Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

For one person, living is cheaper in North Korea: $838 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index

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🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $838 per month in North Korea vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.

North Korea $838
Canada $2,310

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in North Korea vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.

North Korea $1,313
Canada $3,356

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in North Korea vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.

North Korea $1,788
Canada $4,403

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in North Korea ($415–$709), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in North Korea is roughly 64% lower than in Canada on average.

North Korea sits 38% below the global median, while Canada is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 $2.86

$18.16 CA$25.39

-84.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 $22.87

$71.2 CA$99.5

-67.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 $19.38

$10.81 CA$15.11

79.28%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$3.78 CA$5.28

-71.16%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.11 CA$2.96

4.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.66 CA$2.32

-27.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.17 $13.17

$5.62 CA$7.85

134.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$5.72 CA$8.00

-40.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.17 CA$3.04

-59.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.60 CA$3.64

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$3.65 CA$5.11

-57.26%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$3.63 CA$5.07

-17.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$10.76 CA$15.04

-53.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$11.90 CA$16.63

-67.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$15.42 CA$21.56

-63.16%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.03 CA$5.63

50.62%

Banana (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.38 CA$1.94

258.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.88 CA$5.42

-43.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.08 CA$5.71

-44.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.57 CA$3.59

73.15%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.48 CA$3.46

81.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.65 CA$3.70

-16.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

$1.71 CA$2.40

-73.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 $4.54

$14.32 CA$20.01

-68.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$13.49 CA$18.85

-42.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.84 CA$3.97

-60.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.30 CA$4.62

-33.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.55 CA$3.57

-60.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.76 $38.76

$71.9 CA$101

-46.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.18 CA$4.44

-53.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.54 CA$2.15

42.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.90 $40.90

$26.69 CA$37.30

53.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.24 CA$1.74

-43.55%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$27.9K CA$39.0K

-20.36%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$21.1K CA$29.4K

32.63%

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

$34.10 $34.10

$147 CA$206

-76.86%

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

$10.98 $10.98

$41.80 CA$58.4

-73.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 $44.81

$60.2 CA$84.2

-25.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$39.01 CA$54.5

49.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 $14.76

$19.06 CA$26.64

-22.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 $7.90

$11.21 CA$15.67

-29.53%

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

$105 $105

$721 CA$1,008

-85.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,086 $2,086

$14.8K CA$20.7K

-85.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.90 $21.90

$55.3 CA$77.3

-60.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 $28.28

$38.95 CA$54.4

-27.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$87.4 CA$122

-30.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 $83.1

$101 CA$142

-17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 $93.9

$1,290 CA$1,804

-92.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 $106

$1,130 CA$1,579

-90.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$2,036 CA$2,846

-31.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 $205

$1,731 CA$2,419

-88.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,698 $1,698

$4,769 CA$6,665

-64.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 $1,380

$3,730 CA$5,213

-63.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 $230

$3,070 CA$4,290

-92.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

4.87

46.00%

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

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

North Korea

$246 29.3%

Canada

$371 16.1% 50.9% $125

Eating Out

North Korea

$180 21.5%

Canada

$278 12% 53.9% $97

Accommodation & Living

North Korea

$106 12.6%

Canada

$1.1K 48.9% 971% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Korea

$90 10.7%

Canada

$249 10.8% 178% $160

Clothing & Footwear

North Korea

$87 10.4%

Canada

$127 5.5% 45.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

North Korea

$74 8.8%

Canada

$61 2.7% 17% $13

Getting Around

North Korea

$55 6.6%

Canada

$93 4% 68.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $89 in North Korea vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $88 in Pyongyang and $1,434 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $228 in North Korea vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1304% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 121% more in Canada.

Public transport is 74% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇰🇵 North Korea

🇨🇦 Canada

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

21:49 9:49 PM

14 h behind North Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,418,204

36,991,981

💱 Currency

USD USD

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

North Korea Canada 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

North Korea
Canada

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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 64% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $89 in North Korea.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in North Korea – part of why living there is about 64% cheaper overall.

$1,200 buys a comfortable lifestyle in North Korea, but in Canada 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.