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

Name: Germany
Address: DE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $89.0 in North Korea versus $2,017 in Germany.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $140 in North Korea versus $3,049 in Germany.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $191 in North Korea versus $4,081 in Germany.

Living in North Korea costs about 96% less than in Germany on average.

North Korea (93% below) and Germany (51% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$17.12 €14.73

-82.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.49 $23.49

$75.6 €65.0

-68.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.11 $13.11

$11.77 €10.12

11.38%

Cappuccino

$1.18 $1.18

$4.15 €3.57

-71.57%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$3.38 €2.91

-34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.96 €2.55

-61.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 $14.14

$5.33 €4.59

165.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$4.59 €3.95

-38.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.32 €1.13

-28.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.19 €1.89

-5.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$3.30 €2.84

-50.91%

Eggs

$2.51 $2.51

$3.88 €3.34

-35.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$14.64 €12.59

-67.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$13.85 €11.92

-83.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$20.07 €17.26

-70.30%

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$3.20 €2.75

110.31%

Banana (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.89 €1.63

151.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.29 €1.97

2.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$4.78 €4.11

-52.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.60 €1.38

111.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.64 €1.41

113.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.92 €1.65

22.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.10 €0.95

-56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 $4.52

$9.68 €8.33

-53.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$5.75 €4.94

37.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.10 €0.95

4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.63 €1.40

41.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 $1.05

$3.74 €3.22

-71.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.91 $39.91

$67.0 €57.6

-40.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 $1.58

$5.93 €5.10

-73.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.34 €2.02

-13.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.06 $41.06

$37.50 €32.26

9.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$2.02 €1.74

-64.36%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$31.2K €26.8K

-27.16%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$37.8K €32.5K

-21.98%

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

$34.83 $34.83

$356 €306

-90.20%

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

$11.58 $11.58

$27.58 €23.73

-58.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.48 $46.48

$51.7 €44.49

-10.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.32 $44.32

$40.39 €34.75

9.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.79 $14.79

$25.17 €21.65

-41.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 $8.15

$13.75 €11.83

-40.73%

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

$112 $112

$477 €410

-76.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,153 $2,153

$15.1K €13.0K

-85.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.78 $22.78

$95.0 €81.7

-76.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.75 $28.75

$44.64 €38.40

-35.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 $63.0

$103 €89.0

-39.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 $86.6

$136 €117

-36.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$99.7 $99.7

$1,007 €867

-90.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$110 $110

$779 €670

-85.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$1,927 €1,657

-24.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 $215

$1,467 €1,262

-85.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 $1,755

$6,266 €5,390

-71.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 $1,445

$4,093 €3,521

-64.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$243 $243

$3,405 €2,929

-92.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

3.98

78.64%

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

Last update for North Korea: June 1, 2026

Last update for Germany: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $17.00 in North Korea, $846 in Germany. Capital cities: $93.0 in Pyongyang vs $1,410 in Berlin.

National salary averages: $234 in North Korea, $3,209 in Germany. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 4876% higher in Germany.

Dining out costs 1700% more in Germany.

Public transport is 1450% more expensive in Germany.

Salaries are 1271% higher in Germany, giving North Korea stronger purchasing power.

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

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

At $2,099 per month in Germany and $369 in North Korea, there's a 470% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

North Korea is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 Germany beats 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 Germany, it works in regional areas but 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; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.