Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and North Korea

Name: North Korea
Address: KP

For one person, living is cheaper in North Korea: $838 a month against $865 in Brazil, rent and utilities included – about $320 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brazil outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
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Brazil Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
Learn more

North Korea Living Index

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🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil 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 Brazil and in North Korea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $865 per month in Brazil vs $838 in North Korea, rent included.

Brazil $865
North Korea $838

A couple spends around $1,373 per month in Brazil vs $1,313 in North Korea, rent included.

Brazil $1,373
North Korea $1,313

A family of three spends $1,880 per month in Brazil vs $1,788 in North Korea, rent included.

Brazil $1,880
North Korea $1,788

The regional cost range is wider in Brazil ($569–$1,349) than in North Korea ($415–$709), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Brazil is about 3% higher than in North Korea on average.

Both Brazil and North Korea are more affordable than the global median – Brazil 36% lower, North Korea 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 R$35.64

$2.86 $2.86

129.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.71 R$167

$22.87 $22.87

34.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 R$40.53

$19.38 $19.38

-61.56%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R$10.38

$1.09 $1.09

75.23%

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

$1.15 R$6.28

$2.21 $2.21

-47.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.11

$1.21 $1.21

-37.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$10.05

$13.17 $13.17

-85.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 R$15.53

$3.42 $3.42

-16.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.61

$0.88 $0.88

17.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$8.51

$2.47 $2.47

-36.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.71

$1.56 $1.56

-20.51%

Eggs

$2.10 R$11.44

$2.99 $2.99

-29.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R$48.21

$5.04 $5.04

75.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 R$21.71

$3.89 $3.89

2.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 R$42.17

$5.68 $5.68

36.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$11.71

$6.07 $6.07

-64.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.91

$4.95 $4.95

-74.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.28

$2.20 $2.20

-47.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.31

$2.26 $2.26

-32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.31

$4.45 $4.45

-73.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.54

$4.49 $4.49

-77.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$4.03

$2.22 $2.22

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.90

$0.46 $0.46

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 R$12.26

$4.54 $4.54

-50.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 R$41.59

$7.76 $7.76

-1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$7.09

$1.13 $1.13

15.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.77

$2.18 $2.18

-0.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.11

$1.00 $1.00

-6.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.00 R$239

$38.76 $38.76

13.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.68

$1.47 $1.47

-16.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R$5.20

$2.19 $2.19

-56.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 R$40.34

$40.90 $40.90

-81.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.60

$0.70 $0.70

72.86%

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

$22.1K R$120.4K

$22.2K $22.2K

-0.25%

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

$31.6K R$171.6K

$27.9K $27.9K

12.97%

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

$77.2 R$420

$34.10 $34.10

126.33%

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

$12.44 R$67.6

$10.98 $10.98

13.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 R$108

$44.81 $44.81

-55.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 R$132

$58.2 $58.2

-58.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.46 R$138

$14.76 $14.76

72.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 R$37.97

$7.90 $7.90

-11.65%

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

$316 R$1,717

$105 $105

201.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 R$45.1K

$2,086 $2,086

297.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 R$268

$21.90 $21.90

125.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 R$249

$28.28 $28.28

61.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 R$454

$60.7 $60.7

37.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 R$357

$83.1 $83.1

-21.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 R$2,028

$93.9 $93.9

297.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,362

$106 $106

137.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R$3,908

$1,404 $1,404

-48.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 R$2,666

$205 $205

139.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,795 R$9,758

$1,698 $1,698

5.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 R$6,900

$1,380 $1,380

-8.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 R$2,699

$230 $230

115.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

7.11

57.10%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brazil

$251 29%

North Korea

$106 12.6% 57.9% $145

Groceries & Markets

Brazil

$183 21.2%

North Korea

$246 29.3% 34.2% $63

Eating Out

Brazil

$120 13.9%

North Korea

$180 21.5% 50% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Brazil

$110 12.7%

North Korea

$87 10.4% 20.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazil

$109 12.6%

North Korea

$90 10.7% 17.9% $20

Getting Around

Brazil

$54 6.2%

North Korea

$55 6.6% 2.6% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Brazil

$38 4.4%

North Korea

$74 8.8% 93.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $335 in Brazil vs $89 in North Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $517 in Brasilia and $88 in Pyongyang.

Average salary: $468 in Brazil vs $228 in North Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 276% higher in Brazil.

Salaries are about 2.1 times higher in Brazil, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brazil.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇰🇵 North Korea

🕒 Local time

00:28 12:28 AM

12:28 12:28 PM

12 h ahead of Brazil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

203,062,512

26,418,204

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

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

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brazil North Korea 17,360 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazil
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

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

North Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 3% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Brazil: a central one-bedroom averages $335 versus $89 in North Korea.

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.