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

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,642 per month in Spain vs $1,429 in South Korea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,392 per month in Spain vs $2,249 in South Korea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,142 per month in Spain vs $3,068 in South Korea, rent included.

The cost of living in Spain is about 15% higher than in South Korea on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Spain and South Korea are pricier than the global median – Spain by 23%, South Korea by 7%.

The regional cost range is wider in Spain ($1,122–$3,254) than in South Korea ($1,229–$1,770), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.06 €14.00

$7.19 ₩10.4K

123.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €49.57

$43.49 ₩62.8K

30.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 €8.98

$5.71 ₩8,248

80.39%

Cappuccino

$2.32 €2.02

$3.67 ₩5,303

-36.78%

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

$2.60 €2.27

$1.57 ₩2,272

65.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.78 ₩1,126

135.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.99

$3.63 ₩5,243

-5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.46

$4.89 ₩7,060

-18.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$2.20 ₩3,181

-45.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.33

$3.06 ₩4,422

-50.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$3.10 ₩4,479

-46.13%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.60

$2.95 ₩4,263

1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 €12.58

$13.86 ₩20.0K

4.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 €7.49

$9.43 ₩13.6K

-8.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 €13.91

$30.00 ₩43.3K

-46.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$7.89 ₩11.4K

-68.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$3.56 ₩5,137

-41.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.78

$5.84 ₩8,432

-65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.30

$6.33 ₩9,136

-58.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.80 ₩5,490

-53.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.94 ₩4,243

-32.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.17

$2.46 ₩3,552

-45.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.65

$1.20 ₩1,739

-38.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.27 €5.46

$3.34 ₩4,819

87.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$14.93 ₩21.6K

-61.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.14

$2.03 ₩2,930

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.93 ₩4,235

-29.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.09 ₩1,572

62.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €30.07

$46.70 ₩67.4K

-26.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 €3.91

$3.22 ₩4,644

39.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.15

$0.57 ₩827

131.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.12 €23.64

$8.75 ₩12.6K

209.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.19 ₩1,718

51.26%

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

$38.2K €33.3K

$27.4K ₩39.6M

39.48%

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

$30.8K €26.9K

$24.3K ₩35.1M

26.53%

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

$149 €130

$169 ₩243.3K

-11.70%

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

$20.14 €17.56

$41.27 ₩59.6K

-51.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.50 €29.21

$22.12 ₩31.9K

51.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.30 €40.37

$53.1 ₩76.6K

-12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.61 €13.61

$20.08 ₩29.0K

-22.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.40 €8.20

$10.90 ₩15.7K

-13.76%

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

$522 €455

$383 ₩552.2K

36.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,880 €8,613

$23.2K ₩33.5M

-57.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 €76.8

$57.6 ₩83.1K

52.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.98 €31.36

$48.05 ₩69.4K

-25.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 €77.6

$80.3 ₩116.0K

10.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.2

$109 ₩157.8K

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 €906

$614 ₩885.6K

69.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 €715

$408 ₩588.9K

100.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 €1,472

$1,580 ₩2.3M

6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 €1,058

$977 ₩1.4M

24.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,301 €3,750

$14.4K ₩20.8M

-70.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,604 €2,270

$7,535 ₩10.9M

-65.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,982 €1,728

$2,161 ₩3.1M

-8.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

4.2

-16.43%

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

Last update for Spain: July 27, 2026

Last update for South Korea: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $898 in Spain vs $457 in South Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,561 in Madrid and $964 in Seoul.

Average salary: $1,989 in Spain vs $1,951 in South Korea. 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

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

South Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 46% 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 46% 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.