Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohang and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pohang: $1,362 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohang and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $1,362 per month in Pohang vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Pohang $1,362
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,682 per month in Pohang vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Pohang $1,682
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,002 per month in Pohang vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Pohang $2,002
Medellin $3,190

Pohang is about 16% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pohang and Medellin sit above the global median – Pohang by 1%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 ₩7,857

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-25.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.55 ₩30.0K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-51.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 ₩8,675

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-31.37%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₩4,012

$3.11 COP 9,866

-2.89%

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

$1.48 ₩1,967

$1.83 COP 5,800

-19.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₩710

$1.38 COP 4,360

-61.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,836

$3.05 COP 9,672

19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,062

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-30.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,142

$1.45 COP 4,600

62.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,319

$2.36 COP 7,496

37.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₩1,940

$1.68 COP 5,328

-13.10%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,634

$2.86 COP 9,077

-4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₩14.6K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

7.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₩13.8K

$9.53 COP 30.2K

8.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.86 ₩33.1K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

77.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,929

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-45.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,798

$1.50 COP 4,742

140.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$2.17 COP 6,891

264.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 ₩3,879

$2.31 COP 7,310

26.41%

Potato (1kg)

$5.00 ₩6,653

$1.93 COP 6,113

159.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 ₩4,532

$1.64 COP 5,196

107.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 ₩3,015

$1.13 COP 3,571

100.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,785

$1.25 COP 3,954

7.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,407

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-17.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 ₩8,631

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-51.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₩2,031

$1.70 COP 5,384

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩4,638

$2.37 COP 7,525

47.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 ₩4,388

$1.32 COP 4,179

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩766

$2.14 COP 6,774

-72.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 ₩22.1K

$8.47 COP 26.8K

96.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,647

$1.30 COP 4,114

-4.62%

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

$29.5K ₩39.2M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

5.32%

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

$28.4K ₩37.8M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-19.81%

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

$102 ₩136.1K

$172 COP 545.6K

-40.53%

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

$36.26 ₩48.2K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

171.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.84 ₩35.7K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-6.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 ₩40.4K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-32.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₩9,884

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-56.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.1K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

81.21%

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

$637 ₩847.5K

$770 COP 2.4M

-17.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.0M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

141.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩139.2K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

21.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₩85.5K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

12.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 ₩122.9K

$137 COP 432.9K

-32.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₩147.9K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

13.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₩594.3K

$616 COP 2.0M

-27.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,990 ₩4.0M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

78.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,240 ₩3.0M

$652 COP 2.1M

243.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

10.94

-61.43%

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

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohang

$447 32.8%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 37.8% $169

Groceries & Markets

Pohang

$386 28.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 23.6% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Pohang

$168 12.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 1.4% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohang

$165 12.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 29.5% $49

Eating Out

Pohang

$137 10.1%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 23% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Pohang

$53 3.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 8.8% $4.7

Getting Around

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 1410% $87

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 243% higher in Pohang, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Pohang versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Pohang vs $295 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pohang

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

22:25 10:25 PM

14 h behind Pohang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

514,869

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pohang Medellin 14,640 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Pohang
Medellin

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,043 per month in Pohang and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Pohang and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 31% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Pohang, where all-in costs run around $1,362, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Pohang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pohang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.