Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in North Korea: $838 a month against $2,626 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
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North Korea Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in North Korea and in Australia

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

A single person spends $838 per month in North Korea vs $2,626 in Australia, rent included.

North Korea $838
Australia $2,626

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in North Korea vs $3,810 in Australia, rent included.

North Korea $1,313
Australia $3,810

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in North Korea vs $4,994 in Australia, rent included.

North Korea $1,788
Australia $4,994

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,068–$3,303) than in North Korea ($415–$709), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in North Korea is roughly 68% lower than in Australia on average.

North Korea sits 38% below the global median, while Australia is 93% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 $2.86

$17.65 A$25.19

-83.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 $22.87

$85.2 A$122

-73.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 $19.38

$11.09 A$15.83

74.75%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$3.90 A$5.56

-72.05%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.85 A$4.07

-22.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.31 A$3.30

-47.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.17 $13.17

$7.53 A$10.75

74.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$8.59 A$12.25

-60.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.76 A$2.51

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.81 A$4.01

-12.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.24 A$3.20

-30.36%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$5.02 A$7.17

-40.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$9.87 A$14.08

-48.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$9.32 A$13.30

-58.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$14.86 A$21.21

-61.78%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.82 A$5.45

58.90%

Banana (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.92 A$4.17

69.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.13 A$4.47

-29.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.81 A$6.86

-53.01%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.80 A$4.00

58.93%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.38 A$3.40

88.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.37 A$3.39

-6.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

$1.65 A$2.36

-72.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 $4.54

$39.13 A$55.9

-88.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$13.93 A$19.88

-44.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$4.96 A$7.07

-77.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$5.17 A$7.38

-57.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.42 A$3.45

-58.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.76 $38.76

$94.6 A$135

-59.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.49 A$4.99

-57.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.60 A$2.28

36.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.90 $40.90

$39.84 A$56.9

2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.39 A$1.98

-49.64%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$30.0K A$42.8K

-26.01%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$25.8K A$36.8K

8.49%

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

$34.10 $34.10

$205 A$293

-83.37%

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

$10.98 $10.98

$28.33 A$40.44

-61.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 $44.81

$58.8 A$83.9

-23.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$55.7 A$79.4

4.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 $14.76

$19.57 A$27.94

-24.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 $7.90

$15.38 A$21.95

-48.63%

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

$105 $105

$2,145 A$3,062

-95.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,086 $2,086

$18.3K A$26.2K

-88.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.90 $21.90

$78.3 A$112

-72.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 $28.28

$56.3 A$80.3

-49.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$115 A$164

-47.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 $83.1

$123 A$176

-32.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 $93.9

$1,591 A$2,271

-94.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 $106

$1,293 A$1,845

-91.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$2,524 A$3,603

-44.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 $205

$2,005 A$2,862

-89.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,698 $1,698

$8,751 A$12.5K

-80.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 $1,380

$6,260 A$8,935

-77.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 $230

$3,984 A$5,686

-94.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

5.93

19.90%

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

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

North Korea

$246 29.3%

Australia

$374 14.3% 52.2% $128

Eating Out

North Korea

$180 21.5%

Australia

$297 11.3% 64.4% $116

Accommodation & Living

North Korea

$106 12.6%

Australia

$1.3K 49.2% 1125% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Korea

$90 10.7%

Australia

$292 11.1% 225% $202

Clothing & Footwear

North Korea

$87 10.4%

Australia

$168 6.4% 92.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

North Korea

$74 8.8%

Australia

$86 3.3% 16.7% $12

Getting Around

North Korea

$55 6.6%

Australia

$116 4.4% 110% $61

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $89 in North Korea vs $1,383 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $88 in Pyongyang and $1,749 in Canberra.

Average salary: $228 in North Korea vs $3,874 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1454% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 190% more in Australia.

Public transport is 121% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are about 17 times higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇰🇵 North Korea

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

13:49 1:49 PM

2 h ahead of North Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,418,204

26,473,055

💱 Currency

USD USD

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

North Korea Australia 8,600 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

North Korea
Australia

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

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

North Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 68% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,383 versus $89 in North Korea.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in North Korea – part of why living there is about 68% cheaper overall.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in North Korea, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

North Korea is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.