Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and India

Name: India
Address: IN

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $838 in North Korea, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
Learn more

North Korea Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index

Jump to prices

🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $838 in North Korea versus $399 in India.

North Korea $838
India $399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,313 in North Korea versus $639 in India.

North Korea $1,313
India $639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,788 in North Korea versus $879 in India.

North Korea $1,788
India $879

Internal cost variation is higher in India: monthly costs span $230 to $813, compared to $415–$709 in North Korea. City choice carries more weight in India.

Living in North Korea is roughly 110% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: North Korea 38% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 $2.86

$2.14 ₹203

33.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 $22.87

$10.46 ₹993

118.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 $19.38

$3.80 ₹360

410.00%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$1.68 ₹159

-35.12%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$0.38 ₹35.91

481.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.15 ₹14.57

706.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.17 $13.17

$1.87 ₹177

604.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.18 ₹302

7.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.62 ₹59.1

41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.50 ₹47.66

394.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.63 ₹60.2

147.62%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$0.96 ₹91.1

211.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.85 ₹460

3.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.84 ₹270

36.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.00 ₹190

203.50%

Banana (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$0.65 ₹61.3

661.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.97 ₹92.1

126.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.47 ₹44.21

380.85%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$0.34 ₹31.81

1208.82%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$0.42 ₹39.64

969.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.47 ₹44.30

372.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.31 ₹29.61

48.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 $4.54

$5.08 ₹482

-10.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$7.31 ₹693

6.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.63 ₹154

-30.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.76 ₹262

-21.01%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.11 ₹485

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.26 ₹24.80

284.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.76 $38.76

$8.58 ₹814

351.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.00 ₹94.5

47.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.27 ₹25.68

711.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.90 $40.90

$1.54 ₹146

2555.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.07 ₹102

-34.58%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$11.2K ₹1.1M

97.97%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$20.1K ₹1.9M

39.35%

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

$34.10 $34.10

$37.08 ₹3,519

-8.04%

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

$10.98 $10.98

$3.58 ₹340

206.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 $44.81

$7.15 ₹678

526.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$15.00 ₹1,424

288.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 $14.76

$7.17 ₹680

105.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 $7.90

$3.20 ₹303

146.88%

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

$105 $105

$58.8 ₹5,580

78.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,086 $2,086

$1,667 ₹158.2K

25.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.90 $21.90

$23.03 ₹2,186

-4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 $28.28

$24.17 ₹2,294

17.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$41.20 ₹3,910

47.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 $83.1

$29.62 ₹2,811

180.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 $93.9

$146 ₹13.9K

-35.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 $106

$96.4 ₹9,145

9.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$343 ₹32.5K

309.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 $205

$234 ₹22.2K

-12.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,698 $1,698

$1,177 ₹111.7K

44.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 $1,380

$633 ₹60.1K

117.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 $230

$409 ₹38.8K

-43.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

8.93

-20.38%

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

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

North Korea

$246 29.3%

India

$102 25.6% 58.4% $144

Eating Out

North Korea

$180 21.5%

India

$67 16.7% 63.1% $114

Accommodation & Living

North Korea

$106 12.6%

India

$96 24.1% 8.7% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Korea

$90 10.7%

India

$48 12% 46.8% $42

Clothing & Footwear

North Korea

$87 10.4%

India

$53 13.3% 39.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

North Korea

$74 8.8%

India

$21 5.4% 71.1% $53

Getting Around

North Korea

$55 6.6%

India

$12 3% 78.3% $43

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $89 in North Korea, $120 in India. Capital cities: $88 in Pyongyang vs $277 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $228 in North Korea, $412 in India. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 35% higher in India.

Dining out costs 164% more in North Korea.

Public transport is 375% more expensive in North Korea.

Salaries are 81% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇰🇵 North Korea

🇮🇳 India

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

08:06 8:06 AM

3 h 30 min behind North Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,418,204

1,326,093,247

💱 Currency

USD USD

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.54 USD

1,000 INR = 9.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 94.9 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.4 EUR).

INR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

North Korea India 4,570 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

North Korea
India

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $838 in North Korea, India comes out about 52% cheaper. 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 cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.