Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Patiala

For one person, living is cheaper in Patiala: $371 a month against $415 in Pyongyang, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. The total is higher in Pyongyang despite lower rent and utilities.

18

Cost of Living Index in Patiala
Learn more

Patiala Living Index

Jump to prices

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$415

/mo nomad

Patiala

🇮🇳 India

$371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang and in Patiala

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

A single person spends $415 per month in Pyongyang vs $371 in Patiala, rent included.

Pyongyang $415
Patiala $371

A couple spends around $670 per month in Pyongyang vs $589 in Patiala, rent included.

Pyongyang $670
Patiala $589

A family of three spends $926 per month in Pyongyang vs $806 in Patiala, rent included.

Pyongyang $926
Patiala $806

Pyongyang costs about 12% more than Patiala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pyongyang and Patiala are more affordable than the global median – Pyongyang 70% lower, Patiala 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 $4.77

$2.59 ₹246

84.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.51 $34.51

$16.09 ₹1,526

114.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.32 $21.32

$2.70 ₹256

689.63%

Cappuccino

$1.14 $1.14

$1.63 ₹154

-30.06%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$0.31 ₹29.85

622.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$0.20 ₹18.53

555.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.28 $13.28

$1.24 ₹118

970.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.06 ₹195

142.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.63 ₹59.5

46.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.49 ₹46.62

381.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.76 ₹72.6

19.74%

Eggs

$2.01 $2.01

$0.96 ₹91.3

109.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.32 ₹315

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 ₹351

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ₹211

Banana (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.17

Oranges (1kg)

$0.40 ₹38.27

Tomato (1kg)

$0.28 ₹26.24

Potato (1kg)

$0.19 ₹17.75

Onion (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.79

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 ₹48.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₹31.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ₹361

Wine (Bottle)

$7.30 ₹693

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₹145

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₹158

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.85 ₹650

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 ₹73.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 ₹51.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₹16.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₹204

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹102

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

$12.0K ₹1.1M

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

$23.0K ₹2.2M

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

$42.70 ₹4,052

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

$3.16 ₹300

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ₹763

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.4 $73.4

$17.64 ₹1,673

316.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.40 ₹512

Cinema Ticket

$3.63 ₹345

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

$116 ₹11.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,157 ₹109.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.05 ₹1,713

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.46 ₹1,467

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.14 ₹3,525

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.77 ₹2,350

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$88.3 $88.3

$133 ₹12.7K

-33.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.7 $90.7

$88.2 ₹8,372

2.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ₹23.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 $134

$180 ₹17.1K

-25.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,657 ₹536.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$337 ₹31.9K

-27.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.76

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 26, 2026

Last update for Patiala: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

–

Patiala

$96 25.9%

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

–

Patiala

$88 23.8%

Eating Out

Pyongyang

–

Patiala

$61 16.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

–

Patiala

$54 14.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

–

Patiala

$43 11.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

–

Patiala

$25 6.7%

Getting Around

Pyongyang

–

Patiala

$4.5 * 1.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $88 in Pyongyang versus $133 in Patiala. 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 38% higher in Patiala, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Pyongyang versus $16 in Patiala. Groceries tell a different story – $44 in Pyongyang vs $96 in Patiala – so Pyongyang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇮🇳 Patiala

🕒 Local time

16:32 4:32 PM

13:02 1:02 PM

3 h 30 min behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

100,000

💱 Currency

USD USD

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.54 USD

1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 94.89 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR).

INR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pyongyang Patiala 4,560 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Patiala

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 Patiala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pyongyang costs about 12% more than Patiala, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $622 per month in Pyongyang and $557 in Patiala. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $88 there versus $133 in Patiala.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $415 in Pyongyang and $371 in Patiala. That makes Patiala about 10% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 54% cheaper in Pyongyang – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $415 in Pyongyang and $371 in Patiala, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Patiala has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $371 in Patiala to $415 in Pyongyang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.