North Korea
Data updated Aug 29, 2026
Overall Score
13.4
Challenging
Avg. Rent (1BR)
$99
-94% vs US Avg
Safety Index
38.2
COL Index
15
Level 4 — Do Not Travel
Please check the latest official travel advisories for North Korea before planning your trip.
North Korea is not a destination for expats, retirees, or remote workers. Full stop. The US State Department issues a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory, which is the highest classification and means what it says. Americans are legally prohibited from traveling to North Korea under a passport restriction that has been in place since 2017, following the death of Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old American student who was detained, returned in a coma, and died days later. No income level, lifestyle preference, or cost calculation changes this. This summary exists to be honest about why this country cannot appear on any legitimate expat shortlist.
The scraped cost figures of $635 per month plus $98 for a one-bedroom apartment are not actionable. North Korea has a dual economy: a state-controlled system for citizens and a hard-currency system historically used for foreign diplomats and regime-approved visitors. The handful of foreigners who have lived in Pyongyang under diplomatic assignment describe a tightly controlled existence with no freedom of movement outside approved zones. The healthcare index of 19.8 is consistent with what outside observers report: chronic shortages of medicine, equipment that has not been updated in decades, and a system that cannot handle serious illness. If you required emergency care, evacuation would be your only real option, and arranging that from inside North Korea is not straightforward.
The practical friction here is not bureaucratic, it is existential. There is no functioning legal framework for foreign property ownership, no banking access for Americans, no internet for private citizens, and no consular support since the US has no embassy in Pyongyang. The Swedish Embassy handles limited US consular services in theory, but in practice American detainees have faced years of imprisonment with minimal outside contact. The safety index of 38.2 reflects a country where the risks are not street crime but state action, and those are not risks that budget adjustments or neighborhood selection can mitigate.
From a US tax perspective, the question is moot. Americans cannot legally be there. If somehow a US person were present, they would still owe US taxes on worldwide income, and the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (up to $126,500 for 2024) would technically apply to qualifying earned income, but claiming it would require filing a return that also disclosed your presence in a country under a passport restriction, which creates legal exposure well beyond tax compliance. The FBAR and FATCA obligations would apply to any foreign accounts, none of which you could realistically open. This is not a tax planning question, it is a law enforcement question.
Recommended Destinations in North Korea
Best for Retirees
Best for Geoarbitrage
Best for Remote Workers
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Official Language
- Korean
- Time Zone
- UTC+09:00
- Region
- Asia
- Population
- 25,778,815
- Healthcare Index
- 19.8
- Internet Speed
- 1 Mbps
- Climate Zones
- continental
View on Interactive Map
Explore data visually
🏙️ Top Cities in North Korea
Explore cost of living, walkability scores, and expat ratings for individual cities in North Korea.
CoL Index: 36
Est. Total: ~$542/mo
CoL Index: 28
Est. Total: ~$412/mo
How far does $1,500 go in North Korea?
With a monthly budget of $1,500, you can live comfortably in North Korea. After accounting for an average rent of $$99, you have approximately $1,402remaining for daily expenses.
Calculate your FIRE timeline with these costs →💰 Cost of Living in North Korea
Relative to New York City (NYC = 100). A lower number means it's cheaper.
Cost Comparison Notes:
Summary of cost of living in North Korea: The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are $2,373.1 (2,055.9€), excluding rent. The estimated monthly costs for a single person are $635.3 (550.4€), excluding rent.
🛒 Grocery & Family Costs
Family Costs
Can I afford to live in North Korea?
Comfortable (1.0×): balanced baseline lifestyle. Adjusts day-to-day costs only — rent is unaffected.
North Korea
You could save
2,266/mo
Monthly Costs
Attractiveness Scores
Based on national averages. City-level costs may vary. Browse cities in North Korea →
⚕️ Healthcare System
Our Top Pick for Nomads: SafetyWing
Flexible, subscription-based health cover for remote workers in North Korea.
Get Covered with SafetyWing →Looking for more options? Check Ekta.
An estimation of the overall quality of the health care system. Higher is better.
Quality & Affordability:
North Korea claims to provide free universal healthcare, but reports indicate shortages of medicines, equipment, and trained personnel, leading to poor quality of care.
Insurance Insights:
There is no functioning health insurance system; healthcare is state-funded.
🛂 Visa & Residency Pathways
🛂 Visa Services
Ready to apply for a North Korea visa?
Get help with your application — tourist, long-stay, and residency visas processed online.
General Overview
Process & Requirements:
North Korea (DPRK) does not have an immigration system or long-term residency pathways for foreign nationals. It is one of the most isolated and controlled countries in the world. Foreign presence is strictly limited to diplomats, a very small number of staff from international organizations like the UN, and highly controlled tourist groups (when travel is permitted). There are no provisions for independent travel, work, retirement, or investment for the average individual.
All foreign nationals in the country are under constant supervision, and their movements are heavily restricted. The concept of applying for residency is non-existent. The score of 1 reflects the complete absence of any accessible or predictable system.
Residency & Citizenship Notes:
There is no pathway to permanent residency or citizenship for foreign nationals in North Korea. The country's laws on nationality are based exclusively on descent and do not have provisions for naturalization of foreigners. The idea of an expat becoming a permanent resident or citizen is legally and practically impossible.
🛂 Visa Matcher
See which North Korea visas you qualify for
Answer 10 quick questions and get matched to the right visa for your situation.
Free · No signup required to see results
Detailed Visa Options
🧳 Tourist & Short-Stay Information
Extension Notes
Not applicable, as tourism is highly restricted and controlled. Source: N/A
General Visa Notes
US citizens are subject to a U.S. travel restriction which invalidates their passport for travel to, in, or through North Korea (DPRK) without a special validation from the Department of State. Obtaining this validation is rare. All approved travel must be through a state-sanctioned tour operator. Source: U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory.
🌴 Retirement / Passive Income Visa
This country does not have a dedicated retirement visa, but the following notes provide guidance on pathways for retirees.
Income Notes
North Korea (DPRK) does not have any provisions for foreign nationals to retire in the country. Tourism is highly restricted and long-term residency for such purposes is not possible.
Health Insurance Notes
North Korea (DPRK) does not have any provisions for foreign nationals to retire in the country. Any visitor is under the complete care of their host organization, which handles medical needs. Independent insurance is not a applicable concept. Source: General knowledge.
💻 Digital Nomad Visa
Income Notes
North Korea (DPRK) does not have a digital nomad visa. All travel is strictly controlled and must be done through state-approved tour operators. Independent travel, let alone remote work, is not permitted. Source: DPRK government websites and affiliated tour operators.
📈 Investor Visa
Investment Details
Investment Options & Notes
North Korea does not have an investor visa program open to the general public. All investments are state-controlled and do not confer residency rights. Source: N/A
Path to Citizenship
🛡️ Safety & Stability
An estimation of overall safety level. Higher is better.
An estimation of the overall level of crime. Lower is better.
World Bank political stability estimate, rescaled to 0-100. Higher is better.
Safety Notes:
Crime Rate: Unknown. North Korea is a closed society with limited information available.
Types of Crime: Information not available.
Kidnapping Risk: Unknown; information is limited.
🏦 Taxation & Finance
🏦 Tax Snapshot
FEIE Interaction
FTC Utility: none
No personal income tax exists in North Korea. There is no foreign tax credit available because no creditable taxes are paid. FEIE would be the relevant mechanism for any earned income, though the entire scenario is inapplicable given US passport restrictions and OFAC sanctions prohibiting US persons from residing or working in North Korea.
Presence Day Count Notes
The standard 330-day physical presence test technically applies for IRS purposes, but US passports are not valid for travel to North Korea without a special Treasury and State Department validation. US citizens present in North Korea would almost certainly not meet the bona fide residence test given the extraordinary legal constraints. Physical presence test remains the theoretical qualifying path.
FBAR Trigger Notes
North Korean financial institutions are blacklisted under OFAC sanctions. US persons are prohibited from transacting with DPRK entities under 31 CFR Part 510. Any account held at a North Korean bank by a US person would trigger FBAR reporting requirements but would itself constitute a sanctions violation. Effectively no legitimate financial account accessible to US persons.
401k/IRA Treatment
Pension Income
No personal income tax applies under the 1974 tax abolition. Foreign pension income would not be locally taxed.
Not Taxed LocallySocial Security
No US-DPRK tax treaty. No personal income tax. US Social Security benefits received by a US person notionally in North Korea would face no local tax, but the scenario is purely hypothetical given legal restrictions on US citizens entering or residing in North Korea.
Not Taxed LocallyRoth Distributions
No personal income tax system applies. Roth distributions would not be subject to local tax. Practical scenario is inapplicable given travel and sanctions restrictions.
Not Taxed LocallyUS 401k/IRA Distributions
No US-DPRK tax treaty exists. Personal income tax was abolished in 1974. US citizens are effectively barred from residing in North Korea under State Department Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory and passport restrictions. No local tax would apply to 401k or IRA distributions in the theoretical scenario of a US person present in the country.
Not Taxed LocallyCapital Gains Tax
North Korea does not operate a conventional tax system for individuals. The 1974 abolition of personal income tax was a state propaganda milestone. No capital gains tax framework exists for residents. Foreign enterprises operating under joint venture arrangements may face levies, but published rates are not independently verifiable. No treaty with the US exists.
North Korea officially abolished personal income tax in 1974 under the Tax Abolition Law. No capital gains tax applies to individuals. Foreign-invested enterprises in special economic zones such as Rason may be subject to profit remittance taxes, but independent verification of specific rates is not possible given the closed nature of the economy.
Dividend Tax Rate
No dividend tax applies to North Korean residents under the domestic system. For foreign investors in special economic zones, withholding on profit repatriation has been cited in North Korean foreign investment law at rates ranging from 10% to 20%, but independent verification is not possible. US persons are effectively prohibited from investment in North Korea under OFAC sanctions.
exempt
Rate: 0.0%
Domestic residents - no dividend tax under the post-1974 no-personal-tax framework.
withholding
Rate: 10.0%
Cited rate for foreign investors under North Korean foreign investment law in designated special economic zones. Not independently verifiable.
Tax Treaties Notes:
No US-North Korea relations. Taxation data unavailable.
Retiree Tax Benefits:
Retirement by foreigners is virtually non-existent due to political isolation.
Cost Savings vs. U.S.:
Data unavailable. Not feasible for US retirees.
Recommended services for North Korea
Recommended Partner
Fidelity →Recommended Partner
IBKR →Recommended Partner
bordr →Recommended Partner
My Expat Taxes →☀️ Climate & Environment
Climate Zones:
Our proprietary index for drinking water quality and sanitation. Higher is better.
Seasonal Variations:
North Korea experiences a continental climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are long and cold, while summers are short and warm with most of the annual precipitation occurring during this time.
😊 Quality of Life
Cultural Amenities:
Museums & Cultural Institutions
North Korea has several state-run museums, including the Korean Central History Museum in Pyongyang, showcasing the country's history and culture.
The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum in Pyongyang offers exhibits on the Korean War from the North Korean perspective.
Performing Arts
North Korea has a state-controlled performing arts scene, with performances held during national holidays and events.
The Moranbong Band is a prominent all-female musical group in North Korea, known for their performances at state events.
Cultural Festivals
The Arirang Mass Games is a large-scale gymnastics and artistic performance held in Pyongyang, showcasing North Korean culture and ideology.
The Day of the Sun, celebrating the birth of Kim Il-sung, is marked with various cultural performances and events.
Culinary Culture
North Korean cuisine includes dishes like kimchi, bibimbap, and cold noodles.
The country's cuisine reflects its Korean heritage and available local ingredients.
🌐 Infrastructure & Connectivity
Our proprietary ranking of public transit accessibility and reliability.
Internet Reliability:
North Korea has extremely limited internet access with government-controlled infrastructure and restricted connectivity.
Speed & Quality: Minimal internet access for general population, with government-controlled speeds and content.
Availability: Virtually no public internet access, limited to government officials and select institutions.
Cost: Not applicable for general population due to restricted access.
Reliability for Remote Work: Not suitable for remote work due to extremely limited and controlled internet access.
Transportation Network:
North Korea has a state-controlled transportation system with limited access for civilians and international isolation.
Roads: Road network exists but private car ownership is extremely limited.
Rail: Extensive rail network serving the country, primarily for state-approved transport.
Domestic Travel: Very limited domestic flights; most approved transport is by state-controlled trains and buses.
Recommended services for North Korea
Recommended Partner
Traveling Mailbox →Recommended Partner
US Global Mail →Recommended Partner
HideMy.Name →Recommended Partner
Veepn →Frequently Asked Questions about North Korea
Click any question to expand the answer.
📚 Related Reading
Share This Guide
Planning Your Move to North Korea?
Estimate shipping costs in 60 seconds. Compare sea freight vs. air freight and get free quotes from verified international movers.
Estimate your move to North Korea →Powered by Sirelo. Free quotes from verified movers.
Not Sure Which Visa Fits North Korea?
Take the 2-minute quiz to see which visas you qualify for in North Korea and beyond.
Take the 2-Minute Quiz →North Korea's rules change. We'll tell you when.
Visa, tax, and cost updates for North Korea, before they catch you out. Free with RA Postcards.
By submitting your email address, you will receive a free subscription to RA Postcards and special offers from Rewire Abroad and our affiliates. You can unsubscribe at any time, and we encourage you to read more about our Privacy Policy.