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: $107 in North Korea versus $366 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $170 in North Korea versus $581 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $232 in North Korea versus $795 in India.

Living in North Korea costs about 71% less than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: North Korea 92% lower, India 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$2.15 ₹205

37.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.59 $23.59

$10.42 ₹996

126.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.83 $19.83

$3.59 ₹343

452.37%

Cappuccino

$1.19 $1.19

$1.67 ₹160

-28.74%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$0.39 ₹37.26

492.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.17 ₹15.92

676.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$14.19 $14.19

$1.87 ₹179

658.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.18 ₹304

12.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.64 ₹61.1

42.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.45 ₹42.66

455.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$0.63 ₹59.9

166.67%

Eggs

$3.00 $3.00

$0.87 ₹83.5

244.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$4.62 ₹442

10.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.86 ₹273

46.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

Apples (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$1.95 ₹186

222.05%

Banana (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$0.67 ₹64.3

682.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.99 ₹94.3

136.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.51 ₹48.45

366.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$0.35 ₹33.23

1228.57%

Onion (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$0.42 ₹39.69

983.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.44 ₹41.87

440.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 $0.44

$0.31 ₹29.80

41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.67 $4.67

$5.14 ₹491

-9.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.58 ₹724

4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.67 ₹160

-28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.79 ₹266

-17.92%

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

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.25 ₹23.64

328.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.93 $39.93

$8.53 ₹815

368.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.94 ₹89.4

62.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.27 ₹25.96

737.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.44 $41.44

$1.60 ₹153

2490.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.12 ₹107

-34.82%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

89.70%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$20.2K ₹1.9M

45.80%

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

$34.90 $34.90

$37.28 ₹3,562

-6.38%

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

$11.69 $11.69

$3.49 ₹334

234.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.69 $45.69

$7.20 ₹688

534.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 $61.6

$14.69 ₹1,403

319.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 $14.88

$7.31 ₹698

103.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.93 $7.93

$3.08 ₹294

157.47%

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

$113 $113

$59.1 ₹5,646

90.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,171 $2,171

$1,693 ₹161.8K

28.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.32 $23.32

$23.25 ₹2,221

0.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.00 $29.00

$24.03 ₹2,296

20.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.1 $63.1

$40.99 ₹3,917

53.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 $85.9

$30.46 ₹2,911

181.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 $101

$143 ₹13.7K

-29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 $108

$93.2 ₹8,902

16.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 $1,501

$332 ₹31.7K

352.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 $214

$214 ₹20.4K

0.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,758 $1,758

$1,203 ₹115.0K

46.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,437 $1,437

$643 ₹61.5K

123.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$441 ₹42.1K

-44.64%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $17.00 in North Korea, $121 in India. Capital cities: $94.0 in Pyongyang vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $232 in North Korea, $410 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 612% higher in India.

Dining out costs 67% more in India.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in India.

Salaries are 77% higher in India, 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $519 per month in India and $369 in North Korea, there's a 41% 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 India 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 India 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; India may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.