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

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $89.0 in North Korea versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $140 in North Korea versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $191 in North Korea versus $846 in India.

Living in North Korea costs about 77% less than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: North Korea 93% lower, India 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$2.49 ₹237

18.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.49 $23.49

$14.20 ₹1,353

65.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.11 $13.11

$3.98 ₹379

229.40%

Cappuccino

$1.18 $1.18

$1.88 ₹179

-37.23%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$0.44 ₹41.98

402.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.19 ₹18.57

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.14 $14.14

$2.02 ₹192

600.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.45 ₹329

-17.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.72 ₹68.3

30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 $2.08

$0.52 ₹49.26

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.72 ₹68.7

125.00%

Eggs

$2.51 $2.51

$0.93 ₹88.8

169.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$5.24 ₹499

-9.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$3.07 ₹292

-23.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$2.17 ₹207

210.14%

Banana (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$0.76 ₹72.2

525.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.05 ₹100

122.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.53 ₹50.7

324.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$0.39 ₹37.53

766.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$0.49 ₹46.81

614.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.52 ₹49.35

351.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.33 ₹31.13

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.05 ₹386

11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$7.39 ₹704

7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.84 ₹175

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.90 ₹277

-20.69%

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

$5.65 ₹538

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.36 ₹34.59

191.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.91 $39.91

$9.74 ₹928

309.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.95 ₹90.6

66.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.30 ₹28.64

576.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.06 $41.06

$1.73 ₹165

2273.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.23 ₹117

-41.46%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

63.85%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$22.6K ₹2.2M

30.37%

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

$34.83 $34.83

$40.88 ₹3,894

-14.80%

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

$11.58 $11.58

$3.91 ₹372

196.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.48 $46.48

$7.81 ₹744

495.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.32 $44.32

$16.15 ₹1,538

174.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.79 $14.79

$7.49 ₹713

97.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 $8.15

$3.42 ₹326

138.30%

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

$112 $112

$69.9 ₹6,660

60.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,153 $2,153

$1,793 ₹170.8K

20.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.78 $22.78

$25.83 ₹2,460

-11.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.75 $28.75

$26.61 ₹2,535

8.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 $63.0

$45.24 ₹4,309

39.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 $86.6

$33.68 ₹3,208

157.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$99.7 $99.7

$178 ₹17.0K

-44.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$110 $110

$115 ₹10.9K

-4.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 $1,447

$407 ₹38.8K

255.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$215 $215

$264 ₹25.1K

-18.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 $1,755

$1,240 ₹118.1K

41.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 $1,445

$631 ₹60.1K

128.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$243 $243

$432 ₹41.2K

-43.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

9.02

-21.18%

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

Last update for North Korea: June 1, 2026

Last update for India: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $17.00 in North Korea, $127 in India. Capital cities: $93.0 in Pyongyang vs $239 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $234 in North Korea, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 647% higher in India.

Dining out costs 175% more in India.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 70% higher in India, giving North Korea stronger purchasing power.

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 $576 per month in India and $369 in North Korea, there's a 56% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

North Korea is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 India beats 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 India, it works in regional areas but 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; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.