The Cost of Living Index is 41.4 (NYC = 100), indicating very affordable prices in absolute terms. Groceries are at 49.7 and restaurant prices at 38.1, suggesting low costs for food and dining compared to New York City.

The Property Price to Income Ratio is 33.0 years, indicating a highly unaffordable housing market. The Rent Index is very low at 8.7, but this likely reflects a state-controlled and inaccessible market rather than affordability for expats.

The Purchasing Power Index is 19.0 (NYC = 100), signifying extremely low average income and very limited buying power for residents.

North Korea officially abolished personal income tax for citizens in 1974, claiming to be tax-free. However, the state extracts revenue through various indirect levies, mandatory contributions, and state-controlled enterprises. Foreign nationals in special economic zones may face specific, opaque tax regulations.

North Korea's economy is considered 'repressed' and the world's least free, with a score of 3 in the 2025 Index of Economic Freedom. The state maintains strict control over all economic activity, making entrepreneurial ventures virtually impossible and the regulatory environment highly inefficient.

North Korea's historically 'universal free healthcare' system has largely been dismantled, with hospitals openly listing fees and a shift towards a health insurance fund system with cost-sharing emerging since 2024-2025. Comprehensive social security benefits for citizens, and especially for expats, are minimal or non-existent.

North Korea's banking system is a state monopoly, largely ineffective, and suffers from a severe lack of public trust, with citizens preferring cash or foreign currency. North Korean banks were disconnected from the SWIFT international financial system in 2017 due to sanctions. There is no known deposit insurance scheme.