Cost of living in North Korea
Food | |||
---|---|---|---|
Basic lunchtime menu (including a drink) in the business district | 5,400 ₩ | ||
Combo meal in fast food restaurant (big mac meal or similar) | 4,500 ₩ | ||
500 gr (1 lb.) of boneless chicken breast | 2,700 ₩ | ||
1 liter (1 qt.) of whole fat milk | 1,350 ₩ | ||
12 eggs, large | 9,000 ₩ | ||
1 kg (2 lb.) of tomatoes | 2,700 ₩ | ||
500 gr (16 oz.) of local cheese | 3,600 ₩ | ||
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples | 2,700 ₩ | ||
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes | 4,394 ₩ | ||
0.5 l (16 oz) domestic beer in the supermarket | 3,600 ₩ | ||
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality | 11,700 ₩ | ||
2 liters of coca-cola | 2,700 ₩ | ||
Bread for 2 people for 1 day | 1,800 ₩ | ||
Housing | |||
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in expensive area | - | ||
Monthly rent for 85 m2 (900 sqft) furnished accommodation in normal area | - | ||
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 2 people in 85m2 flat | - | ||
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in expensive area | 1,000,000 ₩ | ||
Monthly rent for a 45 m2 (480 sqft) furnished studio in normal area | - | ||
Utilities 1 month (heating, electricity, gas ...) for 1 person in 45 m2 (480 sqft) studio | - | ||
Internet 8 mbps (1 month) | - | ||
40” flat screen tv | - | ||
Microwave 800/900 watt (bosch, panasonic, lg, sharp, or equivalent brands) | - | ||
Laundry detergent (3 l. ~ 100 oz.) | - | ||
Hourly rate for cleaning help | - | ||
Clothes | |||
1 pair of jeans (levis 501 or similar) | - | ||
1 summer dress in a high street store (zara, h&m or similar retailers) | - | ||
1 pair of sport shoes (nike, adidas, or equivalent brands) | - | ||
1 pair of men’s leather business shoes | - | ||
Transportation | |||
Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi 150 cv (or equivalent), with no extras, new | - | ||
1 liter (1/4 gallon) of gas | 1,000 ₩ | ||
Monthly ticket public transport | - | ||
Personal Care | |||
Cold medicine for 6 days (tylenol, frenadol, coldrex, or equivalent brands) | - | ||
1 box of antibiotics (12 doses) | - | ||
Short visit to private doctor (15 minutes) | - | ||
1 box of 32 tampons (tampax, ob, ...) | - | ||
Deodorant, roll-on (50ml ~ 1.5 oz.) | - | ||
Hair shampoo 2-in-1 (400 ml ~ 12 oz.) | - | ||
4 rolls of toilet paper | - | ||
Tube of toothpaste | - | ||
Standard men's haircut in expat area of the city | - | ||
Entertainment | |||
Basic dinner out for two in neighborhood pub | - | ||
2 tickets to the movies | - | ||
2 tickets to the theater (best available seats) | - | ||
Dinner for two at an italian restaurant in the expat area including appetisers, main course, wine and dessert | - | ||
1 cocktail drink in downtown club | - | ||
Cappuccino in expat area of the city | - | ||
1 beer in neighbourhood pub (500ml or 1pt.) | - | ||
Ipad wi-fi 128gb | - | ||
1 min. of prepaid mobile tariff (no discounts or plans) | - | ||
1 month of gym membership in business district | - | ||
1 package of marlboro cigarettes | - |
Map of Cost of Living in North Korea

This map shows only the top cities in North Korea. We also have on this page a list of all the cities available in Expatistan:
List of all the cities available in Expatistan
The color of each marker corresponds with the cost of living in the city red markers show more expensive cities green ones show cheaper cities
Moving the mouse on top of a city will show its name and the Cost of Living Index of that city.
What is the Cost of Living Index? To calculate each city's Price Index value, we start by assigning a value of 100 to a
central reference city (that happens to be Prague).
Once the reference point has been established, the Price Index value of every other city in the
database is calculated by comparing their cost of living to the cost of living in Prague.
Therefore, if a city has a Price Index of 134, that means that living there is 34% more expensive than living in Prague.
Recent Comparisons
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is about the same as in Dallas, Texas
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 122% more expensive than in Nanning
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 70% more expensive than in Naples
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 32% more expensive than in Burlington, Vermont
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 54% more expensive than in Townsville
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 93% more expensive than in Ciudad Juárez
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 33% more expensive than in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 92% more expensive than in Brno
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 183% more expensive than in Kolkata
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 77% more expensive than in Dakar
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 71% cheaper than in Atlanta, Georgia
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 34% more expensive than in Bacolod City
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 69% more expensive than in Shanghai
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 14% more expensive than in Tromsø
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 5% cheaper than in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 55% more expensive than in Florence
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 6% more expensive than in Toronto
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 138% more expensive than in Bogotá
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 44% more expensive than in Darwin
- Cost of living in Pyongyang is 99% more expensive than in León, Mexico