Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Tbilisi

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $414 a month against $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index

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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$414

/mo nomad

Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,270

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyongyang and in Tbilisi

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

A single person spends $414 per month in Pyongyang vs $1,270 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Pyongyang $414
Tbilisi $1,270

A couple spends around $672 per month in Pyongyang vs $2,008 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Pyongyang $672
Tbilisi $2,008

A family of three spends $930 per month in Pyongyang vs $2,745 in Tbilisi, rent included.

Pyongyang $930
Tbilisi $2,745

Pyongyang is about 67% cheaper than Tbilisi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pyongyang and Tbilisi are more affordable than the global median – Pyongyang 69% lower, Tbilisi 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 $4.81

$11.51 ₾29.79

-58.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 $35.65

$38.27 ₾99.1

-6.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.06 $21.06

$9.80 ₾25.36

114.90%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$3.55 ₾9.19

-69.30%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$1.06 ₾2.74

112.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.62 ₾1.60

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.23 $13.23

$2.76 ₾7.16

379.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.00 ₾7.77

61.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.16 ₾5.59

-55.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.76 ₾1.96

202.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.74 ₾4.51

-48.85%

Eggs

$1.97 $1.97

$2.79 ₾7.21

-29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 ₾23.83

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 ₾16.89

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 ₾33.17

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 ₾4.31

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₾4.79

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₾5.13

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 ₾6.49

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₾2.26

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ₾1.89

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ₾3.67

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₾8.74

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ₾20.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₾4.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₾6.15

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₾0.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.52 ₾40.16

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₾2.94

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₾2.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 ₾29.96

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₾3.87

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

$24.6K ₾63.7K

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

$22.4K ₾57.9K

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

$88.3 ₾228

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

$13.08 ₾33.86

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.53 ₾50.6

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 $74.8

$64.2 ₾166

16.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 ₾49.66

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 ₾18.10

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

$373 ₾966

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₾27.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₾266

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 ₾105

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₾301

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 ₾316

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$88.8 $88.8

$677 ₾1,753

-86.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.4 $90.4

$454 ₾1,176

-80.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 ₾3,305

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 $133

$890 ₾2,304

-85.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 ₾6,238

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,418 ₾3,670

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$703 ₾1,819

-65.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.62

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$205 49.4%

Tbilisi

$191 15% 6.8% $14

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.8%

Tbilisi

$454 35.8% 403% $364

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$75 * 18.1%

Tbilisi

$78 6.2% 4.5% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$44 * 10.7%

Tbilisi

$233 18.3% 427% $189

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Tbilisi

$121 9.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Tbilisi

$172 13.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $88.8 in Pyongyang versus $677 in Tbilisi. 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 189% higher in Tbilisi, 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 $38.00 in Tbilisi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $44.00 vs $233 – making Pyongyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

20:04 8:04 PM

5 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

1,241,700 Capital

💱 Currency

USD USD

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GEL = 0.386 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.386 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

GEL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pyongyang Tbilisi 6,600 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Tbilisi

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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $414 in Pyongyang, $1,270 in Tbilisi – roughly 207% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $621 per month in Pyongyang and $1,906 in Tbilisi. 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 $38.00 in Tbilisi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $414 in Pyongyang and $1,270 in Tbilisi. That's a gap of about 207%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pyongyang, where all-in costs run around $414, than in Tbilisi at $1,270. In Pyongyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tbilisi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tbilisi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $414 in Pyongyang to $1,270 in Tbilisi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Tbilisi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.