Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohang and Porto Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohang and Porto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,333 in Pohang versus $1,860 in Porto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Pohang versus $2,769 in Porto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,680 in Pohang versus $3,677 in Porto.

Living in Pohang costs roughly 28% less than in Porto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pohang 0% above, Porto 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 ₩8,018

$11.39 €9.81

-54.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.25 ₩28.0K

$58.8 €50.6

-68.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.14 ₩9,412

$9.03 €7.78

-32.00%

Cappuccino

$2.98 ₩4,565

$2.28 €1.96

30.70%

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

$1.44 ₩2,208

$2.15 €1.85

-33.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₩787

$1.51 €1.30

-66.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ₩5,741

$3.57 €3.08

5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ₩5,546

$3.38 €2.91

7.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ₩2,747

$1.11 €0.96

61.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₩4,854

$1.45 €1.25

118.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ₩3,883

$1.59 €1.37

59.12%

Eggs

$2.97 ₩4,547

$2.98 €2.57

-0.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 ₩16.2K

$11.71 €10.08

-9.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 ₩9,860

$7.29 €6.28

-11.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.14 ₩41.6K

$15.55 €13.39

74.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ₩3,331

$2.19 €1.88

-0.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 ₩4,771

$1.41 €1.21

120.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.47 ₩11.4K

$1.82 €1.57

310.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 ₩4,030

$2.44 €2.10

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$4.89 ₩7,485

$1.71 €1.47

185.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 ₩4,494

$1.92 €1.65

52.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 ₩3,093

$1.51 €1.30

33.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,785

$0.79 €0.68

46.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩5,102

$6.49 €5.59

-48.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ₩12.9K

$5.69 €4.90

47.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 ₩2,280

$1.18 €1.01

26.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩5,163

$2.33 €2.00

44.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,691

$2.03 €1.75

-45.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.83 €39.47

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ₩3,782

$3.97 €3.42

-37.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₩1,313

$0.75 €0.65

14.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.38 ₩25.1K

$17.64 €15.19

-7.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₩1,864

$2.04 €1.76

-40.20%

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

$28.0K ₩42.8M

$35.2K €30.3K

-20.61%

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

$24.9K ₩38.2M

$38.5K €33.2K

-35.33%

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

$106 ₩162.2K

$137 €118

-22.87%

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

$50.1 ₩76.8K

$22.26 €19.17

125.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.14 ₩41.6K

$44.05 €37.93

-38.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.52 ₩45.2K

$44.92 €38.68

-34.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.18 ₩11.0K

$15.83 €13.63

-54.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 ₩16.8K

$9.45 €8.14

16.19%

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

$491 ₩752.6K

$519 €447

-5.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K ₩22.1M

$10.7K €9,204

34.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩159.3K

$108 €92.9

-3.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.82 ₩73.3K

$35.21 €30.32

35.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 ₩133.5K

$94.5 €81.3

-7.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₩168.5K

$113 €96.9

-2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₩682.9K

$1,168 €1,005

-61.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 ₩654.6K

$938 €807

-54.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 ₩1.6M

$2,258 €1,944

-52.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 ₩1.2M

$1,543 €1,329

-49.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,425 €4,671

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,602 ₩4.0M

$4,043 €3,482

-35.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,229 ₩3.4M

$1,663 €1,432

34.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.79

11.35%

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

Last update for Pohang: May 31, 2026

Last update for Porto: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $446 in Pohang and $1,168 in Porto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pohang pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18.00 in Pohang vs $59.0 in Porto. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $247, with Porto cheaper for home cooking.

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 Porto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohang wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Porto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pohang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Pohang pays 34% more on average, 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: $446 in Pohang versus $1,168 in Porto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Pohang versus $519 in Porto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pohang – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $59.0 in Porto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,333 in Pohang versus $1,860 in Porto, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pohang but tight or insufficient in Porto. The gap between the two cities makes Pohang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Pohang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,333 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pohang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Pohang and Porto 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 39% less than in Porto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.