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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Porto versus $1,342 in Pohang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,758 in Porto versus $2,006 in Pohang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,669 in Porto versus $2,670 in Pohang.

Living in Porto is roughly 38% more expensive than in Pohang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Porto 38% above, Pohang 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.75 €10.28

$5.06 ₩7,535

132.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 €49.73

$18.25 ₩27.2K

211.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 €8.09

$6.19 ₩9,211

49.43%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €2.00

$2.87 ₩4,273

-20.21%

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

$2.08 €1.82

$1.48 ₩2,208

40.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.48 ₩714

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.95

$3.62 ₩5,391

-6.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.64 ₩5,416

-6.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.80 ₩2,679

-38.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 €1.27

$3.16 ₩4,700

-54.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.45

$2.61 ₩3,881

-36.78%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.75

$2.99 ₩4,446

5.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 €10.55

$10.33 ₩15.4K

16.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 €6.51

$6.56 ₩9,754

13.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 €13.22

$27.64 ₩41.1K

-45.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 €1.94

$2.19 ₩3,255

0.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 €1.21

$3.22 ₩4,795

-56.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.55

$7.26 ₩10.8K

-75.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.50 ₩3,715

-6.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$4.79 ₩7,121

-64.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$2.94 ₩4,371

-36.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.04 ₩3,042

-25.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.16 ₩1,730

-26.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 €5.59

$3.25 ₩4,832

96.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 €5.08

$5.77 ₩8,588

0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.50 ₩2,225

-21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.45 ₩5,129

-33.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.06 ₩1,575

99.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.25 €40.47

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.57

$2.44 ₩3,631

67.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 €0.67

$0.85 ₩1,262

-10.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.63 €15.42

$16.49 ₩24.5K

6.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.78

$1.20 ₩1,791

70.00%

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

$35.3K €30.9K

$27.6K ₩41.1M

27.73%

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

$38.4K €33.6K

$25.1K ₩37.4M

52.86%

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

$141 €123

$106 ₩157.2K

33.28%

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

$22.30 €19.51

$51.0 ₩75.9K

-56.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.35 €38.80

$27.95 ₩41.6K

58.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.35 €37.92

$29.38 ₩43.7K

47.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 €14.30

$7.13 ₩10.6K

129.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 €7.90

$10.83 ₩16.1K

-16.62%

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

$516 €451

$498 ₩740.3K

3.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,187

$14.2K ₩21.1M

-25.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €97.8

$103 ₩153.3K

8.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.15 €30.75

$47.32 ₩70.4K

-25.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €80.0

$87.9 ₩130.8K

4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €97.0

$111 ₩165.0K

-0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 €1,040

$449 ₩668.0K

164.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 €799

$439 ₩652.8K

108.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 €1,909

$1,047 ₩1.6M

108.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,377

$770 ₩1.1M

104.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,297 €4,634

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,990 €3,491

$2,676 ₩4.0M

49.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,590 €1,391

$2,192 ₩3.3M

-27.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.22

-10.19%

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

Last update for Porto: July 14, 2026

Last update for Pohang: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,188 in Porto and $449 in Pohang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pohang pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Porto vs $18.00 in Pohang. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $359, 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

Porto vs Pohang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pohang wins on cost – living expenses run 38% 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.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Pohang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,188 in Porto versus $449 in Pohang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $516 in Porto versus $498 in Pohang. 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 $57.0 in Porto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,342 in Pohang versus $1,848 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 $1,342 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Pohang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Porto and Pohang 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 38% less than in Porto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.