Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $426 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang and in Shanghai

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

A single person spends $426 per month in Pyongyang vs $1,250 in Shanghai, rent included.

Pyongyang $426
Shanghai $1,250

A couple spends around $696 per month in Pyongyang vs $2,019 in Shanghai, rent included.

Pyongyang $696
Shanghai $2,019

A family of three spends $965 per month in Pyongyang vs $2,789 in Shanghai, rent included.

Pyongyang $965
Shanghai $2,789

Pyongyang is about 66% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pyongyang and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Pyongyang 68% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 $4.93

$4.55 ¥30.40

8.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.47 $36.47

$29.52 ¥197

23.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.96 $21.96

$5.10 ¥34.08

330.59%

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$3.42 ¥22.88

-66.96%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$0.61 ¥4.11

259.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.36 ¥2.40

255.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.69 $13.69

$1.21 ¥8.07

1031.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.29 ¥15.31

110.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.86 ¥12.46

-50.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.01 ¥13.45

17.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.02 ¥6.83

-10.78%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$1.72 ¥11.46

20.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.39

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.51

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.65

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.96

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.23

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.60

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.71

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥202

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.77

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.51

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

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

$18.6K ¥124.2K

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

$57.2 ¥382

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

$8.06 ¥53.8

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.3

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 $75.9

$64.6 ¥432

17.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

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

$1,437 ¥9,605

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥365

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥243

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥695

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.0 $91.0

$1,039 ¥6,945

-91.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 $89.7

$589 ¥3,933

-84.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 $135

$1,237 ¥8,268

-89.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-85.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$211 50%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 49.1% $104

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.3%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 556% $499

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$76 * 18%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 8.5% $6.4

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7%

Shanghai

$237 19% 427% $192

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Shanghai

$37 3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

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 $1,039 in Shanghai. 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 585% higher in Shanghai, 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 $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries tell a different story – $45.00 in Pyongyang vs $237 in Shanghai – so Pyongyang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

17:04 5:04 PM

1 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

24,870,895

💱 Currency

USD USD

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Pyongyang Shanghai 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
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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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $426 in Pyongyang, $1,250 in Shanghai – roughly 193% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $639 per month in Pyongyang and $1,874 in Shanghai. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Pyongyang and $30.00 in Shanghai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $426 in Pyongyang and $1,250 in Shanghai. That's a gap of about 193%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pyongyang, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Shanghai at $1,250. In Pyongyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai 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, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.