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

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,426 per month in South Korea vs $1,644 in Spain, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,249 per month in South Korea vs $2,400 in Spain, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,071 per month in South Korea vs $3,155 in Spain, rent included.

South Korea is roughly 13% cheaper than Spain on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both South Korea and Spain are pricier than the global median – South Korea by 6%, Spain by 23%.

Spain has a wider regional cost range ($1,115–$3,300) than South Korea ($1,253–$1,784), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩10.8K

$16.01 €13.67

-54.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.05 ₩64.9K

$59.0 €50.4

-25.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 ₩8,448

$10.26 €8.77

-44.15%

Cappuccino

$3.66 ₩5,396

$2.29 €1.95

59.83%

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

$1.64 ₩2,412

$2.59 €2.21

-36.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₩1,138

$1.81 €1.55

-57.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 ₩5,515

$3.53 €3.01

5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 ₩6,894

$4.02 €3.44

16.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,301

$1.24 €1.06

80.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 ₩4,635

$1.52 €1.30

107.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,349

$1.60 €1.37

84.38%

Eggs

$3.03 ₩4,470

$2.98 €2.54

1.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.95 ₩20.5K

$14.49 €12.38

-3.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 ₩13.8K

$8.37 €7.14

12.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.14 ₩44.4K

$15.94 €13.62

89.08%

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 ₩11.5K

$2.54 €2.17

206.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.48 ₩5,134

$2.10 €1.79

65.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 ₩8,604

$2.06 €1.76

183.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩9,009

$2.64 €2.25

131.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,730

$1.84 €1.58

111.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩4,179

$1.91 €1.63

48.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 ₩3,554

$1.33 €1.14

81.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₩1,760

$0.80 €0.68

48.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₩4,979

$6.43 €5.49

-47.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 ₩23.4K

$5.82 €4.97

172.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₩3,025

$1.24 €1.06

65.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₩4,254

$2.11 €1.80

36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,656

$1.70 €1.45

-34.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.99 ₩69.2K

$34.64 €29.58

35.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 ₩4,842

$4.60 €3.93

-28.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₩829

$1.35 €1.15

-58.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.79 ₩12.9K

$27.00 €23.06

-67.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₩1,755

$1.84 €1.57

-35.33%

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

$27.7K ₩40.8M

$38.3K €32.7K

-27.63%

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

$24.2K ₩35.7M

$31.2K €26.7K

-22.33%

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

$167 ₩246.2K

$151 €129

10.61%

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

$41.36 ₩60.9K

$20.30 €17.34

103.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.78 ₩32.1K

$33.21 €28.36

-34.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 ₩76.3K

$47.38 €40.47

9.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.40 ₩28.6K

$15.74 €13.44

23.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 ₩16.5K

$9.06 €7.74

23.84%

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

$392 ₩577.6K

$523 €446

-25.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K ₩33.3M

$9,978 €8,521

126.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 ₩85.3K

$87.7 €74.9

-34.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.54 ₩70.0K

$37.32 €31.87

27.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 ₩118.7K

$88.7 €75.8

-9.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₩160.6K

$106 €90.8

2.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₩920.5K

$1,052 €899

-40.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 ₩615.3K

$809 €691

-48.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 ₩2.3M

$1,674 €1,429

-6.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 ₩1.4M

$1,213 €1,036

-20.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.0K ₩19.2M

$4,487 €3,832

190.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,275 ₩12.2M

$2,733 €2,334

202.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,241 ₩3.3M

$2,111 €1,803

6.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

3.51

19.66%

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

Last update for South Korea: April 27, 2026

Last update for Spain: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $459 in South Korea vs $899 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $956 in Seoul and $1,595 in Madrid.

Average salary: $1,973 in South Korea vs $2,010 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 96% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 33% more in Spain.

Public transport is 175% more expensive in Spain.

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

South Korea vs Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 45% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Spain, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Spain consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in South Korea, contributing to the overall 45% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in South Korea, but in Spain it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

South Korea is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.