Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

For one person, living is cheaper in South Korea: $1,596 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Spain outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
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South Korea Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Spain
Learn more

Spain Living Index

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🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Korea and in Spain

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

A single person spends $1,596 per month in South Korea vs $1,775 in Spain, rent included.

South Korea $1,596
Spain $1,775

A couple spends around $2,542 per month in South Korea vs $2,606 in Spain, rent included.

South Korea $2,542
Spain $2,606

A family of three spends $3,487 per month in South Korea vs $3,438 in Spain, rent included.

South Korea $3,487
Spain $3,438

The regional cost range is wider in Spain ($931–$2,610) than in South Korea ($1,044–$1,848), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in South Korea is roughly 10% lower than in Spain on average.

Both South Korea and Spain are pricier than the global median – South Korea by 17%, Spain by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,936

$16.69 €14.95

-55.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 ₩59.5K

$55.7 €49.88

-20.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,694

$11.37 €10.18

-42.74%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₩5,113

$2.42 €2.16

58.26%

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

$1.59 ₩2,125

$2.68 €2.40

-40.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,039

$1.79 €1.60

-56.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,122

$3.42 €3.07

12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₩5,906

$3.88 €3.47

13.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,937

$1.20 €1.07

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 ₩3,954

$1.48 €1.33

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,722

$1.67 €1.50

111.98%

Eggs

$3.22 ₩4,296

$3.42 €3.06

-5.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 ₩17.8K

$14.17 €12.69

-5.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 ₩11.9K

$8.33 €7.46

6.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩34.9K

$16.20 €14.51

61.54%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩11.3K

$2.45 €2.20

246.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,521

$2.03 €1.82

67.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 ₩8,565

$2.08 €1.86

208.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,840

$2.58 €2.31

127.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,196

$1.83 €1.64

112.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩3,796

$2.00 €1.79

42.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,589

$1.31 €1.17

105.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.77 €0.69

49.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,570

$6.36 €5.70

-46.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩22.1K

$5.64 €5.05

193.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₩2,837

$1.30 €1.17

63.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,883

$2.09 €1.87

39.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,465

$1.64 €1.47

-32.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 ₩64.6K

$32.91 €29.48

46.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,694

$4.43 €3.96

-20.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩872

$1.47 €1.31

-55.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 ₩12.2K

$24.98 €22.38

-63.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₩1,844

$1.77 €1.59

-22.03%

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

$30.3K ₩40.4M

$35.5K €31.8K

-14.82%

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

$30.0K ₩40.0M

$30.6K €27.4K

-2.03%

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

$210 ₩280.0K

$149 €134

40.48%

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

$40.27 ₩53.8K

$17.67 €15.83

127.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 ₩32.3K

$31.88 €28.55

-24.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 ₩71.8K

$44.24 €39.62

21.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ₩22.4K

$15.29 €13.70

9.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.4K

$9.66 €8.65

19.05%

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

$985 ₩1.3M

$544 €487

81.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$10.6K €9,499

123.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.6K

$84.9 €76.0

-30.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.48 ₩60.7K

$37.11 €33.24

22.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩104.6K

$89.2 €79.9

-12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ₩130.4K

$106 €94.7

-7.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₩861.1K

$1,056 €946

-38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₩595.3K

$808 €723

-44.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 ₩2.3M

$1,621 €1,452

5.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 ₩1.3M

$1,246 €1,116

-19.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K ₩21.1M

$4,135 €3,704

281.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,299 ₩11.1M

$2,633 €2,358

215.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,345 ₩3.1M

$1,999 €1,790

17.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

3.3

28.18%

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

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

South Korea

$451 28.3%

Spain

$272 15.3% 39.8% $179

Accommodation & Living

South Korea

$446 27.9%

Spain

$808 45.5% 81.2% $362

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Korea

$274 17.2%

Spain

$199 11.2% 27.5% $75

Eating Out

South Korea

$163 10.2%

Spain

$239 13.5% 47.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

South Korea

$126 7.9%

Spain

$143 8% 13% $16

Sport & Entertainment

South Korea

$77 4.8%

Spain

$64 3.6% 17.2% $13

Getting Around

South Korea

$60 3.7%

Spain

$51 2.9% 13.9% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $493 in South Korea vs $920 in Spain. For reference, capital cities sit at $924 in Seoul and $1,508 in Madrid.

Average salary: $2,148 in South Korea vs $1,972 in Spain. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 87% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 36% more in Spain.

Public transport is 55% more expensive in South Korea.

Good to know

🇰🇷 South Korea

🇪🇸 Spain

🕒 Local time

20:11 8:11 PM

12:11 12:11 PM

8 h behind South Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,466,201

47,415,750

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Korea Spain 10,000 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

South Korea
Spain

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

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

South Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 10% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Spain: a central one-bedroom averages $920 versus $493 in South Korea.

$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. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.