Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Pyongyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $426 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $426 in Pyongyang.

Melbourne $2,852
Pyongyang $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $696 in Pyongyang.

Melbourne $4,297
Pyongyang $696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $965 in Pyongyang.

Melbourne $5,742
Pyongyang $965

Living in Melbourne is roughly 569% more expensive than in Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 113% above, Pyongyang is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.40

$4.93 $4.93

260.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$121

$36.47 $36.47

132.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.40

$21.96 $21.96

-44.63%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.62

$1.13 $1.13

247.79%

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

$3.14 A$4.49

$2.19 $2.19

43.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

$1.28 $1.28

89.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

$13.69 $13.69

-27.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

$4.83 $4.83

71.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$0.92 $0.92

68.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.31

$2.37 $2.37

27.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$0.91 $0.91

216.48%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.79

$2.08 $2.08

161.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.16

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.76

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.46

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.94

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.37

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.72

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.81

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.69

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

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

$233 A$333

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

$27.28 A$39.04

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.4

$75.9 $75.9

-30.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.48

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

$2,373 A$3,397

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

$91.0 $91.0

1782.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

$89.7 $89.7

1462.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

$135 $135

1775.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,051

$250 $250

1588.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Pyongyang

$90 21.3% 93.6% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7% 88.3% $340

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Pyongyang

$211 50% 32.8% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Pyongyang

$76 * 18% 12.7% $11

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 $1,713 in Melbourne and $91.0 in Pyongyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1588% 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $36.00 in Pyongyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $45.00 per month, with Pyongyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

3,255,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

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

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Pyongyang 8,770 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
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

Melbourne vs Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Pyongyang differ by about 569% in total monthly costs ($2,852 vs $426 including rent). Pyongyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1588% higher in Melbourne, 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: $1,713 in Melbourne versus $91.0 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 $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,852 per month in Melbourne versus $426 in Pyongyang – a 569% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $426 in Pyongyang versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pyongyang but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. 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, Melbourne 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 569% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.