Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Pohang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pohang: $1,362 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong and in Pohang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,362 in Pohang, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Pohang $1,362

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,682 in Pohang, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Pohang $1,682

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,002 in Pohang, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Pohang $2,002

Hong Kong costs about 119% more than Pohang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hong Kong and Pohang sit above the global median – Hong Kong by 121%, Pohang by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$5.91 ₩7,857

31.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$22.55 ₩30.0K

186.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$6.52 ₩8,675

-5.21%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.02 ₩4,012

68.21%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$1.48 ₩1,967

-11.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.53 ₩710

105.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.64 ₩4,836

105.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$3.81 ₩5,062

70.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$2.36 ₩3,142

22.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$3.25 ₩4,319

-28.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$1.46 ₩1,940

45.89%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.73 ₩3,634

28.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$10.95 ₩14.6K

125.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$10.36 ₩13.8K

-17.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$24.86 ₩33.1K

-27.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$2.20 ₩2,929

90.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$3.61 ₩4,798

-25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$2.92 ₩3,879

38.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$5.00 ₩6,653

-37.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$3.41 ₩4,532

-7.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$2.27 ₩3,015

-28.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$1.34 ₩1,785

29.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.31 ₩4,407

307.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$6.49 ₩8,631

154.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.53 ₩2,031

26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$3.49 ₩4,638

-37.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.30 ₩4,388

11.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$0.58 ₩766

127.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$16.64 ₩22.1K

-5.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.24 ₩1,647

225.00%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$29.5K ₩39.2M

51.51%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$28.4K ₩37.8M

33.07%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$102 ₩136.1K

143.86%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$36.26 ₩48.2K

-56.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$26.84 ₩35.7K

-18.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$30.38 ₩40.4K

209.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$7.43 ₩9,884

25.03%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$11.38 ₩15.1K

22.23%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$637 ₩847.5K

82.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$21.8K ₩29.0M

0.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$105 ₩139.2K

-35.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$64.3 ₩85.5K

-34.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$92.5 ₩122.9K

-13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$111 ₩147.9K

9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$447 ₩594.3K

284.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$2,990 ₩4.0M

487.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$2,240 ₩3.0M

46.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

4.22

-7.35%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Pohang

$447 32.8% 74% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Pohang

$386 28.3% 6.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Pohang

$165 12.2% 42.3% $122

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Pohang

$137 10.1% 32% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Pohang

$168 12.3% 19.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Pohang

$53 3.9% 56.4% $69

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5% 94.1% $98

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 46% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $23.00 in Pohang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $386 – making Pohang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇰🇷 Pohang

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

08:01 8:01 AM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

514,869

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to HKD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hong Kong Pohang 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hong Kong
Pohang

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Hong Kong vs Pohang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,362 in Pohang – roughly 119% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $2,043 in Pohang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong and $23.00 in Pohang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Hong Kong, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pohang, where all-in costs run around $1,362, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Pohang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,362 in Pohang to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Pohang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.