Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Pyongyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $426 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $30,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
Learn more

Hong Kong Living Index
12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
Learn more

Pyongyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong and in Pyongyang

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

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $426 in Pyongyang, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Pyongyang $426

A couple spends around $4,558 per month in Hong Kong vs $696 in Pyongyang, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,558
Pyongyang $696

A family of three spends $6,132 per month in Hong Kong vs $965 in Pyongyang, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,132
Pyongyang $965

Hong Kong costs about 600% more than Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 123% above the global median, while Pyongyang is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 HK$66.4

$4.93 $4.93

71.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 HK$496

$36.47 $36.47

73.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.20 HK$48.66

$21.96 $21.96

-71.77%

Cappuccino

$4.90 HK$38.41

$1.13 $1.13

333.63%

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

$1.27 HK$10.01

$2.19 $2.19

-42.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HK$8.31

$1.28 $1.28

-17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 HK$60.3

$13.69 $13.69

-43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 HK$49.24

$4.83 $4.83

30.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 HK$22.45

$0.92 $0.92

210.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 HK$19.10

$2.37 $2.37

2.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 HK$17.09

$0.91 $0.91

139.56%

Eggs

$3.54 HK$27.80

$2.08 $2.08

70.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.12 HK$197

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 HK$69.8

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 HK$138

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 HK$32.22

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 HK$21.32

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 HK$36.05

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 HK$31.52

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 HK$25.50

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 HK$25.70

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 HK$12.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 HK$13.56

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.14 HK$103

Wine (Bottle)

$16.59 HK$130

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 HK$15.80

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 HK$11.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.1 HK$699

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 HK$28.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 HK$10.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 HK$124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.06 HK$31.89

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

$44.4K HK$348.2K

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

$37.4K HK$293.2K

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

$247 HK$1,942

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

$15.89 HK$125

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.46 HK$168

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 HK$717

$75.9 $75.9

20.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 HK$71.3

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 HK$110

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

$1,155 HK$9,067

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K HK$174.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 HK$541

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 HK$317

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 HK$627

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 HK$923

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 HK$17.1K

$91.0 $91.0

2295.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$89.7 $89.7

1814.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,047 HK$39.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,543 HK$27.8K

$135 $135

2527.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.1K HK$228.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 HK$25.3K

$250 $250

1188.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 4, 2026

Last update for Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.5%

Pyongyang

$90 21.3% 94.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$415 13.9%

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7% 89.2% $370

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$285 9.5%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$205 6.9%

Pyongyang

$211 50% 2.7% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$138 4.6%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$119 4%

Pyongyang

$76 * 18% 36.4% $43

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,180 in Hong Kong versus $91.0 in Pyongyang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1189% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Hong Kong versus $36.00 in Pyongyang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $45.00 – making Pyongyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

19:09 7:09 PM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

3,255,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.114 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.79 HKD (1 HKD = 0.114 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hong Kong Pyongyang 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Pyongyang

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

Hong Kong vs Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $426 in Pyongyang – roughly 600% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $639 in Pyongyang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pyongyang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Hong Kong and $36.00 in Pyongyang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $426 in Pyongyang. That's a gap of about 600%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pyongyang, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Pyongyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $426 in Pyongyang to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pyongyang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.