Capital
Seoul
Hanoi
Population
51.7M (2025)
101.6M (2025)
Languages
Korean
Vietnamese
Currency
South Korean won (KRW)
Vietnamese đồng (VND)
Area
97,600 km²
313,429 km²
Plug type
Type C/F
Type A/B/C
Drives on the
right
right
Short visit
Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports
Visa-free for UK and EU; visa needed for US

Short visits: passport-index-dataset, 2024, for UK, EU (German) and US passports. Population and area: World Bank. Languages, currency and driving side: restcountries.com. Plug types: worldstandards.eu.

Every figure

South Korea and Vietnam, side by side

The same figures as a facts file

Quick answers

Is South Korea cheaper than Vietnam?

Numbeo's 2026 cost-of-living index (NYC = 100) puts South Korea at 61.6 and Vietnam at 26.4. Vietnam is about 57% cheaper overall.

Is South Korea or Vietnam safer?

On the Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful), South Korea scores 1.84 and Vietnam scores 1.74. Vietnam ranks as the more peaceful of the two.

Which has the higher quality of life, South Korea or Vietnam?

On the UN Human Development Index, South Korea scores 0.937 and Vietnam scores 0.766. South Korea scores higher on this composite of income, health and education. Single indexes hide trade-offs; the full comparison above shows where each country wins.

What is life like in South Korea compared to Vietnam?

GNI per capita runs $37,880 in South Korea against $4,970 in Vietnam; people live 83.6 years on average against 74.7; Numbeo users rate healthcare 83 against 62. Those are national averages and they hide the thing you actually feel: capital-city costs run well ahead of the national figure in most countries, and rural provision of healthcare and internet often lags the number shown here. The table below splits it indicator by indicator.

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Every figure is sourced where it is shown. A dash means the country has no figure from that source.Photographs by 정규송 Nui MALAMA, 🇻🇳🇻🇳 Việt Anh Nguyễn 🇻🇳🇻🇳 on Pexels