Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pyongyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $415 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Pyongyang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Pyongyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $415 in Pyongyang.

Barcelona $2,453
Pyongyang $415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $670 in Pyongyang.

Barcelona $3,509
Pyongyang $670

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $926 in Pyongyang.

Barcelona $4,564
Pyongyang $926

Living in Barcelona is roughly 491% more expensive than in Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Pyongyang is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.71

$4.77 $4.77

268.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €60.3

$34.51 $34.51

95.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.08

$21.32 $21.32

-36.54%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.85

$1.14 $1.14

179.82%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.60

$2.24 $2.24

29.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.31 $1.31

44.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 €3.58

$13.28 $13.28

-69.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €4.05

$4.99 $4.99

-9.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.92 $0.92

42.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.36 $2.36

-14.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$0.91 $0.91

103.30%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.32

$2.01 $2.01

140.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.95

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.14

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.54

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.14

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.73

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.61

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.2K €29.6K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$31.7K €28.3K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$180 €161

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.84 €12.36

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.10

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 €46.01

$73.4 $73.4

-29.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.26

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.82

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$917 €819

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.39

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,518

$88.3 $88.3

1825.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,211

$90.7 $90.7

1395.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,325

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 €1,842

$134 $134

1440.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,176

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,580

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,211 €1,975

$244 $244

805.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pyongyang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Pyongyang

–

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Pyongyang

–

Eating Out

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Pyongyang

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Pyongyang

–

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Pyongyang

–

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$74 3%

Pyongyang

–

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Pyongyang

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $88 in Pyongyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 9.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $35 in Pyongyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $44 per month, with Pyongyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

17:24 5:24 PM

8 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

3,255,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Pyongyang 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Pyongyang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $415 in Pyongyang, so Pyongyang is about 83% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Barcelona is about 9.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $88 in Pyongyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $35 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,453 per month in Barcelona versus $415 in Pyongyang – Pyongyang is about 83% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $415 in Pyongyang versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pyongyang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pyongyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Pyongyang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Pyongyang wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.