Moving to Cuba from North Korea
What to Expect
Considering a move from North Korea to Cuba? Here's how the two countries compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from North Korea to Cuba, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Havana averages 84°F vs 60°F in P'yongyang, making it significantly warmer.
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Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Cuba compared to North Korea.
How's the healthcare?
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Cuba generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Korea leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Cuba performs significantly better than North Korea across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Cuba performs significantly better than North Korea across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
Cuba performs significantly better than North Korea 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
Cuba generally does better on family life, though North Korea leads in literacy rate.
Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | P'yongyang | Havana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) | 80°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) | 88°/75°F (31°/24°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) | 82°/70°F (28°/21°C) |
View all months
| Month | P'yongyang | Havana |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) | 78°/65°F (25.8°/18.6°C) |
| Feb | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.6°C) |
| Mar | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) | 82°/67°F (27.6°/19.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) | 83°/70°F (28.6°/20.9°C) |
| May | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) | 86°/72°F (29.8°/22.4°C) |
| Jun | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) | 87°/74°F (30.5°/23.4°C) |
| Jul | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) | 88°/75°F (31.3°/23.8°C) |
| Aug | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) | 89°/75°F (31.6°/24.1°C) |
| Sep | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) | 88°/75°F (31.0°/23.8°C) |
| Oct | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) | 85°/73°F (29.2°/23.0°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) | 82°/70°F (27.7°/21.3°C) |
| Dec | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.5°C) |
Instituto de MeteorologíaVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and Cuba. To live, work, or study long-term in Cuba, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Cuba's immigration authority.
North Korea passport holder visiting Cuba
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Cuba passport holder visiting North Korea
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 Cuba?
From major Cuba cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in North Korea and Cuba are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Cuba compared to North Korea?
Cuba generally does better on health & wellbeing, though North Korea leads in suicide rate. There are 94.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Cuba, compared to 36.7 in North Korea. Cuba scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).
What's the weather like in Cuba compared to North Korea?
The average high temperature in Havana is 84°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Havana receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.
What language do they speak in Cuba?
The official language in Cuba is Spanish. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.
