Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Pyongyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $414 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon 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 Lisbon and in Pyongyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $414 in Pyongyang.

Lisbon $2,202
Pyongyang $414

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $672 in Pyongyang.

Lisbon $3,274
Pyongyang $672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $930 in Pyongyang.

Lisbon $4,346
Pyongyang $930

Living in Lisbon is roughly 432% more expensive than in Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Pyongyang is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$4.81 $4.81

254.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$35.65 $35.65

74.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$21.06 $21.06

-47.67%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$1.09 $1.09

186.24%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.25 $2.25

0.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.24 $1.24

40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$13.23 $13.23

-74.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$4.84 $4.84

-22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.97 $0.97

20.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.30 $2.30

-19.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.89 $0.89

73.03%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$1.97 $1.97

106.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$74.8 $74.8

-38.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$88.8 $88.8

1690.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$90.4 $90.4

1193.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$133 $133

1393.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$244 $244

556.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pyongyang: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Pyongyang

$90 21.8% 92.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Pyongyang

$44 * 10.7% 83.8% $229

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Pyongyang

$205 49.4% 17.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Pyongyang

$75 * 18.1% 14.4% $9.4

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $88.8 in Pyongyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 557% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $36.00 in Pyongyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $44.00 per month, with Pyongyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

05:03 5:03 AM

8 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

3,255,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Pyongyang 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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

Lisbon vs Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Pyongyang differ by about 432% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $414 including rent). Pyongyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 557% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $88.8 in Pyongyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $414 in Pyongyang – a 432% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $414 in Pyongyang versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pyongyang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pyongyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Pyongyang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pyongyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 432% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.