Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $426 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pyongyang and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $426 per month in Pyongyang vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Pyongyang $426
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $696 per month in Pyongyang vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Pyongyang $696
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $965 per month in Pyongyang vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Pyongyang $965
Budapest $3,489

Pyongyang is about 74% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pyongyang sits 68% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 $4.93

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-64.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.47 $36.47

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-39.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.96 $21.96

$9.96 Ft 3,241

120.48%

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-66.57%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.13 Ft 692

2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.87 Ft 608

-31.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.69 $13.69

$3.75 Ft 1,221

265.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.57 Ft 1,162

35.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.13 Ft 368

-18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.84 Ft 599

28.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.39 Ft 777

-61.92%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-45.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 $75.9

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

14.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.0 $91.0

$805 Ft 262.0K

-88.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 $89.7

$629 Ft 204.7K

-85.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 $135

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-88.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-84.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$211 50%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 6.4% $13

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.3%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 601% $540

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$76 * 18%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 12.4% $9.4

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 474% $213

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $91.0 in Pyongyang versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 549% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Pyongyang versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $45.00 vs $258 – making Pyongyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

06:51 6:51 AM

7 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Pyongyang Budapest 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated June 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pyongyang vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 281%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $639 per month in Pyongyang and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pyongyang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 474% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Pyongyang and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pyongyang, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Pyongyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pyongyang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pyongyang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.