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: $1,307 in Pohang versus $1,980 in Porto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,611 in Pohang versus $2,942 in Porto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,915 in Pohang versus $3,903 in Porto.

Living in Pohang costs roughly 34% less than in Porto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pohang is 5% below, Porto is 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.81 ₩7,898

$13.88 €11.98

-58.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.80 ₩29.6K

$59.0 €50.9

-63.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 ₩8,957

$9.98 €8.61

-33.97%

Cappuccino

$2.87 ₩3,902

$2.79 €2.41

2.87%

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

$1.44 ₩1,951

$2.39 €2.06

-39.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩637

$1.42 €1.23

-66.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 ₩4,815

$3.43 €2.96

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 ₩4,849

$4.63 €4.00

-22.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 ₩2,559

$1.14 €0.98

64.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 ₩4,304

$1.82 €1.57

74.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ₩3,378

$1.46 €1.26

69.86%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,590

$4.24 €3.66

-37.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₩14.9K

$12.44 €10.74

-11.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 ₩8,817

$7.16 €6.18

-9.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.37 ₩33.1K

$16.81 €14.51

44.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₩2,905

$2.29 €1.98

-6.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 ₩4,741

$1.72 €1.48

102.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.70 ₩10.5K

$1.91 €1.65

303.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 ₩4,044

$2.68 €2.31

11.19%

Potato (1kg)

$4.90 ₩6,663

$1.85 €1.59

164.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 ₩4,519

$1.94 €1.68

71.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 ₩3,040

$1.75 €1.51

28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₩1,761

$0.82 €0.70

58.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ₩4,373

$7.00 €6.04

-54.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 ₩8,732

$5.65 €4.87

13.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,970

$1.45 €1.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₩4,480

$2.65 €2.28

24.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.65 €39.39

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ₩4,596

$4.09 €3.53

-17.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩817

$0.88 €0.76

-31.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.22 ₩22.0K

$17.28 €14.91

-6.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₩1,652

$2.26 €1.95

-46.02%

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

$28.8K ₩39.2M

$34.4K €29.7K

-16.15%

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

$27.9K ₩37.9M

$37.4K €32.3K

-25.47%

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

$97.7 ₩132.8K

$167 €144

-41.41%

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

$35.52 ₩48.3K

$15.82 €13.65

124.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.97 ₩35.3K

$39.20 €33.83

-33.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.64 ₩38.9K

$45.75 €39.48

-37.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.20 ₩9,785

$16.44 €14.19

-56.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 ₩14.8K

$9.03 €7.79

20.38%

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

$612 ₩831.6K

$605 €522

1.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K ₩29.2M

$10.7K €9,213

100.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ₩137.3K

$109 €94.4

-7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 ₩86.6K

$34.18 €29.50

86.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 ₩125.2K

$96.0 €82.9

-4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₩150.6K

$109 €94.4

1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 €1,145

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₩616.6K

$987 €852

-54.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 €2,053

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 €1,452

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,276 €4,553

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,891 ₩3.9M

$4,038 €3,485

-28.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,242 ₩3.0M

$1,665 €1,437

34.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.65

15.62%

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

Last update for Pohang: August 30, 2026

Last update for Porto: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Pohang pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Pohang vs $59.0 in Porto. Groceries flip the comparison at $359 vs $269, 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 51% 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.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Pohang, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $612 in Pohang versus $605 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 $22.00 versus $59.0 in Porto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,307 in Pohang versus $1,980 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 $1,307 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 51% less than in Porto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.