Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pohang and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,362 in Pohang, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Pohang despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pohang and in Shanghai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Pohang versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Pohang $1,362
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,682 in Pohang versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Pohang $1,682
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,002 in Pohang versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Pohang $2,002
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Pohang is roughly 10% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pohang is 1% above, Shanghai is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 ₩7,857

$4.56 ¥30.47

29.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.55 ₩30.0K

$30.21 ¥202

-25.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 ₩8,675

$5.25 ¥35.13

24.19%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₩4,012

$3.28 ¥21.94

-7.93%

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

$1.48 ₩1,967

$0.57 ¥3.84

159.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₩710

$0.36 ¥2.39

47.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,836

$1.23 ¥8.23

195.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ₩5,062

$2.27 ¥15.18

67.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,142

$1.84 ¥12.30

28.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,319

$1.96 ¥13.08

65.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 ₩1,940

$1.03 ¥6.87

41.75%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,634

$1.67 ¥11.16

63.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₩14.6K

$16.96 ¥113

-35.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 ₩13.8K

$3.19 ¥21.33

224.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.86 ₩33.1K

$12.90 ¥86.3

92.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,929

$2.24 ¥15.00

-1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,798

$1.66 ¥11.13

117.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.91 ₩10.5K

$2.02 ¥13.54

291.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 ₩3,879

$1.66 ¥11.08

75.90%

Potato (1kg)

$5.00 ₩6,653

$0.77 ¥5.17

549.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 ₩4,532

$0.93 ¥6.21

266.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 ₩3,015

$0.63 ¥4.19

260.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,785

$0.60 ¥3.99

123.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ₩4,407

$3.80 ¥25.44

-12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.49 ₩8,631

$10.87 ¥72.7

-40.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₩2,031

$0.82 ¥5.51

86.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ₩4,638

$1.61 ¥10.76

116.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 ₩4,388

$2.11 ¥14.11

56.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩766

$0.43 ¥2.87

34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 ₩22.1K

$9.06 ¥60.6

83.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,647

$1.33 ¥8.89

-6.77%

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

$29.5K ₩39.2M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

54.94%

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

$28.4K ₩37.8M

$18.7K ¥125.1K

51.80%

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

$102 ₩136.1K

$57.8 ¥387

77.05%

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

$36.26 ₩48.2K

$8.09 ¥54.1

348.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.84 ₩35.7K

$10.48 ¥70.0

156.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 ₩40.4K

$65.7 ¥439

-53.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.43 ₩9,884

$17.82 ¥119

-58.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.38 ₩15.1K

$8.95 ¥59.9

27.15%

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

$637 ₩847.5K

$1,414 ¥9,451

-54.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.0M

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-21.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 ₩139.2K

$54.0 ¥361

93.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₩85.5K

$37.09 ¥248

73.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 ₩122.9K

$74.3 ¥496

24.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₩147.9K

$106 ¥706

5.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ₩594.3K

$585 ¥3,910

-23.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,990 ₩4.0M

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-52.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,240 ₩3.0M

$1,711 ¥11.4K

30.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.36

25.60%

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

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pohang

$447 32.8%

Shanghai

$585 47% 30.8% $138

Groceries & Markets

Pohang

$386 28.3%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 39.1% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Pohang

$168 12.3%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 27.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pohang

$165 12.2%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 53.8% $89

Eating Out

Pohang

$137 10.1%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 22.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Pohang

$53 3.9%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 57.3% $30

Getting Around

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 484% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

Pohang pays 31% 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 $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $235, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pohang

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

05:01 5:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

1 h behind Pohang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

514,869

24,870,895

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, 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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pohang Shanghai 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pohang
Shanghai

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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Pohang. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shanghai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 31% 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 $637 in Pohang versus $1,414 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $23.00 in Pohang. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,362 in Pohang, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Pohang. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Pohang. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.