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

Name: North Korea
Address: KP

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,642 per month in Spain vs $88.0 in North Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,393 per month in Spain vs $140 in North Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,144 per month in Spain vs $192 in North Korea, rent included.

The cost of living in Spain is about 1766% higher than in North Korea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Spain sits 23% above the global median, while North Korea is 93% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.46 €14.42

$2.92 $2.92

463.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 €50.9

$23.33 $23.33

148.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 €9.27

$13.10 $13.10

-19.16%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €2.01

$1.14 $1.14

101.75%

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

$2.59 €2.27

$2.33 $2.33

11.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.13 $1.13

66.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.98

$13.71 $13.71

-75.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.47

$2.83 $2.83

40.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.00 $1.00

18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.16 $2.16

-28.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.40

$1.60 $1.60

-0.63%

Eggs

$3.05 €2.67

$2.39 $2.39

27.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 €12.59

$4.59 $4.59

213.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 €7.40

$2.25 $2.25

276.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 €13.96

$5.69 $5.69

180.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$6.74 $6.74

-62.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$4.60 $4.60

-54.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$2.35 $2.35

-14.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.33

$2.35 $2.35

13.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$3.39 $3.39

-46.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$3.41 $3.41

-44.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.18

$2.25 $2.25

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$0.48 $0.48

56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.56

$4.70 $4.70

35.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.04

$8.08 $8.08

-28.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.14

$1.13 $1.13

15.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.85

$2.32 $2.32

-9.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.02 $1.02

68.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.11 €30.75

$41.18 $41.18

-14.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 €4.00

$1.53 $1.53

198.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 €1.14

$2.11 $2.11

-38.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.70 €23.39

$42.45 $42.45

-37.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$0.74 $0.74

144.59%

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

$39.2K €34.4K

$23.6K $23.6K

66.40%

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

$30.6K €26.8K

$29.3K $29.3K

4.48%

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

$153 €134

$34.48 $34.48

342.37%

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

$20.36 €17.84

$11.34 $11.34

79.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.00 €29.78

$47.07 $47.07

-27.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 €42.15

$43.36 $43.36

11.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 €14.13

$14.76 $14.76

9.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.37 €8.21

$7.99 $7.99

17.27%

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

$520 €455

$111 $111

370.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,909

$2,153 $2,153

372.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €75.3

$22.90 $22.90

275.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.75 €32.18

$28.80 $28.80

27.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 €80.3

$63.7 $63.7

44.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.9

$86.7 $86.7

25.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 €913

$98.1 $98.1

963.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 €730

$107 $107

680.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 €1,466

$1,478 $1,478

13.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 €1,071

$217 $217

464.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,642

$1,689 $1,689

146.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,629 €2,303

$1,421 $1,421

85.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,965 €1,721

$234 $234

738.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

7.11

-50.63%

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

Last update for Spain: July 12, 2026

Last update for North Korea: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $897 in Spain vs $17.00 in North Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,607 in Madrid and $92.0 in Pyongyang.

Average salary: $1,989 in Spain vs $230 in North Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 5176% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 1225% more in Spain.

Public transport is 725% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 765% higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in North Korea.

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

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

North Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 497% 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 North Korea, contributing to the overall 497% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in North Korea, but in Spain it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

North 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.