Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohang and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,362 in Pohang, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohang and in Cebu

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 Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Pohang versus $918 in Cebu.

Pohang $1,362
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,682 in Pohang versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Pohang $1,682
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,002 in Pohang versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Pohang $2,002
Cebu $1,900

Living in Pohang is roughly 48% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pohang is 1% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 ₩7,857

$3.09 ₱194

91.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.55 ₩30.0K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-6.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 ₩8,675

$3.92 ₱247

66.33%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₩4,012

$2.51 ₱158

20.32%

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

$1.48 ₩1,967

$1.59 ₱100

-6.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₩710

$0.53 ₱33.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,836

$1.78 ₱112

104.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,062

$2.17 ₱137

75.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,142

$1.92 ₱121

22.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,319

$1.36 ₱85.4

138.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₩1,940

$1.01 ₱63.5

44.55%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,634

$2.03 ₱128

34.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₩14.6K

$9.86 ₱621

11.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₩13.8K

$4.39 ₱277

135.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.86 ₩33.1K

$7.60 ₱479

227.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,929

$3.30 ₱208

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,798

$1.39 ₱87.8

159.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$2.33 ₱147

239.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 ₩3,879

$1.50 ₱94.3

94.67%

Potato (1kg)

$5.00 ₩6,653

$2.36 ₱149

111.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 ₩4,532

$1.90 ₱119

79.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 ₩3,015

$1.19 ₱74.9

90.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,785

$0.63 ₱39.71

112.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,407

$3.00 ₱189

10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 ₩8,631

$6.03 ₱379

7.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₩2,031

$1.23 ₱77.7

24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩4,638

$1.75 ₱110

99.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 ₩4,388

$0.77 ₱48.62

328.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩766

$0.23 ₱14.53

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 ₩22.1K

$4.46 ₱281

273.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,647

$1.31 ₱82.8

-5.34%

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

$29.5K ₩39.2M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

38.76%

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

$28.4K ₩37.8M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

48.32%

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

$102 ₩136.1K

$120 ₱7,569

-14.87%

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

$36.26 ₩48.2K

$14.00 ₱882

159.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.84 ₩35.7K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-2.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 ₩40.4K

$32.33 ₱2,035

-6.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₩9,884

$6.65 ₱419

11.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.1K

$5.65 ₱356

101.42%

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

$637 ₩847.5K

$275 ₱17.3K

131.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.0M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

175.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩139.2K

$49.33 ₱3,106

112.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₩85.5K

$25.24 ₱1,589

154.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 ₩122.9K

$77.0 ₱4,846

20.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₩147.9K

$57.2 ₱3,601

94.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₩594.3K

$309 ₱19.4K

44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,990 ₩4.0M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

56.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,240 ₩3.0M

$346 ₱21.8K

547.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

7.2

-41.39%

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

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohang

$447 32.8%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 30.9% $138

Groceries & Markets

Pohang

$386 28.3%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 46.6% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Pohang

$168 12.3%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 44% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohang

$165 12.2%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 2.2% $3.7

Eating Out

Pohang

$137 10.1%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 35.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Pohang

$53 3.9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 17.9% $9.5

Getting Around

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 152% $9.4

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

Cost Breakdown

Pohang pays 547% 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 $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pohang

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

03:29 3:29 AM

1 h behind Pohang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

514,869

964,169

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pohang Cebu 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pohang
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 547% higher in Pohang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Pohang. 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 $918 in Cebu – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pohang, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pohang and Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Pohang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.