Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Pyongyang

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.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Pyongyang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shanghai and in Pyongyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Shanghai $1,250
Pyongyang $426

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

Shanghai $2,019
Pyongyang $696

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

Shanghai $2,789
Pyongyang $965

Shanghai costs about 193% more than Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.40

$4.93 $4.93

-7.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥197

$36.47 $36.47

-19.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.08

$21.96 $21.96

-76.78%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.88

$1.13 $1.13

202.65%

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

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.19 $2.19

-72.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$1.28 $1.28

-71.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.07

$13.69 $13.69

-91.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.31

$4.83 $4.83

-52.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.46

$0.92 $0.92

102.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.45

$2.37 $2.37

-15.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.83

$0.91 $0.91

12.09%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.46

$2.08 $2.08

-17.31%

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)

$64.6 ¥432

$75.9 $75.9

-14.83%

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)

$1,039 ¥6,945

$91.0 $91.0

1042.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,933

$89.7 $89.7

555.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,268

$135 $135

817.63%

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)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$250 $250

584.75%

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 Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Pyongyang

$90 21.3% 84.8% $499

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7% 81% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Pyongyang

$211 50% 96.5% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Pyongyang

$76 * 18% 7.8% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Shanghai versus $91.0 in Pyongyang. 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $36.00 in Pyongyang. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Shanghai vs $45.00 in Pyongyang – so Pyongyang wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

17:23 5:23 PM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

3,255,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Shanghai Pyongyang 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Pyongyang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shanghai vs Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,874 per month in Shanghai and $639 in Pyongyang. 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 $30.00 in Shanghai and $36.00 in Pyongyang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,250 in Shanghai and $426 in Pyongyang. 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.