Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and North Korea

Name: North Korea
Address: KP

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $838 in North Korea, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in North Korea despite lower rent and utilities.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
Learn more

North Korea Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $838 in North Korea.

China $791
North Korea $838

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,313 in North Korea.

China $1,251
North Korea $1,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $1,788 in North Korea.

China $1,711
North Korea $1,788

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $415–$709 in North Korea. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 6% less than in North Korea on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, North Korea 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.76

$2.86 $2.86

4.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$22.87 $22.87

-3.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.51

$19.38 $19.38

-73.17%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.68

$1.09 $1.09

172.48%

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

$0.48 ¥3.18

$2.21 $2.21

-78.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.00

$1.21 $1.21

-75.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.16

$13.17 $13.17

-91.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.11

$3.42 $3.42

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.93

$0.88 $0.88

104.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.12

$2.47 $2.47

-31.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$1.56 $1.56

-41.03%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.70

$2.99 $2.99

-46.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥88.8

$5.04 $5.04

165.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.22

$3.89 $3.89

-13.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.3

$5.68 $5.68

99.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.09

$6.07 $6.07

-70.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.67

$4.95 $4.95

-73.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.86

$2.20 $2.20

-32.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.45

$2.26 $2.26

-43.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.72

$4.45 $4.45

-84.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$4.49 $4.49

-79.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.11

$2.22 $2.22

-72.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$0.46 $0.46

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.08

$4.54 $4.54

-16.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.5

$7.76 $7.76

56.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.52

$1.13 $1.13

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.18

$2.18 $2.18

-22.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.00 $1.00

-71.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥118

$38.76 $38.76

-54.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.87

$1.47 $1.47

1.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$2.19 $2.19

-83.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.11

$40.90 $40.90

-82.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.35

$0.70 $0.70

80.00%

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

$19.4K ¥129.1K

$22.2K $22.2K

-12.42%

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

$17.5K ¥116.4K

$27.9K $27.9K

-37.23%

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

$54.6 ¥362

$34.10 $34.10

60.00%

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

$8.73 ¥58.0

$10.98 $10.98

-20.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.5

$44.81 $44.81

-75.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$58.2 $58.2

-29.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.1

$14.76 $14.76

-1.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.00

$7.90 $7.90

-14.18%

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

$517 ¥3,429

$105 $105

393.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.5K

$2,086 $2,086

849.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥309

$21.90 $21.90

112.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$28.28 $28.28

26.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥511

$60.7 $60.7

26.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥533

$83.1 $83.1

-3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,560

$93.9 $93.9

311.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,557

$106 $106

122.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,454

$1,404 $1,404

-41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,007

$205 $205

121.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.2K

$1,698 $1,698

176.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.7K

$1,380 $1,380

71.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,255

$230 $230

375.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

7.11

-51.34%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

North Korea

$106 12.6% 55% $129

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

North Korea

$246 29.3% 17% $36

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

North Korea

$87 10.4% 19% $20

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

North Korea

$180 21.5% 105% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

North Korea

$90 10.7% 20.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

North Korea

$74 8.8% 36.2% $20

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

North Korea

$55 6.6% 147% $33

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $89 in North Korea. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $88 in Pyongyang.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $228 in North Korea. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 235% higher in China.

Dining out costs 32% more in North Korea.

Public transport is 111% more expensive in North Korea.

Salaries are about 3.8 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇰🇵 North Korea

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

12:02 12:02 PM

1 h ahead of China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

26,418,204

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.44 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

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

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China North Korea 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

China
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

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

At $791 per month in China and $838 in North Korea, China comes out about 6% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.