Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $414 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$414

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $414 in Pyongyang versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Pyongyang $414
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $672 in Pyongyang versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Pyongyang $672
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $930 in Pyongyang versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Pyongyang $930
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Pyongyang costs roughly 81% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pyongyang is 69% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 $4.81

$17.04 €15.15

-71.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 $35.65

$62.3 €55.4

-42.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.06 $21.06

$11.02 €9.80

91.11%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$3.12 €2.78

-65.06%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$2.27 €2.02

-0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.74 €1.55

-28.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.23 $13.23

$3.42 €3.04

286.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.74 €3.33

29.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.17 €1.04

-17.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.86 €1.66

23.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.54 €1.37

-42.21%

Eggs

$1.97 $1.97

$4.06 €3.61

-51.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 $74.8

$45.87 €40.80

63.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$88.8 $88.8

$1,589 €1,414

-94.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.4 $90.4

$1,169 €1,040

-92.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 $133

$1,993 €1,773

-93.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$1,600 €1,423

-84.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$205 49.4%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 21% $43

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 1194% $1.1K

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$75 * 18.1%

Lisbon

$65 3% 12.6% $9.4

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$44 * 10.7%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 518% $229

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

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 $88.8 in Pyongyang and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 557% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Pyongyang vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $44.00 vs $273 per month, with Pyongyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

18:44 6:44 PM

8 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pyongyang Lisbon 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pyongyang and Lisbon differ by about 432% in total monthly costs ($414 vs $2,202 including rent). Pyongyang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 557% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $88.8 in Pyongyang versus $1,589 in Lisbon. 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 $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $414 per month in Pyongyang versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 432% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $414 in Pyongyang versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pyongyang but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Pyongyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Pyongyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 432% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.