Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $414 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$414

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $414 in Pyongyang versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Pyongyang $414
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $672 in Pyongyang versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Pyongyang $672
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $930 in Pyongyang versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Pyongyang $930
Phuket $2,845

Living in Pyongyang costs roughly 66% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pyongyang 69% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 $4.81

$4.40 ฿147

9.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 $35.65

$32.26 ฿1,078

10.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.06 $21.06

$8.76 ฿293

140.41%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$2.83 ฿94.5

-61.48%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$0.90 ฿30.14

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.47 ฿15.56

163.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.23 $13.23

$2.55 ฿85.2

418.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.83 ฿128

26.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.73 ฿57.7

-43.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.47 ฿49.11

56.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.51 ฿50.6

-41.06%

Eggs

$1.97 $1.97

$2.17 ฿72.7

-9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

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

$11.04 ฿369

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 $74.8

$52.2 ฿1,744

43.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$88.8 $88.8

$737 ฿24.6K

-87.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.4 $90.4

$462 ฿15.5K

-80.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 $133

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-88.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$501 ฿16.7K

-51.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$205 49.4%

Phuket

$121 10% 40.7% $83

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.8%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 412% $372

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$75 * 18.1%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 9.4% $7

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$44 * 10.7%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 508% $224

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Phuket

$124 10.3%

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 $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 106% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $44.00 vs $269, with Pyongyang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

00:44 12:44 AM

2 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

USD USD

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pyongyang Phuket 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pyongyang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 192% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 106% lower in Phuket. 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 $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 508% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $414 in Pyongyang versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pyongyang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pyongyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pyongyang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pyongyang and Phuket 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 192% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.