Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Korea and the United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

For one person, living is cheaper in North Korea: $838 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
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North Korea Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index

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🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

/mo nomad

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in North Korea and in the United Kingdom

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 the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $838 per month in North Korea vs $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

North Korea $838
United Kingdom $2,462

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in North Korea vs $3,600 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

North Korea $1,313
United Kingdom $3,600

A family of three spends $1,788 per month in North Korea vs $4,738 in the United Kingdom, rent included.

North Korea $1,788
United Kingdom $4,738

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,126–$4,646) than in North Korea ($415–$709), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in North Korea is roughly 66% lower than in the United Kingdom on average.

North Korea sits 38% below the global median, while the United Kingdom is 81% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 $2.86

$21.48 £16.02

-86.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.87 $22.87

$85.7 £63.9

-73.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.38 $19.38

$10.61 £7.91

82.66%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$4.91 £3.66

-77.80%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.66 £1.98

-16.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.87 £1.39

-35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.17 $13.17

$6.63 £4.94

98.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$6.84 £5.10

-50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.68 £1.25

-47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.72 £1.28

43.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.17 £1.62

-28.11%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$4.00 £2.98

-25.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$9.42 £7.03

-46.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$9.19 £6.85

-57.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$14.77 £11.01

-61.54%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.97 £2.21

104.38%

Banana (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$1.62 £1.21

205.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.85 £2.13

-22.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.52 £2.63

-35.80%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.83 £1.37

143.17%

Onion (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.61 £1.20

178.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.25 £0.93

77.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

$1.66 £1.24

-72.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 $4.54

$23.65 £17.64

-80.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$10.50 £7.83

-26.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.98 £2.23

-62.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.51 £2.62

-37.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$3.98 £2.97

-74.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.76 $38.76

$107 £80.1

-63.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$5.18 £3.86

-71.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.35 £1.75

-6.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.90 $40.90

$26.84 £20.01

52.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.99 £1.48

-64.82%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$39.4K £29.4K

-43.72%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$40.5K £30.2K

-30.99%

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

$34.10 $34.10

$327 £244

-89.58%

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

$10.98 $10.98

$18.21 £13.58

-39.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 $44.81

$43.60 £32.51

2.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$42.36 £31.59

37.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 $14.76

$18.22 £13.59

-18.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 $7.90

$13.85 £10.33

-42.96%

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

$105 $105

$1,868 £1,393

-94.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,086 $2,086

$22.6K £16.9K

-90.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.90 $21.90

$92.9 £69.3

-76.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.28 $28.28

$45.92 £34.24

-38.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 $60.7

$102 £75.8

-40.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 $83.1

$102 £76.2

-18.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 $93.9

$1,342 £1,001

-93.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 $106

$1,073 £800

-90.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$2,231 £1,664

-37.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 $205

$1,742 £1,299

-88.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,698 $1,698

$5,601 £4,177

-69.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,380 $1,380

$4,265 £3,181

-67.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 $230

$3,349 £2,498

-93.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

5.32

33.65%

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

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

North Korea

$246 29.3%

United Kingdom

$307 12.5% 25% $62

Eating Out

North Korea

$180 21.5%

United Kingdom

$328 13.3% 81.5% $147

Accommodation & Living

North Korea

$106 12.6%

United Kingdom

$1.1K 43.6% 917% $968

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Korea

$90 10.7%

United Kingdom

$389 15.8% 333% $299

Clothing & Footwear

North Korea

$87 10.4%

United Kingdom

$154 6.3% 76.7% $67

Sport & Entertainment

North Korea

$74 8.8%

United Kingdom

$70 2.9% 5.4% $4

Getting Around

North Korea

$55 6.6%

United Kingdom

$140 5.7% 154% $85

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $89 in North Korea vs $1,287 in the United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $88 in Pyongyang and $2,811 in London.

Average salary: $228 in North Korea vs $3,251 in the United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1346% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 186% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 166% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 14 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇰🇵 North Korea

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

04:22 4:22 AM

9 h behind North Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,418,204

67,326,569

💱 Currency

USD USD

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

British Pound exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

GBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

North Korea United Kingdom 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

North Korea
United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 66% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 versus $89 in North Korea.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in North Korea – part of why living there is about 66% cheaper overall.

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