Living in Goyang-si, South Korea
Goyang-si is a large coastal city in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 12°C over the year with about 1,192 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €3,417 a month to live centrally, and South Korea sits in our high tax tier. For foreigners, long-term residency in South Korea is possible, with conditions.
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- Est. cost
- €3,417
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- High
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 12°C
- 1,192 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 72/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~170 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- for most foreigners
What stands out about Goyang-si
- Stronger healthcare than 99% of the cities we compare
- On or near the sea
Healthcare
South Korea scores 82 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 99% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in South Korea.
Climate
Goyang-si averages 12°C across the year with about 1,192 mm of rain, which makes it mild and wet. It is warmer than 18% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Taxes
South Korea sits in our high tax tier: high personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at low to medium will not see Goyang-si in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €3,417 a month to live centrally in Goyang-si, 25% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 26% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions. Long-term residency is realistic via the points-based F-2-7 skilled-professional track, E-series employment visas that ladder into F-2 residence and then F-5 permanent residence, or capital-based investor schemes; there is no pure passive-income or retirement visa.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for South Korea:
- Investment: about $988k (Immigrant Investor Scheme for Public Business (IISPB) public-interest fund, KRW 1.5 billion for F-2 residence (KRW 3bn grants F-5 directly); converted at 1,517.65 KRW/USD. Cheaper real-estate route (IISRE, ~KRW 0.7-1bn) lapsed at its 30 Apr 2026 sunset with no confirmed renewal.; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 62 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 136 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Safety and stability
South Korea scores 72 out of 100 on safety, safer than 65% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 8.0 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in South Korea. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Language and culture
Main languages: Korean. English proficiency: some. Social openness scores 72 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in South Korea runs at about 170 Mbps, faster than 58% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Goyang-si
Is Goyang-si a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Goyang-si scores well on healthcare and political stability. It is weaker on affordability. Expect a mild, wet climate (12°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks 915 cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Goyang-si?
We estimate about €3,417 a month for a couple living centrally, 25% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Goyang-si?
South Korea is in our high tax tier (high personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make low or medium tax a must-have will not see Goyang-si in their results.
Can foreigners live in South Korea long term?
Our assessment: possible, with conditions. Long-term residency is realistic via the points-based F-2-7 skilled-professional track, E-series employment visas that ladder into F-2 residence and then F-5 permanent residence, or capital-based investor schemes; there is no pure passive-income or retirement visa. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $988k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Goyang-si?
Goyang-si averages 12°C across the year with about 1,192 mm of rain, which makes it mild and wet. It is warmer than 18% of the cities we track.
Cities like Goyang-si
Closest matches in other countries across climate, size, coast, cost, safety, healthcare, internet, language and politics.
Near Goyang-si
Moving to South Korea as a couple
Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.