Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Pohang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pohang: $1,365 a month against $1,842 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,842

/mo nomad

Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busan and in Pohang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Busan and in Pohang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,842 in Busan versus $1,365 in Pohang.

Busan $1,842
Pohang $1,365

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Busan versus $2,214 in Pohang.

Busan $3,019
Pohang $2,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,196 in Busan versus $3,063 in Pohang.

Busan $4,196
Pohang $3,063

Living in Busan is roughly 35% more expensive than in Pohang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$6.08 ₩8,121

26.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.41 ₩66.0K

$22.35 ₩29.8K

121.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.63 ₩8,856

$6.45 ₩8,615

2.79%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ₩4,912

$3.09 ₩4,120

19.09%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₩2,479

$1.47 ₩1,969

26.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 ₩1,861

$0.50 ₩667

178.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩4,986

$3.67 ₩4,903

1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 ₩5,886

$3.82 ₩5,097

15.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,016

$2.30 ₩3,065

-1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,340

$3.17 ₩4,235

2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,149

$1.53 ₩2,044

103.27%

Eggs

$2.67 ₩3,562

$2.76 ₩3,679

-3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 ₩14.9K

$11.07 ₩14.8K

0.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 ₩14.3K

$10.61 ₩14.2K

0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.98 ₩33.4K

$24.68 ₩33.0K

1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

$2.20 ₩2,944

407.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,794

$3.60 ₩4,808

-0.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.17 ₩10.9K

$7.98 ₩10.7K

2.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,153

$3.11 ₩4,147

96.46%

Potato (1kg)

$6.20 ₩8,277

$5.13 ₩6,842

20.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,440

$3.43 ₩4,577

-2.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 ₩3,848

$2.22 ₩2,964

29.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,722

$1.33 ₩1,777

-3.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 ₩4,617

$3.43 ₩4,579

0.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.8K

$6.90 ₩9,218

168.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₩3,230

$1.52 ₩2,034

59.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 ₩4,799

$3.44 ₩4,597

4.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,529

$1.18 ₩1,581

-2.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 ₩94.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ₩4,742

$3.42 ₩4,565

3.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩981

$0.63 ₩839

15.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.97 ₩22.7K

$16.86 ₩22.5K

0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,892

$1.30 ₩1,734

9.23%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.9K ₩53.3M

$29.5K ₩39.4M

35.48%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.9K ₩45.3M

$29.4K ₩39.3M

15.26%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$206 ₩274.7K

$101 ₩135.1K

103.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$36.67 ₩49.0K

$37.06 ₩49.5K

-1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.6K

$27.13 ₩36.2K

0.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ₩68.9K

$29.93 ₩40.0K

72.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₩13.6K

$14.02 ₩18.7K

-27.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 ₩15.9K

$11.14 ₩14.9K

6.64%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$638 ₩852.1K

$635 ₩848.0K

0.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.7M

$22.0K ₩29.3M

1.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.3K

$104 ₩139.4K

-0.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 ₩86.9K

$66.8 ₩89.2K

-2.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.9K

-0.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩173.6K

$113 ₩150.4K

15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ₩995.6K

$484 ₩646.7K

53.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₩778.0K

$440 ₩587.2K

32.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₩2.9M

$1,256 ₩1.7M

71.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,450 ₩1.9M

$1,032 ₩1.4M

40.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,485 ₩11.3M

$8,173 ₩10.9M

3.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,272 ₩4.4M

$5,538 ₩7.4M

-40.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,826 ₩3.8M

$2,203 ₩2.9M

28.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Busan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Pohang: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$583 31.6%

Pohang

$440 32.2% 24.5% $143

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$489 26.6%

Pohang

$388 28.4% 20.8% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$270 14.7%

Pohang

$165 12.1% 38.7% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$177 9.6%

Pohang

$170 12.4% 4% $7

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9%

Pohang

$139 10.2% 16.4% $27

Getting Around

Busan

$82 4.5%

Pohang

$11 * 0.8% 86.3% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$75 4.1%

Pohang

$52 3.8% 30.7% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Busan and $484 in Pohang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $22 in Pohang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $388 per month, with Pohang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇰🇷 Pohang

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

Same time as Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

514,869

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Busan Pohang 96 km

From you

Busan
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Busan vs Pohang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohang wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pohang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Busan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $746 in Busan versus $484 in Pohang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,842 per month in Busan versus $1,365 in Pohang – Pohang is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Pohang is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Safety-wise, Busan and Pohang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Pohang wins on affordability, Busan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.