Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and North Korea Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and North Korea

Name: North Korea
Address: KP

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Italy versus $88.0 in North Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,621 in Italy versus $140 in North Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,524 in Italy versus $192 in North Korea.

Living in Italy is roughly 1852% more expensive than in North Korea on average.

Italy (29% above) and North Korea (93% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.40

$2.92 $2.92

502.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €72.2

$23.33 $23.33

253.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.26

$13.10 $13.10

-10.53%

Cappuccino

$1.92 €1.68

$1.14 $1.14

68.42%

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

$2.99 €2.62

$2.33 $2.33

28.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.13 $1.13

20.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €5.04

$13.71 $13.71

-57.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.57

$2.83 $2.83

84.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.00 $1.00

69.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.04

$2.16 $2.16

7.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.67

$1.60 $1.60

90.62%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.49

$2.39 $2.39

66.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.68 €14.61

$4.59 $4.59

263.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.57 €11.01

$2.25 $2.25

458.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.98

$5.69 $5.69

260.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$6.74 $6.74

-62.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$4.60 $4.60

-52.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$2.35 $2.35

14.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 €2.95

$2.35 $2.35

43.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.79

$3.39 $3.39

-39.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$3.41 $3.41

-44.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.29

$2.25 $2.25

-34.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.47

$0.48 $0.48

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.13

$4.70 $4.70

48.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.21

$8.08 $8.08

-12.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.13 $1.13

59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.20

$2.32 $2.32

8.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.02 $1.02

92.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.58 €36.42

$41.18 $41.18

0.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 €5.08

$1.53 $1.53

279.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.40

$2.11 $2.11

-24.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.07 €30.71

$42.45 $42.45

-17.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.74 $0.74

187.84%

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

$32.6K €28.5K

$23.6K $23.6K

38.07%

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

$33.8K €29.6K

$29.3K $29.3K

15.31%

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

$225 €197

$34.48 $34.48

552.47%

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

$13.14 €11.51

$11.34 $11.34

15.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.19 €27.31

$47.07 $47.07

-33.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €50.1

$43.36 $43.36

31.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.85 €22.64

$14.76 $14.76

75.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.05

$7.99 $7.99

29.41%

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

$564 €494

$111 $111

410.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,057

$2,153 $2,153

380.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €80.5

$22.90 $22.90

301.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €35.51

$28.80 $28.80

40.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 €86.0

$63.7 $63.7

54.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$86.7 $86.7

52.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 €749

$98.1 $98.1

771.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 €581

$107 $107

520.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,333

$1,478 $1,478

2.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €954

$217 $217

402.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,747 €3,282

$1,689 $1,689

121.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,299 €2,013

$1,421 $1,421

61.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,897 €1,661

$234 $234

709.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.41

7.11

-37.97%

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

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Last update for North Korea: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $742 in Italy, $17.00 in North Korea. Capital cities: $1,328 in Rome vs $92.0 in Pyongyang.

National salary averages: $1,912 in Italy, $230 in North Korea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 4265% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 1750% more in Italy.

Public transport is 1000% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 731% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in North Korea.

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

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

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $361 in North Korea, there's a 405% gap. 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 simply cheaper in North Korea: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Italy is consistently higher than in North Korea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In North Korea, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in Italy it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: North Korea wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.