Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United Kingdom and North Korea

Name: North Korea
Address: KP

For one person, living is cheaper in North Korea: $838 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in the United Kingdom
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United Kingdom Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in North Korea
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North Korea Living Index

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🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,462

/mo nomad

🇰🇵 North Korea

$838

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United Kingdom and in North Korea

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

A single person spends $2,462 per month in the United Kingdom vs $838 in North Korea, rent included.

United Kingdom $2,462
North Korea $838

A couple spends around $3,600 per month in the United Kingdom vs $1,313 in North Korea, rent included.

United Kingdom $3,600
North Korea $1,313

A family of three spends $4,738 per month in the United Kingdom vs $1,788 in North Korea, rent included.

United Kingdom $4,738
North Korea $1,788

The regional cost range is wider in the United Kingdom ($1,126–$4,646) than in North Korea ($415–$709), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United Kingdom is about 194% higher than in North Korea on average.

The United Kingdom sits 81% above the global median, while North Korea is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 £16.02

$2.86 $2.86

651.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 £63.9

$22.87 $22.87

274.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 £7.91

$19.38 $19.38

-45.25%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.66

$1.09 $1.09

350.46%

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

$2.66 £1.98

$2.21 $2.21

20.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.21 $1.21

54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 £4.94

$13.17 $13.17

-49.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.10

$3.42 $3.42

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$0.88 $0.88

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.47 $2.47

-30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.62

$1.56 $1.56

39.10%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.98

$2.99 $2.99

33.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 £7.03

$5.04 $5.04

86.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 £6.85

$3.89 $3.89

136.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 £11.01

$5.68 $5.68

160.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 £2.21

$6.07 $6.07

-51.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$4.95 $4.95

-67.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$2.20 $2.20

29.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 £2.63

$2.26 $2.26

55.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$4.45 $4.45

-58.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$4.49 $4.49

-64.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$2.22 $2.22

-43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$0.46 $0.46

260.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.65 £17.64

$4.54 $4.54

420.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 £7.83

$7.76 $7.76

35.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.23

$1.13 $1.13

163.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.62

$2.18 $2.18

61.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.97

$1.00 $1.00

298.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £80.1

$38.76 $38.76

177.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 £3.86

$1.47 $1.47

252.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.19 $2.19

7.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.84 £20.01

$40.90 $40.90

-34.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$0.70 $0.70

184.29%

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

$39.4K £29.4K

$22.2K $22.2K

77.68%

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

$40.5K £30.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

44.90%

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

$327 £244

$34.10 $34.10

859.47%

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

$18.21 £13.58

$10.98 $10.98

65.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.51

$44.81 $44.81

-2.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.36 £31.59

$58.2 $58.2

-27.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 £13.59

$14.76 $14.76

23.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 £10.33

$7.90 $7.90

75.32%

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

$1,868 £1,393

$105 $105

1683.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.9K

$2,086 $2,086

985.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.9 £69.3

$21.90 $21.90

324.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.92 £34.24

$28.28 $28.28

62.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.8

$60.7 $60.7

67.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.2

$83.1 $83.1

23.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 £1,001

$93.9 $93.9

1330.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 £800

$106 $106

917.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,231 £1,664

$1,404 $1,404

58.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 £1,299

$205 $205

751.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,601 £4,177

$1,698 $1,698

229.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,265 £3,181

$1,380 $1,380

209.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,349 £2,498

$230 $230

1356.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

7.11

-25.18%

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

Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026

Last update for North Korea: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United Kingdom

$1.1K 43.6%

North Korea

$106 12.6% 90.2% $968

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United Kingdom

$389 15.8%

North Korea

$90 10.7% 76.9% $299

Eating Out

United Kingdom

$328 13.3%

North Korea

$180 21.5% 44.9% $147

Groceries & Markets

United Kingdom

$307 12.5%

North Korea

$246 29.3% 20% $62

Clothing & Footwear

United Kingdom

$154 6.3%

North Korea

$87 10.4% 43.4% $67

Getting Around

United Kingdom

$140 5.7%

North Korea

$55 6.6% 60.7% $85

Sport & Entertainment

United Kingdom

$70 2.9%

North Korea

$74 8.8% 5.7% $4

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,287 in the United Kingdom vs $89 in North Korea. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,811 in London and $88 in Pyongyang.

Average salary: $3,251 in the United Kingdom vs $228 in North Korea. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 1346% higher in the United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 186% more in the United Kingdom.

Public transport is 166% more expensive in the United Kingdom.

Salaries are about 14 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.

Good to know

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

🇰🇵 North Korea

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

13:22 1:22 PM

9 h ahead of the United Kingdom

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,326,569

26,418,204

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.34 USD

1 GBP = 1.2 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United Kingdom North Korea 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

United Kingdom
North Korea

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

United Kingdom vs North Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Korea is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 66% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United Kingdom: a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 versus $89 in North Korea.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in North Korea – part of why living there is about 66% cheaper overall.

North Korea is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.