Moving to North Korea from California
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from California to North Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from California to North Korea, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean. Expect a noticeable climate shift — P'yongyang averages 60°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from California to North Korea, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to North Korea?
Top countries of origin for North Korea's foreign-born residents.
- 29,248
- 5,477
- 2,990
- 2,841
- 1,444
-
6.1,049
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
How California and North Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
North Korea performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
California generally does better on employment & economy, though North Korea leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
California performs better than North Korea across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and North Korea. To live, work, or study long-term in North Korea, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check North Korea's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa Required
North Korea passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from North Korea?
Working remotely from North Korea's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in California and North Korea.
How is healthcare in North Korea compared to California?
North Korea performs significantly better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in North Korea compared to California?
The average high temperature in P'yongyang is 60°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. P'yongyang receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
What language do they speak in North Korea?
The official language in North Korea is Korean. In California, the official language is English.
