Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $838 in North Korea, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in North Korea despite lower rent and utilities.

40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
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North Korea Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index

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🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

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🇨🇳 China

$791

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Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $838 in North Korea versus $791 in China.

North Korea $838
China $791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,313 in North Korea versus $1,251 in China.

North Korea $1,313
China $1,251

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,788 in North Korea versus $1,711 in China.

North Korea $1,788
China $1,711

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $415–$709 in North Korea. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in North Korea is roughly 6% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: North Korea 38% lower, China 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 $2.86

$2.98 ¥19.84

-4.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 $22.87

$22.09 ¥147

3.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 $19.38

$5.20 ¥34.66

272.69%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$2.97 ¥19.77

-63.30%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$0.48 ¥3.19

360.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.30 ¥2.01

303.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.17 $13.17

$1.08 ¥7.19

1119.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.28 ¥15.18

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.80 ¥11.98

-51.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.68 ¥11.17

47.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.92 ¥6.14

69.57%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$1.61 ¥10.75

85.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$13.38 ¥89.2

-62.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.35 ¥22.31

16.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$11.35 ¥75.7

-49.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$1.82 ¥12.14

233.52%

Banana (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.31 ¥8.71

277.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.49 ¥9.91

47.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.27 ¥8.49

77.95%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$0.71 ¥4.74

526.76%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$0.93 ¥6.22

382.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.62 ¥4.12

258.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.56 ¥3.75

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.78 ¥25.19

20.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$12.13 ¥80.9

-36.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.83 ¥5.55

36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.68 ¥11.23

29.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.29 ¥1.92

244.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.76 $38.76

$17.83 ¥119

117.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.49 ¥9.91

-1.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.37 ¥2.50

491.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.90 $40.90

$7.10 ¥47.31

476.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.26 ¥8.39

-44.44%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$19.4K ¥129.6K

14.18%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$17.5K ¥116.9K

59.32%

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

$34.10 $34.10

$54.6 ¥364

-37.50%

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

$10.98 $10.98

$8.73 ¥58.2

25.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 $44.81

$11.07 ¥73.8

304.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$40.77 ¥272

42.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.48 ¥96.5

1.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 $7.90

$6.78 ¥45.19

16.52%

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

$105 $105

$517 ¥3,443

-79.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,086 $2,086

$19.8K ¥132.0K

-89.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.90 $21.90

$46.53 ¥310

-52.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 $28.28

$35.66 ¥238

-20.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$77.0 ¥513

-21.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 $83.1

$80.3 ¥535

3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 $93.9

$386 ¥2,572

-75.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 $106

$235 ¥1,563

-55.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$822 ¥5,478

70.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 $205

$453 ¥3,020

-54.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,698 $1,698

$4,697 ¥31.3K

-63.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 $1,380

$2,372 ¥15.8K

-41.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 $230

$1,093 ¥7,286

-78.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

3.46

105.49%

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

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

North Korea

$246 29.3%

China

$210 26.5% 14.5% $36

Eating Out

North Korea

$180 21.5%

China

$88 11.1% 51.2% $92

Accommodation & Living

North Korea

$106 12.6%

China

$235 29.6% 122% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Korea

$90 10.7%

China

$74 9.4% 17.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

North Korea

$87 10.4%

China

$108 13.6% 23.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

North Korea

$74 8.8%

China

$54 6.9% 26.6% $20

Getting Around

North Korea

$55 6.6%

China

$22 2.8% 59.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $89 in North Korea, $298 in China. Capital cities: $88 in Pyongyang vs $933 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $228 in North Korea, $873 in China. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 235% higher in China.

Dining out costs 32% more in North Korea.

Public transport is 111% more expensive in North Korea.

Salaries are about 3.8 times higher in China, and purchasing power comes out stronger in China.

Good to know

🇰🇵 North Korea

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

13:25 1:25 PM

1 h behind North Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,418,204

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

North Korea China 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

North Korea
China

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $838 in North Korea, there’s a 6% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Overall, China is the cheaper option, but not in every category: rent, groceries, transport, and eating out each follow their own pattern. Check the categories you spend the most on before deciding.

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