Wage Cost

Country comparison

Italy vs Korea

Compare average wages, historical trends and everyday price levels across two economies. A common wage-year frame and a visible United States = 100 price benchmark keep the view comparable.

All Countries
Italy$53,8642025 · PPP-adjusted annual wage

Overall Price Level: 64.10 · 2024

Data reviewed: August 2026

Korea$61,2592025 · PPP-adjusted annual wage

Overall Price Level: 60.10 · 2024

Data reviewed: August 2026

Compare average wages, historical trends and everyday price levels across two economies. A common wage-year frame and a visible United States = 100 price benchmark keep the view comparable.

Wage trend comparison

How Wages Have Changed

$63k$60k$57k$53k$50k20152025PPP-adjusted annual wage (USD)

USD PPP, constant 2025 prices · click a legend name to hide it; at least one line remains.

Price Level Comparison

Compare Everyday Price Levels

Compare eight consumer price categories using the United States benchmark of 100.

OverallItaly +4.0
FoodKorea +49.3
ClothingKorea +7.7
HousingItaly +12.8
HealthItaly +15.8
TransportItaly +26.1
RecreationItaly +2.8
RestaurantsItaly +7.0
Italy 64.10Korea 60.10
Overall
Italy 64.10
Korea 60.10
Difference Italy +4.00
Food
Italy 86.70
Korea 136.00
Difference Korea +49.30
Clothing
Italy 95.30
Korea 103.00
Difference Korea +7.70
Housing
Italy 50.80
Korea 38.00
Difference Italy +12.80
Health
Italy 52.80
Korea 37.00
Difference Italy +15.80
Transport
Italy 99.90
Korea 73.80
Difference Italy +26.10
Recreation
Italy 74.40
Korea 71.60
Difference Italy +2.80
Restaurants
Italy 89.40
Korea 82.40
Difference Italy +7.00

Key Differences

Understanding Italy and Korea

Italy records an lower 2025 PPP-adjusted annual wage than Korea, while both countries have overall price levels below the U.S. benchmark in 2024. The page keeps the arithmetic difference visible but does not turn it into a causal explanation or a living-standard judgement.

Wage Comparison

Korea shows the higher PPP-adjusted annual wage: $7,395 (13.7%) more than Italy. Over the latest reported year, both economies recorded positive one-year wage changes (+1.17% and +0.58%). The widest price category gap is Food at 49.3 index points, and both overall price levels sit below the U.S. benchmark of 100 in 2024. Wages are reported for 2025, while prices cover 2024; the two datasets are labelled separately.

Price Profile

Both overall price indices remain below the United States benchmark. Italy is marginally higher overall, while the largest category difference appears in Food, where Korea exceeds Italy by 49.3 index points. Each value remains relative to the United States = 100 benchmark.

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Data Notes

Wage data: 2025 common-year PPP-adjusted annual wages. Price data: 2022–2024, United States = 100. Missing values display – without zero fill, interpolation, or automatic year fallback.

Data reviewed: August 2026