Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and North Korea

Name: North Korea
Address: KP

For one person, living is cheaper in North Korea: $838 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
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North Korea Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in North Korea

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Australia vs $838 in North Korea, rent included.

Australia $2,626
North Korea $838

A couple spends around $3,810 per month in Australia vs $1,313 in North Korea, rent included.

Australia $3,810
North Korea $1,313

A family of three spends $4,994 per month in Australia vs $1,788 in North Korea, rent included.

Australia $4,994
North Korea $1,788

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in North Korea ($415–$709), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 213% higher than in North Korea on average.

Australia sits 93% above the global median, while North Korea is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 A$25.20

$2.86 $2.86

517.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 A$122

$22.87 $22.87

272.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.84

$19.38 $19.38

-42.78%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.56

$1.09 $1.09

257.80%

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

$2.85 A$4.07

$2.21 $2.21

28.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.30

$1.21 $1.21

90.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 A$10.75

$13.17 $13.17

-42.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.59 A$12.26

$3.42 $3.42

151.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.51

$0.88 $0.88

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 A$4.01

$2.47 $2.47

13.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.20

$1.56 $1.56

43.59%

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.17

$2.99 $2.99

67.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.09

$5.04 $5.04

95.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 A$13.30

$3.89 $3.89

139.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 A$21.23

$5.68 $5.68

161.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 A$5.45

$6.07 $6.07

-37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.18

$4.95 $4.95

-41.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.48

$2.20 $2.20

42.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.87

$2.26 $2.26

112.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$4.45 $4.45

-37.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.40

$4.49 $4.49

-46.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.39

$2.22 $2.22

6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.36

$0.46 $0.46

258.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.13 A$55.9

$4.54 $4.54

761.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.89

$7.76 $7.76

79.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.08

$1.13 $1.13

338.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.39

$2.18 $2.18

137.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 A$3.45

$1.00 $1.00

142.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$135

$38.76 $38.76

144.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.99

$1.47 $1.47

137.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.28

$2.19 $2.19

-26.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.84 A$56.9

$40.90 $40.90

-2.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.98

$0.70 $0.70

98.57%

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

$30.0K A$42.9K

$22.2K $22.2K

35.15%

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

$25.8K A$36.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

-7.82%

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

$205 A$293

$34.10 $34.10

501.29%

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

$28.33 A$40.46

$10.98 $10.98

158.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 A$83.9

$44.81 $44.81

31.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.5

$58.2 $58.2

-4.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.57 A$27.95

$14.76 $14.76

32.59%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$21.96

$7.90 $7.90

94.68%

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

$2,145 A$3,064

$105 $105

1948.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$26.2K

$2,086 $2,086

779.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$112

$21.90 $21.90

257.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$80.4

$28.28 $28.28

98.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$60.7 $60.7

89.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$176

$83.1 $83.1

48.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 A$2,272

$93.9 $93.9

1595.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 A$1,846

$106 $106

1124.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 A$3,605

$1,404 $1,404

79.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 A$2,864

$205 $205

879.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,751 A$12.5K

$1,698 $1,698

415.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,260 A$8,940

$1,380 $1,380

353.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 A$5,689

$230 $230

1632.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

7.11

-16.60%

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

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.3K 49.2%

North Korea

$106 12.6% 91.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$374 14.3%

North Korea

$246 29.3% 34.3% $128

Eating Out

Australia

$297 11.3%

North Korea

$180 21.5% 39.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$292 11.1%

North Korea

$90 10.7% 69.2% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$168 6.4%

North Korea

$87 10.4% 48% $81

Getting Around

Australia

$116 4.4%

North Korea

$55 6.6% 52.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$86 3.3%

North Korea

$74 8.8% 14.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,383 in Australia vs $89 in North Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,749 in Canberra and $88 in Pyongyang.

Average salary: $3,874 in Australia vs $228 in North Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1454% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 190% more in Australia.

Public transport is 121% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 17 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇰🇵 North Korea

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

12:02 12:02 PM

2 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

26,418,204

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Australia North Korea 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
North Korea

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

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

North Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 68% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $89 in North Korea.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in North Korea – part of why living there is about 68% cheaper overall.

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

North 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.