Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ongjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $711 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Ongjin
🇰🇵 North Korea
$711
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ongjin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $711 in Ongjin.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Ongjin $711

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,113 in Ongjin.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Ongjin $1,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $1,514 in Ongjin.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Ongjin $1,514

Living in Lisbon is roughly 213% more expensive than in Ongjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Ongjin is 47% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Ongjin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$2.71 $2.71
508.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$22.81 $22.81
168.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$8.04 $8.04
40.17%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$1.13 $1.13
170.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.94 $0.94
140.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$0.99 $0.99
74.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$6.89 $6.89
-50.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$2.17 $2.17
56.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Ongjin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.91 $0.91
23.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.58 $1.58
17.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$2.16 $2.16
-29.17%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.13 $3.13
26.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$4.47 $4.47
185.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$2.22 $2.22
255.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$5.64 $5.64
200.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$6.77 $6.77
-66.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$4.57 $4.57
-61.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.25 $2.25
-17.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$2.21 $2.21
16.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$3.26 $3.26
-42.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$3.45 $3.45
-41.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$2.26 $2.26
-36.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.46 $0.46
78.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$4.41 $4.41
48.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$7.99 $7.99
-29.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.10 $1.10
16.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.21 $2.21
-6.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Ongjin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$0.97 $0.97
142.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$39.70 $39.70
11.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$1.53 $1.53
160.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$2.27 $2.27
-51.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$39.99 $39.99
-58.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.70 $0.70
225.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$22.1K $22.1K
52.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$27.9K $27.9K
40.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Ongjin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$33.24 $33.24
403.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$11.00 $11.00
70.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$45.10 $45.10
-26.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Ongjin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$41.60 $41.60
10.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$14.47 $14.47
32.62%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$7.63 $7.63
28.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Ongjin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$107 $107
535.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$2,080 $2,080
713.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Ongjin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$22.73 $22.73
345.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$27.97 $27.97
63.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$60.7 $60.7
64.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$84.6 $84.6
45.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Ongjin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$89.7 $89.7
1698.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$87.9 $87.9
1262.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$2,189 $2,189
30.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$133 $133
1394.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$1,663 $1,663
355.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$1,376 $1,376
213.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Ongjin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$208 $208
663.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
7.11
-45.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ongjin: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Ongjin
$88 92.7% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Ongjin
$226 16.1% $43
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Ongjin
$106 56.3% $136
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Ongjin
$89 59.3% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Ongjin
$88 47% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Ongjin
$57 13.4% $8.8
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Ongjin
$56 10.3% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $89.7 in Ongjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 664% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $23.00 in Ongjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $226 per month, with Ongjin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇰🇵 Ongjin
🕒 Local time
10:16 10:16 AM
18:16 6:16 PM
8 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
152,878
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Ongjin 10,310 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Ongjin

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
Lisbon vs Ongjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Ongjin?
Lisbon and Ongjin differ by about 213% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $711 including rent). Ongjin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Ongjin?
Average pay runs 664% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Ongjin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $89.7 in Ongjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Ongjin?
Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $107 in Ongjin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $711 in Ongjin versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongjin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ongjin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Ongjin?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Lisbon or Ongjin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ongjin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Ongjin?
Expats usually find Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 213% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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