Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohang and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Pohang: $1,362 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohang and in Seoul

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Pohang versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Pohang $1,362
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,682 in Pohang versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Pohang $1,682
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,002 in Pohang versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Pohang $2,002
Seoul $3,931

Living in Pohang costs roughly 24% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pohang 1% above, Seoul 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 ₩7,857

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-32.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.55 ₩30.0K

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-67.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 ₩8,675

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-13.53%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₩4,012

$4.23 ₩5,624

-28.61%

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

$1.48 ₩1,967

$1.63 ₩2,167

-9.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₩710

$0.74 ₩985

-28.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,836

$3.64 ₩4,843

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,062

$6.15 ₩8,175

-38.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,142

$2.01 ₩2,679

17.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,319

$3.13 ₩4,164

3.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₩1,940

$4.32 ₩5,744

-66.20%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,634

$3.61 ₩4,794

-24.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₩14.6K

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-38.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₩13.8K

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-0.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.86 ₩33.1K

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-3.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,929

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-71.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,798

$3.38 ₩4,499

6.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$5.81 ₩7,723

36.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 ₩3,879

$6.41 ₩8,520

-54.45%

Potato (1kg)

$5.00 ₩6,653

$3.75 ₩4,983

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 ₩4,532

$2.54 ₩3,375

34.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 ₩3,015

$2.84 ₩3,782

-20.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,785

$1.11 ₩1,472

20.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,407

$3.35 ₩4,455

-1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 ₩8,631

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-64.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₩2,031

$2.40 ₩3,185

-36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩4,638

$3.37 ₩4,480

3.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 ₩4,388

$3.49 ₩4,643

-5.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩766

$0.63 ₩840

-7.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 ₩22.1K

$8.86 ₩11.8K

87.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,647

$1.51 ₩2,005

-17.88%

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

$29.5K ₩39.2M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

0.70%

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

$28.4K ₩37.8M

$28.2K ₩37.5M

0.67%

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

$102 ₩136.1K

$218 ₩289.2K

-52.95%

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

$36.26 ₩48.2K

$35.15 ₩46.7K

3.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.84 ₩35.7K

$21.29 ₩28.3K

26.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 ₩40.4K

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-47.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₩9,884

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-53.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.1K

$11.31 ₩15.0K

0.62%

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

$637 ₩847.5K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-67.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.0M

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-4.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩139.2K

$57.0 ₩75.8K

83.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₩85.5K

$33.39 ₩44.4K

92.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 ₩122.9K

$71.5 ₩95.0K

29.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₩147.9K

$82.5 ₩109.7K

34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₩594.3K

$612 ₩813.5K

-26.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 ₩3.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 ₩1.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.4K ₩39.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,990 ₩4.0M

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-74.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,240 ₩3.0M

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-38.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.08

3.43%

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

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohang

$447 32.8%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 36.9% $165

Groceries & Markets

Pohang

$386 28.3%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 23.7% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Pohang

$168 12.3%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 34.4% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohang

$165 12.2%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 65.6% $109

Eating Out

Pohang

$137 10.1%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 34.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Pohang

$53 3.9%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 51.8% $28

Getting Around

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 828% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

Seoul pays 63% 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 $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $477 per month, with Pohang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pohang

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

Same time as Pohang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

514,869

9,509,458 Capital

💱 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

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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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohang wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Seoul. 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 63% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $637 in Pohang versus $1,948 in Seoul. 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 $23.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,362 in Pohang versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pohang but tight or insufficient in Seoul. 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 Seoul 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 32% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.