Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohang and Busan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pohang: $1,362 a month against $1,628 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
Learn more

Pohang Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Busan
Learn more

Busan Living Index

Jump to prices

Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohang and in Busan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Pohang versus $1,628 in Busan.

Pohang $1,362
Busan $1,628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,682 in Pohang versus $2,543 in Busan.

Pohang $1,682
Busan $2,543

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,002 in Pohang versus $3,457 in Busan.

Pohang $2,002
Busan $3,457

Living in Pohang costs roughly 16% less than in Busan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pohang 1% above, Busan 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 ₩7,857

$7.58 ₩10.1K

-22.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.55 ₩30.0K

$49.48 ₩65.8K

-54.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 ₩8,675

$6.56 ₩8,717

-0.61%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₩4,012

$3.67 ₩4,882

-17.71%

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

$1.48 ₩1,967

$1.85 ₩2,459

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₩710

$1.44 ₩1,911

-63.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,836

$3.77 ₩5,008

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,062

$4.28 ₩5,696

-10.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,142

$2.36 ₩3,137

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,319

$3.26 ₩4,340

-0.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₩1,940

$3.15 ₩4,193

-53.65%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,634

$2.64 ₩3,509

3.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₩14.6K

$10.84 ₩14.4K

1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₩13.8K

$10.57 ₩14.1K

-1.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.86 ₩33.1K

$25.32 ₩33.7K

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,929

$11.22 ₩14.9K

-80.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,798

$3.64 ₩4,837

-0.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$8.21 ₩10.9K

-3.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 ₩3,879

$5.84 ₩7,763

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$5.00 ₩6,653

$5.89 ₩7,831

-15.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 ₩4,532

$3.28 ₩4,357

3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 ₩3,015

$2.78 ₩3,696

-18.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,785

$1.28 ₩1,707

4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,407

$3.35 ₩4,458

-1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 ₩8,631

$18.91 ₩25.1K

-65.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₩2,031

$2.39 ₩3,181

-35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩4,638

$3.52 ₩4,679

-0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,515

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 ₩80.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 ₩4,388

$3.58 ₩4,759

-7.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩766

$0.74 ₩984

-21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 ₩22.1K

$17.18 ₩22.8K

-3.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,647

$1.35 ₩1,793

-8.15%

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

$29.5K ₩39.2M

$29.1K ₩38.7M

1.32%

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

$28.4K ₩37.8M

$33.1K ₩44.0M

-14.19%

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

$102 ₩136.1K

$202 ₩268.2K

-49.26%

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

$36.26 ₩48.2K

$37.03 ₩49.2K

-2.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.84 ₩35.7K

$27.43 ₩36.5K

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 ₩40.4K

$63.2 ₩84.0K

-51.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₩9,884

$10.04 ₩13.4K

-26.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.1K

$11.93 ₩15.9K

-4.61%

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

$637 ₩847.5K

$639 ₩850.3K

-0.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.0M

$22.0K ₩29.2M

-0.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩139.2K

$103 ₩136.9K

1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₩85.5K

$64.7 ₩86.1K

-0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 ₩122.9K

$92.8 ₩123.4K

-0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₩147.9K

$129 ₩171.4K

-13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 ₩946.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₩594.3K

$374 ₩497.5K

19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 ₩1.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 ₩955.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,884 ₩13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,990 ₩4.0M

$6,279 ₩8.3M

-52.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,240 ₩3.0M

$2,790 ₩3.7M

-19.71%

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 Pohang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Busan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohang

$447 32.8%

Busan

$374 23% 16.3% $73

Groceries & Markets

Pohang

$386 28.3%

Busan

$488 30% 26.6% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Pohang

$168 12.3%

Busan

$175 10.8% 4.5% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohang

$165 12.2%

Busan

$266 16.4% 60.9% $101

Eating Out

Pohang

$137 10.1%

Busan

$165 10.1% 20.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Pohang

$53 3.9%

Busan

$87 5.3% 63.8% $34

Getting Around

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5%

Busan

$73 4.5% 1074% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

Busan pays 25% 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: $23.00 in Pohang vs $49.00 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $488 per month, with Pohang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pohang

🇰🇷 Busan

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

Same time as Pohang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

514,869

3,586,079

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pohang Busan 96 km

From you

Pohang
Busan

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

Pohang vs Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohang wins on cost – living expenses run 20% 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.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Busan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Busan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,362 per month in Pohang versus $1,628 in Busan – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,362 in Pohang versus $1,628 in Busan, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pohang but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Pohang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Pohang and Busan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pohang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.