Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and China Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $107 in North Korea versus $720 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $170 in North Korea versus $1,148 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $232 in North Korea versus $1,576 in China.

Living in North Korea costs about 85% less than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: North Korea 92% lower, China 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$2.93 ¥19.60

1.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.59 $23.59

$22.72 ¥152

3.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.83 $19.83

$5.07 ¥33.95

291.12%

Cappuccino

$1.19 $1.19

$2.94 ¥19.70

-59.52%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$0.48 ¥3.21

381.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.30 ¥2.02

340.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.19 $14.19

$1.06 ¥7.10

1238.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.25 ¥15.07

59.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.79 ¥11.99

-49.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.70 ¥11.35

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$0.96 ¥6.45

75.00%

Eggs

$3.00 $3.00

$1.61 ¥10.79

86.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$13.60 ¥91.1

-62.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.41 ¥22.84

22.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$11.07 ¥74.2

-46.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$1.81 ¥12.09

246.96%

Banana (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$1.30 ¥8.74

303.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.48 ¥9.91

58.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.30 ¥8.72

83.08%

Potato (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$0.72 ¥4.82

545.83%

Onion (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$0.94 ¥6.31

384.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.61 ¥4.08

290.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.56 ¥3.73

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.67 $4.67

$3.67 ¥24.58

27.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$11.90 ¥79.7

-33.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 $1.19

$0.83 ¥5.56

43.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.65 ¥11.08

38.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.29 ¥1.92

268.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.93 $39.93

$22.61 ¥151

76.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.45 ¥9.72

5.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.34 ¥2.31

564.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.44 $41.44

$7.27 ¥48.72

470.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.23 ¥8.26

-40.65%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$19.5K ¥130.9K

20.82%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$17.2K ¥115.5K

70.51%

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

$34.90 $34.90

$55.5 ¥371

-37.07%

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

$11.69 $11.69

$8.51 ¥57.0

37.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.69 $45.69

$10.81 ¥72.4

322.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 $61.6

$40.02 ¥268

53.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.80 ¥99.1

0.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 $7.93

$6.73 ¥45.09

17.83%

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

$113 $113

$454 ¥3,042

-75.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,171 $2,171

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-88.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.32 $23.32

$44.95 ¥301

-48.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.00 $29.00

$35.81 ¥240

-19.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.1 $63.1

$76.8 ¥514

-17.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 $85.9

$77.3 ¥518

11.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 $101

$385 ¥2,581

-73.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 $108

$242 ¥1,623

-55.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$837 ¥5,603

79.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 $214

$474 ¥3,177

-54.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,758 $1,758

$4,619 ¥30.9K

-61.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,437 $1,437

$2,316 ¥15.5K

-37.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$1,062 ¥7,110

-77.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

3.47

104.90%

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

Last update for North Korea: September 7, 2026

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $17.00 in North Korea, $295 in China. Capital cities: $94.0 in Pyongyang vs $957 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $232 in North Korea, $865 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1635% higher in China.

Dining out costs 250% more in China.

Public transport is 325% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 273% higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in North Korea.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $369 in North Korea, there's a 131% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in North Korea: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in China is consistently higher than in North Korea across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In North Korea, $1,200 covers most cities easily; in China it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: North Korea wins on affordability; China may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.