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

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Italy versus $1,312 in South Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,707 in Italy versus $2,061 in South Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,639 in Italy versus $2,809 in South Korea.

Living in Italy is roughly 35% more expensive than in South Korea on average.

Italy (30% above) and South Korea (4% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,134 to $2,623, compared to $959–$1,692 in South Korea. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.64 €16.80

$7.02 ₩9,761

179.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 €69.2

$41.82 ₩58.1K

93.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 €9.81

$6.24 ₩8,678

83.65%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.70

$3.77 ₩5,245

-47.48%

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

$3.04 €2.60

$1.55 ₩2,160

96.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.25

$0.73 ₩1,018

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €4.92

$3.44 ₩4,779

67.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.86

$4.16 ₩5,779

36.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.42

$2.09 ₩2,906

-20.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.87 ₩3,994

-18.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 €2.57

$3.30 ₩4,590

-9.09%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.75

$2.84 ₩3,949

54.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.37 €14.86

$13.14 ₩18.3K

32.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.74 €10.90

$8.52 ₩11.8K

49.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 €17.56

$24.11 ₩33.5K

-14.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.19

$8.07 ₩11.2K

-68.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$3.22 ₩4,479

-33.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 €2.31

$6.04 ₩8,401

-55.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 €2.79

$5.76 ₩8,004

-43.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$3.68 ₩5,119

-45.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.68 ₩3,720

-29.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.36

$2.47 ₩3,431

-35.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 €0.45

$1.13 ₩1,572

-53.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.83

$3.24 ₩4,504

110.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €5.78

$15.29 ₩21.2K

-55.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.54

$2.05 ₩2,843

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.02

$2.74 ₩3,810

-13.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.07 ₩1,489

79.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.16 €38.63

$43.39 ₩60.3K

4.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 €4.84

$3.32 ₩4,619

70.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.50

$0.65 ₩903

170.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.45 €29.47

$8.22 ₩11.4K

319.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.29 ₩1,798

56.59%

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

$37.5K €32.1K

$27.9K ₩38.7M

34.67%

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

$35.8K €30.6K

$28.5K ₩39.6M

25.76%

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

$231 €198

$197 ₩273.4K

17.63%

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

$12.12 €10.37

$36.44 ₩50.7K

-66.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.14 €26.64

$22.25 ₩30.9K

39.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 €48.40

$53.2 ₩74.0K

6.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.48 €21.79

$15.49 ₩21.5K

64.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 €8.93

$10.46 ₩14.5K

-0.19%

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

$566 €484

$833 ₩1.2M

-32.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.4K

$21.7K ₩30.2M

-43.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €78.9

$52.4 ₩72.8K

76.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 €34.08

$41.39 ₩57.5K

-3.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.9

$71.7 ₩99.6K

45.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €118

$92.7 ₩128.8K

49.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 €712

$552 ₩766.8K

50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 €568

$385 ₩535.8K

72.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,249

$1,389 ₩1.9M

5.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €945

$854 ₩1.2M

29.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,262

$14.9K ₩20.8M

-74.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,364 €2,022

$7,990 ₩11.1M

-70.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,946 €1,665

$2,224 ₩3.1M

-12.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

4.21

-14.96%

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

Last update for Italy: August 17, 2026

Last update for South Korea: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $748 in Italy, $400 in South Korea. Capital cities: $1,237 in Rome vs $825 in Seoul.

National salary averages: $1,953 in Italy, $2,010 in South Korea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 87% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 95% more in Italy.

Public transport is 282% more expensive in Italy.

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 South Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,879 per month in Italy and $1,326 in South Korea, there's a 42% 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 South 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 South 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 South Korea, $2,000 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: South Korea wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.