Korea Democratic Republic of, Pyongyang

Country Full Name: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Location: The Democratic Republic of Korea is in Eastern Asia, in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea.

Country Climate: Temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer.

Country Terrain: Mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east.

Major Languages: Korean.

Major Religions: Mainly atheist or non-religious, traditional beliefs.

Population: 3.3 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of North Korea is an industrialised, highly centralized command economy. The role of market allocation is sharply limited - mainly in the rural sector where peasants sell produce from small private plots. There are almost no small businesses.

Currency: North Korean Won (KPW).

Inflation: 2% (2011 est.).

Pyongyang is the capital of North Korea.

Pyongyang has been completely redesigned since the Korean War (1950?1953). It is designed with wide avenues, imposing monuments, and monolithic buildings. The city also has regular international train services to Beijing and Moscow. A journey to Beijing takes about 25 hours and 25 minutes; a journey to Moscow takes 6 days.

The cost of living in Pyongyang in the Democratic Republic of Korea is very low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Pyongyang in the Democratic Republic of Korea is currently ranked 739 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are average compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 411 places that are more expensive, and 368 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are average compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 444 places that are more expensive, and 335 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 738 places that are more expensive, and 41 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 496 places that are more expensive, and 283 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are low compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 484 places that are more expensive, and 295 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 262 places that are more expensive, and 517 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 733 places that are more expensive, and 46 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 756 places that are more expensive, and 23 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 656 places that are more expensive, and 123 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 763 places that are more expensive, and 16 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very low compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 734 places that are more expensive, and 45 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 717 places that are more expensive, and 62 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 645 places that are more expensive, and 134 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Pyongyang in the Democratic Republic of Korea are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Pyongyang in the Democratic Republic of Korea is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Pyongyang in the Democratic Republic of Korea are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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