Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and Germany

Name: Germany
Address: DE

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.

40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
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North Korea Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Germany
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Germany Living Index

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🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

North Korea $838
Germany $2,080

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

North Korea $1,313
Germany $3,130

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

North Korea $1,788
Germany $4,180

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 North Korea costs about 60% less than in Germany on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 $2.86

$16.60 €14.81

-82.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 $22.87

$71.8 €64.1

-68.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 $19.38

$12.12 €10.82

59.90%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$3.96 €3.53

-72.47%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$3.36 €3.00

-34.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.89 €2.58

-58.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.17 $13.17

$5.07 €4.52

159.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$4.50 €4.02

-24.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.26 €1.13

-30.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.20 €1.96

12.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$3.54 €3.16

-55.93%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$3.88 €3.47

-22.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$14.24 €12.70

-64.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$11.90 €10.62

-67.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$20.68 €18.45

-72.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.28 €2.93

85.06%

Banana (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.05 €1.83

141.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.31 €2.06

-4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.29 €3.82

-47.32%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.53 €1.37

190.85%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.50 €1.33

199.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.64 €1.46

35.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

$1.02 €0.91

-54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 $4.54

$9.69 €8.64

-53.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$6.01 €5.36

29.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.12 €1.00

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.56 €1.40

39.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$3.85 €3.43

-74.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.76 $38.76

$69.7 €62.2

-44.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$5.34 €4.76

-72.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.81 €2.50

-22.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.90 $40.90

$38.83 €34.65

5.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$2.13 €1.90

-67.14%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$32.6K €29.0K

-31.81%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$37.7K €33.7K

-25.96%

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

$34.10 $34.10

$342 €305

-90.03%

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

$10.98 $10.98

$24.87 €22.19

-55.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 $44.81

$48.49 €43.26

-7.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$39.42 €35.17

47.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 $14.76

$27.47 €24.51

-46.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 $7.90

$14.65 €13.07

-46.08%

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

$105 $105

$611 €545

-82.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,086 $2,086

$17.3K €15.4K

-87.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.90 $21.90

$89.1 €79.5

-75.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 $28.28

$42.07 €37.53

-32.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$98.3 €87.7

-38.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 $83.1

$131 €117

-36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 $93.9

$934 €834

-89.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 $106

$718 €641

-85.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$1,704 €1,520

-17.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 $205

$1,294 €1,154

-84.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,698 $1,698

$5,944 €5,303

-71.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 $1,380

$3,958 €3,531

-65.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 $230

$3,290 €2,935

-93.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

3.96

79.55%

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

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Last update for Germany: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

North Korea

$246 29.3%

Germany

$335 16.1% 36.3% $89

Eating Out

North Korea

$180 21.5%

Germany

$276 13.3% 53% $96

Accommodation & Living

North Korea

$106 12.6%

Germany

$718 34.6% 581% $613

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Korea

$90 10.7%

Germany

$415 20% 362% $326

Clothing & Footwear

North Korea

$87 10.4%

Germany

$162 7.8% 85.7% $75

Sport & Entertainment

North Korea

$74 8.8%

Germany

$69 3.3% 7.2% $5.3

Getting Around

North Korea

$55 6.6%

Germany

$104 5% 89.4% $49

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $228 in North Korea, $3,107 in Germany. 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

🇰🇵 North Korea

🇩🇪 Germany

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

8 h behind North Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,418,204

84,358,845

💱 Currency

USD USD

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

North Korea
Germany

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

North Korea vs Germany: 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.