Moving to North Korea from China
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from China to North Korea — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from China to North Korea, and you’d need to navigate life in Korean.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from China 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.
-
1.29,248
China
- 5,477
- 2,990
- 2,841
- 1,444
- 1,049
Key Indicator Comparison
How China and North Korea stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Korea leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
China generally does better on environment, though North Korea leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
China generally does better on infrastructure, though North Korea leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
North Korea performs significantly better than China across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
percentage of adults who can read and write
China generally does better on family life, though North Korea leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2015). How we calculate this
Weather in North Korea vs China
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Shanghai | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 49°/36°F (10°/2°C) | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/60°F (23°/16°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 62°/47°F (17°/9°C) | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Shanghai | P'yongyang |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/33°F (7.7°/0.5°C) | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) |
| Feb | 47°/35°F (8.6°/1.5°C) | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) |
| Mar | 55°/41°F (12.7°/5.1°C) | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) |
| Apr | 65°/51°F (18.6°/10.6°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) |
| May | 74°/60°F (23.5°/15.7°C) | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) |
| Jun | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.3°C) | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) |
| Jul | 89°/77°F (31.6°/24.8°C) | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) |
| Aug | 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.7°C) | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) |
| Sep | 81°/69°F (27.2°/20.5°C) | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.3°/14.7°C) | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) |
| Nov | 62°/47°F (16.7°/8.6°C) | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 51°/36°F (10.6°/2.4°C) | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) |
China Meteorological AdministrationCan you move from China to North Korea?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between China 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.
China passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa Required
North Korea passport holder visiting China
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 China and North Korea.
How is healthcare in North Korea compared to China?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Korea leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 36.3 doctors per 10,000 people in North Korea, compared to 31.1 in China. North Korea scores 68 on the WHO universal health coverage index (China: 81).
What's the weather like in North Korea compared to China?
The average high temperature in P'yongyang is 60°F, compared to 68°F in Shanghai. P'yongyang receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Shanghai gets 43.8 in.
What language do they speak in North Korea?
The official language in North Korea is Korean. In China, the official language is Chinese.
