Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $483 a month against $838 in North Korea, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Pakistan
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Pakistan Living Index

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🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $838 per month in North Korea vs $483 in Pakistan, rent included.

North Korea $838
Pakistan $483

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in North Korea vs $736 in Pakistan, rent included.

North Korea $1,313
Pakistan $736

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in North Korea vs $988 in Pakistan, rent included.

North Korea $1,788
Pakistan $988

Cost ranges are similar: North Korea spans $415–$709, Pakistan $291–$607. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in North Korea is about 74% higher than in Pakistan on average.

Both North Korea and Pakistan are more affordable than the global median – North Korea 38% lower, Pakistan 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 $2.86

$2.11 PKR 582

35.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 $22.87

$13.97 PKR 3,863

63.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 $19.38

$5.50 PKR 1,522

252.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 PKR 615

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 PKR 1,192

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$1.97 PKR 545

-44.67%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$0.38 PKR 105

481.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.23 PKR 63.6

426.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.17 $13.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.87 PKR 239

1.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.60 PKR 165

311.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.21 PKR 334

28.93%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$1.21 PKR 333

147.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$5.42 PKR 1,499

-7.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.83 PKR 782

37.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$5.06 PKR 1,399

12.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$1.20 PKR 331

405.83%

Banana (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$0.64 PKR 176

673.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.87 PKR 241

152.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.54 PKR 148

318.52%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$0.33 PKR 91.8

1248.48%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$0.39 PKR 108

1051.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.37 PKR 104

500.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.41 PKR 113

12.20%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.08 PKR 574

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 296

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 PKR 652

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.14 PKR 593

112.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.20 PKR 55.0

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.76 $38.76

$10.01 PKR 2,767

287.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.88 PKR 243

67.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.56 PKR 155

291.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.90 $40.90

$2.22 PKR 613

1742.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.29 PKR 357

-45.74%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

24.92%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

14.78%

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

$34.10 $34.10

$110 PKR 30.5K

-69.08%

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

$10.98 $10.98

$5.41 PKR 1,495

102.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 $44.81

$15.79 PKR 4,366

183.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$18.50 PKR 5,115

214.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.09 PKR 3,065

33.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 $7.90

$4.32 PKR 1,194

82.87%

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

$105 $105

$56.4 PKR 15.6K

85.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,086 $2,086

$1,511 PKR 417.9K

37.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.90 $21.90

$17.56 PKR 4,856

24.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 $28.28

$23.58 PKR 6,518

19.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$76.7 PKR 21.2K

-20.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 $83.1

$35.08 PKR 9,699

136.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 $93.9

$150 PKR 41.5K

-37.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 $106

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$320 PKR 88.6K

338.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 $205

$190 PKR 52.5K

7.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,698 $1,698

$970 PKR 268.3K

74.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 $1,380

$520 PKR 143.9K

165.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 $230

$192 PKR 53.1K

19.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

14.1

-49.57%

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

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

North Korea

$246 29.3%

Pakistan

$94 19.5% 61.8% $152

Eating Out

North Korea

$180 21.5%

Pakistan

$59 12.3% 67% $121

Accommodation & Living

North Korea

$106 12.6%

Pakistan

$87 18.1% 17.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Korea

$90 10.7%

Pakistan

$131 27.2% 46.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

North Korea

$87 10.4%

Pakistan

$69 14.3% 21.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

North Korea

$74 8.8%

Pakistan

$27 5.6% 63.3% $47

Getting Around

North Korea

$55 6.6%

Pakistan

$14 3% 73.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $89 in North Korea vs $137 in Pakistan. For reference, capital cities sit at $88 in Pyongyang and $261 in Islamabad.

Average salary: $228 in North Korea vs $185 in Pakistan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 54% higher in Pakistan.

Dining out costs 123% more in North Korea.

Public transport is 280% more expensive in North Korea.

Salaries are 23% higher in North Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Pakistan.

Good to know

🇰🇵 North Korea

🇵🇰 Pakistan

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

13:34 1:34 PM

4 h behind North Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,418,204

223,773,700

💱 Currency

USD USD

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

PKR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

North Korea Pakistan 4,690 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

North Korea
Pakistan

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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pakistan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 42% lower on average.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Pakistan, adding to the overall 74% price gap.

Pakistan is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.