Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and Brazil

Name: Brazil
Address: BR

For one person, living is cheaper in North Korea: $838 a month against $865 in Brazil, rent and utilities included – about $320 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brazil outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
Learn more

North Korea Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
Learn more

Brazil Living Index

Jump to prices

🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Brazil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $838 per month in North Korea vs $865 in Brazil, rent included.

North Korea $838
Brazil $865

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in North Korea vs $1,373 in Brazil, rent included.

North Korea $1,313
Brazil $1,373

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in North Korea vs $1,880 in Brazil, rent included.

North Korea $1,788
Brazil $1,880

The regional cost range is wider in Brazil ($569–$1,349) than in North Korea ($415–$709), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in North Korea is roughly 3% lower than in Brazil on average.

Both North Korea and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – North Korea 38% lower, Brazil 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 $2.86

$6.55 R$35.64

-56.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 $22.87

$30.71 R$167

-25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 $19.38

$7.45 R$40.53

160.13%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$1.91 R$10.38

-42.93%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$1.15 R$6.28

92.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.76 R$4.11

59.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.17 $13.17

$1.85 R$10.05

611.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.86 R$15.53

19.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.03 R$5.61

-14.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.57 R$8.51

57.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.24 R$6.71

25.81%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$2.10 R$11.44

42.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$8.87 R$48.21

-43.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.99 R$21.71

-2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$7.76 R$42.17

-26.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.15 R$11.71

182.33%

Banana (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.27 R$6.91

289.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.16 R$6.28

89.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.53 R$8.31

47.71%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.16 R$6.31

283.62%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.02 R$5.54

340.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.74 R$4.03

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.72 R$3.90

-36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.25 R$12.26

101.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$7.65 R$41.59

1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.30 R$7.09

-13.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.16 R$11.77

0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.94 R$5.11

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.76 $38.76

$44.00 R$239

-11.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.23 R$6.68

19.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.96 R$5.20

128.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.90 $40.90

$7.42 R$40.34

451.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.21 R$6.60

-42.15%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$22.1K R$120.4K

0.25%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$31.6K R$171.6K

-11.48%

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

$34.10 $34.10

$77.2 R$420

-55.82%

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

$10.98 $10.98

$12.44 R$67.6

-11.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 $44.81

$19.80 R$108

126.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$24.36 R$132

139.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 $14.76

$25.46 R$138

-42.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 $7.90

$6.98 R$37.97

13.18%

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

$105 $105

$316 R$1,717

-66.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,086 $2,086

$8,298 R$45.1K

-74.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.90 $21.90

$49.37 R$268

-55.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 $28.28

$45.73 R$249

-38.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$83.4 R$454

-27.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 $83.1

$65.6 R$357

26.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 $93.9

$373 R$2,028

-74.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 $106

$251 R$1,362

-57.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$719 R$3,908

95.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 $205

$490 R$2,666

-58.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,698 $1,698

$1,795 R$9,758

-5.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 $1,380

$1,269 R$6,900

8.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 $230

$496 R$2,699

-53.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

11.17

-36.35%

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

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

North Korea

$246 29.3%

Brazil

$183 21.2% 25.5% $63

Eating Out

North Korea

$180 21.5%

Brazil

$120 13.9% 33.3% $60

Accommodation & Living

North Korea

$106 12.6%

Brazil

$251 29% 137% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Korea

$90 10.7%

Brazil

$109 12.6% 21.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

North Korea

$87 10.4%

Brazil

$110 12.7% 25.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

North Korea

$74 8.8%

Brazil

$38 4.4% 48.2% $36

Getting Around

North Korea

$55 6.6%

Brazil

$54 6.2% 2.5% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $89 in North Korea vs $335 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $88 in Pyongyang and $517 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $228 in North Korea vs $468 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 276% higher in Brazil.

Salaries are about 2.1 times higher in Brazil, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brazil.

Good to know

🇰🇵 North Korea

🇧🇷 Brazil

🕒 Local time

12:15 12:15 PM

00:15 12:15 AM

12 h behind North Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,418,204

203,062,512

💱 Currency

USD USD

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

North Korea Brazil 17,360 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

North Korea
Brazil

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 Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 3% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Brazil: a central one-bedroom averages $335 versus $89 in North Korea.

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.