Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Kaesong vs Lucknow

Kaesong vs Lucknow

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lucknow 79% cheaper Lucknow +59 Mbps N/A / N/A

Kaesong

Steve Barker/Unsplash

Lucknow

Rhythmic Creations/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$3,908

Kaesong

$830

Lucknow

Internet

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Kaesong

N/A

Lucknow

Air Quality

5/5

Kaesong

5/5

Lucknow

Healthcare

N/A

Kaesong

N/A

Lucknow

Population

192.6k

Kaesong

2.9m

Lucknow

Kaesong (North Korea) and Lucknow (India) are both in Asia, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Lucknow is the clear budget winner at $830/mo — 79% cheaper than Kaesong's $3908/mo, a saving of $36936 per year.

For families, Kaesong costs $1216.375/mo compared to Lucknow's $668.408773077319/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Lucknow leads on internet connectivity at 61 Mbps (ranked #0 globally) versus Kaesong's 2 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

Both Kaesong and Lucknow share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Kaesong and Lucknow.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Kaesong is June (around 30 degrees, 0mm rain, score 367), while Lucknow peaks in February (23 degrees, 0mm rain, score 375). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

KaesongLucknow

Nomad$3,908/mo$830/mo

Expat$513/mo$484/mo

Local$348/mo$191/mo

Family$1,216/mo$668/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

KaesongLucknow

City Speed

2 Mbps

61 Mbps

Country Speed0 Mbps61 Mbps

Environment & Health

KaesongLucknow

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity3718

Quality of Life

KaesongLucknow

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Kaesong

Lucknow

Jan

-1°

0mm307

19°

0mm335

Feb

2°

0mm307

23°

0mm375

Mar

7°

0mm314

30°

0mm375

Apr

19°

0mm347

38°

0mm325

May

22°

0mm347

42°

0mm315

Jun

30°

0mm367

44°

0mm315

Jul

33°

6mm187

40°

6mm191

Aug

37°

1mm305

38°

7mm196

Sep

32°

1mm315

37°

2mm303

Oct

19°

0mm347

36°

0mm375

Nov

9°

0mm317

29°

0mm375

Dec

-2°

0mm307

22°

0mm355

Who Should Choose Kaesong?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1216.375/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 192.6k residents
Peak season in June — 30 degrees, score 367

Who Should Choose Lucknow?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $830
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $668.408773077319/mo for families
Major city energy with 2.9m residents
Peak season in February — 23 degrees, score 375

Overall Verdict

Overall, Lucknow edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $830/mo it runs 79% cheaper than Kaesong's $3908/mo, with 61 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Kaesong Lucknow

ItemKaesongLucknowDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant—$3.07

—

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)—$12.28

—

McMeal or equivalent combo—$3.07

—

Cappuccino (regular)—$1.57

—

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)—$1.84

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$3.68

—

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)—$0.35

—

Water (0.33L)—$0.18

—

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)—$0.68

—

White bread (500g)—$0.45

—

White rice (1kg)—$0.71

—

Eggs (12)—$1.03

—

Chicken fillets (1kg)—$3.48

—

Beef round (1kg)—$6.52

—

Local cheese (1kg)—$3.96

—

Apples (1kg)—$1.49

—

Bananas (1kg)—$0.58

—

Oranges (1kg)—$0.82

—

Tomatoes (1kg)—$0.43

—

Potatoes (1kg)—$0.25

—

Onions (1kg)—$0.35

—

Lettuce (1 head)—$0.43

—

Water (1.5L bottle)—$0.35

—

Wine, mid-range bottle—$6.14

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)—$1.81

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)—$3.39

—

Cigarettes (pack of 20)—$4.05

—

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket—$0.43

—

Monthly transport pass—$12.28

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)—$0.61

—

Taxi per 1km—$0.15

—

Taxi 1hr waiting—$1.23

—

Gasoline (1L)—$1.25

—

Volkswagen Golf (new)—$14,738.11

—

Toyota Corolla (new)—$24,393.62

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo—$47.83

—

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo—$8.66

—

Mobile prepaid per minute—$0.02

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly—$19.96

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)—$10.23

—

Cinema, 1 ticket—$3.68

—

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$51.34

—

International primary school/yr—$1,271.16

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)—$27.55

—

Summer dress (chain store)—$34.39

—

Nike running shoes (mid-range)—$40.91

—

Men's leather business shoes—$38.92

—

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$122.82

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$77.99

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$305.51

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$180.13

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre—$1,067.19

—

Price per m², outside centre—$599.7

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary—$569.74

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)—$8.47

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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