Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Dhaka

For one person, living costs are similar in Pyongyang and in Dhaka: $426 and $426 a month, rent and utilities included.

12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
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Dhaka Living Index

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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang and in Dhaka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Pyongyang versus $426 in Dhaka.

Pyongyang $426
Dhaka $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $696 in Pyongyang versus $735 in Dhaka.

Pyongyang $696
Dhaka $735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $965 in Pyongyang versus $1,043 in Dhaka.

Pyongyang $965
Dhaka $1,043

Monthly costs are close between Pyongyang and Dhaka; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pyongyang 68% lower, Dhaka 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 $4.93

$2.49 ৳306

97.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.47 $36.47

$13.06 ৳1,605

179.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.96 $21.96

$4.83 ৳594

354.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$2.34 ৳287

-51.71%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$0.30 ৳37.39

630.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.16 ৳19.96

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.69 $13.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.80 ৳98.1

15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.65 ৳79.3

264.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.71 ৳87.3

28.17%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$1.21 ৳149

71.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳109

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.6

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.20

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.7

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.88

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.31

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳819

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,770

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

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

$30.3K ৳3.7M

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

$33.0K ৳4.1M

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

$46.32 ৳5,692

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

$4.33 ৳532

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 $75.9

$16.37 ৳2,012

363.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,983

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

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

$90.7 ৳11.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,025

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,580

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,175

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,480

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.0 $91.0

$152 ৳18.6K

-40.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 $89.7

$73.6 ৳9,044

21.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 $135

$214 ৳26.3K

-36.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$249 ৳30.6K

0.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$211 50%

Dhaka

$64 15% 69.5% $147

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.3%

Dhaka

$74 17.1% 18% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$76 * 18%

Dhaka

$25 5.7% 67.5% $51

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7%

Dhaka

$123 28.5% 173% $78

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Dhaka

$56 13%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $91.0 in Pyongyang and $152 in Dhaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pyongyang pays 1% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36.00 in Pyongyang vs $13.00 in Dhaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $45.00 vs $123, with Pyongyang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

08:47 8:47 AM

3 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

21,741,000 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BDT, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.26 EUR).

BDT to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pyongyang Dhaka 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Dhaka

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 Dhaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 1% higher in Pyongyang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $91.0 in Pyongyang versus $152 in Dhaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $13.00 in Dhaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Supermarket bills run roughly 173% higher in Dhaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Pyongyang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Pyongyang and Dhaka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Pyongyang wins on affordability, Dhaka on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.