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: $1,796 in Italy versus $107 in North Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,739 in Italy versus $170 in North Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Italy versus $232 in North Korea.

Living in Italy is roughly 1579% more expensive than in North Korea on average.

Italy (30% above) and North Korea (92% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$2.96 $2.96

617.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$23.59 $23.59

242.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$19.83 $19.83

-42.46%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$1.19 $1.19

74.79%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$2.31 $2.31

32.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.32 $1.32

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$14.19 $14.19

-59.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

$3.59 $3.59

60.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.91 $0.91

86.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.50 $2.50

-3.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.68 $1.68

79.17%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$3.00 $3.00

44.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$5.10 $5.10

251.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$4.18 $4.18

203.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$5.92 $5.92

247.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$6.28 $6.28

-58.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$5.24 $5.24

-58.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.34 $2.34

19.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$2.38 $2.38

39.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$4.65 $4.65

-54.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$4.55 $4.55

-58.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.38 $2.38

-34.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.44 $0.44

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

$4.67 $4.67

53.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

$7.93 $7.93

-7.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.19 $1.19

51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$2.29 $2.29

5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.07 $1.07

80.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$39.93 $39.93

13.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$1.53 $1.53

275.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.26 $2.26

-24.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$41.44 $41.44

-14.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$0.73 $0.73

179.45%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$23.6K $23.6K

58.89%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$29.4K $29.4K

26.02%

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

$231 €199

$34.90 $34.90

561.78%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$11.69 $11.69

5.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$45.69 $45.69

-31.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$61.6 $61.6

-10.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$14.88 $14.88

67.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$7.93 $7.93

40.35%

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

$568 €490

$113 $113

405.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$2,171 $2,171

477.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$23.32 $23.32

298.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$29.00 $29.00

37.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$63.1 $63.1

65.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$85.9 $85.9

57.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$101 $101

743.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$108 $108

495.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$1,501 $1,501

-3.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$214 $214

405.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$1,758 $1,758

116.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$1,437 $1,437

64.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$244 $244

691.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

7.11

-49.79%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for North Korea: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $755 in Italy, $17.00 in North Korea. Capital cities: $1,247 in Rome vs $94.0 in Pyongyang.

National salary averages: $1,964 in Italy, $232 in North Korea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 4341% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 1167% more in Italy.

Public transport is 975% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 747% 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 $1,889 per month in Italy and $369 in North Korea, there's a 413% 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.