Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and North Korea

Name: North Korea
Address: KP

For one person, living is cheaper in North Korea: $838 a month against $2,080 in Germany, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
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North Korea Living Index

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🇩🇪 Germany

$2,080

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🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Germany and in North Korea

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,080 in Germany versus $838 in North Korea.

Germany $2,080
North Korea $838

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,130 in Germany versus $1,313 in North Korea.

Germany $3,130
North Korea $1,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,180 in Germany versus $1,788 in North Korea.

Germany $4,180
North Korea $1,788

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,337 to $2,681, compared to $415–$709 in North Korea. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Living in Germany is roughly 148% more expensive than in North Korea on average.

Germany (53% above) and North Korea (38% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.60 €14.83

$2.86 $2.86

480.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.8 €64.2

$22.87 $22.87

214.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 €10.83

$19.38 $19.38

-37.46%

Cappuccino

$3.96 €3.54

$1.09 $1.09

263.30%

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

$3.36 €3.00

$2.21 $2.21

52.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.58

$1.21 $1.21

138.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 €4.53

$13.17 $13.17

-61.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 €4.02

$3.42 $3.42

31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.13

$0.88 $0.88

43.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.96

$2.47 $2.47

-10.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.16

$1.56 $1.56

126.92%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.47

$2.99 $2.99

29.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 €12.72

$5.04 $5.04

182.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 €10.63

$3.89 $3.89

205.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.68 €18.47

$5.68 $5.68

264.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.93

$6.07 $6.07

-45.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$4.95 $4.95

-58.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.20 $2.20

5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 €3.83

$2.26 $2.26

89.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.37

$4.45 $4.45

-65.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$4.49 $4.49

-66.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.22 $2.22

-26.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$0.46 $0.46

121.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.69 €8.65

$4.54 $4.54

113.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 €5.37

$7.76 $7.76

-22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.13 $1.13

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.40

$2.18 $2.18

-28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.44

$1.00 $1.00

285.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.7 €62.3

$38.76 $38.76

79.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 €4.77

$1.47 $1.47

263.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 €2.51

$2.19 $2.19

28.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.83 €34.69

$40.90 $40.90

-5.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.90

$0.70 $0.70

204.29%

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

$32.6K €29.1K

$22.2K $22.2K

46.65%

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

$37.7K €33.7K

$27.9K $27.9K

35.07%

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

$342 €306

$34.10 $34.10

903.17%

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

$24.87 €22.21

$10.98 $10.98

126.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.49 €43.31

$44.81 $44.81

8.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 €35.21

$58.2 $58.2

-32.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.47 €24.54

$14.76 $14.76

86.11%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 €13.09

$7.90 $7.90

85.44%

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

$611 €545

$105 $105

482.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K €15.4K

$2,086 $2,086

728.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.6

$21.90 $21.90

306.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.07 €37.57

$28.28 $28.28

48.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 €87.8

$60.7 $60.7

61.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €117

$83.1 $83.1

57.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 €834

$93.9 $93.9

895.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 €642

$106 $106

580.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,522

$1,404 $1,404

21.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,155

$205 $205

532.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,944 €5,309

$1,698 $1,698

250.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,958 €3,535

$1,380 $1,380

186.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,290 €2,939

$230 $230

1330.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

7.11

-44.30%

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

Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Germany

$718 34.6%

North Korea

$106 12.6% 85.3% $613

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Germany

$415 20%

North Korea

$90 10.7% 78.4% $326

Groceries & Markets

Germany

$335 16.1%

North Korea

$246 29.3% 26.6% $89

Eating Out

Germany

$276 13.3%

North Korea

$180 21.5% 34.6% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Germany

$162 7.8%

North Korea

$87 10.4% 46.1% $75

Getting Around

Germany

$104 5%

North Korea

$55 6.6% 47.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Germany

$69 3.3%

North Korea

$74 8.8% 7.7% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $812 in Germany, $89 in North Korea. Capital cities: $1,407 in Berlin vs $88 in Pyongyang.

National salary averages: $3,107 in Germany, $228 in North Korea. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 812% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 145% more in Germany.

Public transport is 79% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are about 14 times higher in Germany, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Germany.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Germany

🇰🇵 North Korea

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

11:15 11:15 AM

8 h ahead of Germany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,358,845

26,418,204

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Germany North Korea 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Germany
North Korea

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

Germany vs North Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,080 per month in Germany and $838 in North Korea, North Korea comes out about 60% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in North Korea: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $812 in Germany and $89 in North Korea. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: North Korea wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.