Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $415 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$415

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,453

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $415 in Pyongyang versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

Pyongyang $415
Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $670 in Pyongyang versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

Pyongyang $670
Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $926 in Pyongyang versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

Pyongyang $926
Barcelona $4,564

Living in Pyongyang costs roughly 83% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pyongyang is 70% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 $4.77

$17.59 €15.69

-72.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.51 $34.51

$67.5 €60.2

-48.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.32 $21.32

$13.53 €12.07

57.58%

Cappuccino

$1.14 $1.14

$3.19 €2.85

-64.26%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$2.91 €2.60

-23.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.89 €1.69

-30.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.28 $13.28

$4.01 €3.58

231.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.53 €4.04

10.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.31 €1.16

-29.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.02 €1.80

16.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.85 €1.65

-50.81%

Eggs

$2.01 $2.01

$4.83 €4.31

-58.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.93

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 €8.14

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 €17.52

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.66

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 €2.41

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 €6.13

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 €2.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.45 €22.70

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.67

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.37 €29.78

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.60

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

$33.2K €29.6K

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

$31.7K €28.3K

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

$180 €161

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

$13.84 €12.35

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.70 €30.06

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.4 $73.4

$51.5 €45.96

42.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 €14.24

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 €9.81

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

$917 €818

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 €77.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 €34.35

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.4

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$88.3 $88.3

$1,699 €1,516

-94.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.7 $90.7

$1,355 €1,209

-93.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 €2,322

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 $134

$2,062 €1,840

-93.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,915 €6,169

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,128 €4,575

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$2,211 €1,972

-88.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

–

Barcelona

$1.4K 55.3%

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

–

Barcelona

$322 13.1%

Eating Out

Pyongyang

–

Barcelona

$268 10.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

–

Barcelona

$228 9.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

–

Barcelona

$158 6.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

–

Barcelona

$74 3%

Getting Around

Pyongyang

–

Barcelona

$48 2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $88 in Pyongyang and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 9.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Pyongyang vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $44 vs $322 per month, with Pyongyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

09:11 9:11 AM

8 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

1,660,122

💱 Currency

USD USD

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Pyongyang Barcelona 9,410 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated June 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pyongyang vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $415 in Pyongyang and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Pyongyang is about 83% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Pyongyang. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $88 in Pyongyang versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $35 versus $67 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $415 per month in Pyongyang versus $2,453 in Barcelona – Pyongyang is about 83% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $415 in Pyongyang versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pyongyang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pyongyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Pyongyang and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Pyongyang wins on affordability, Barcelona on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.