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

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

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

Living in Porto is roughly 51% more expensive than in Pohang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.88 €11.98

$5.81 ₩7,898

138.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €50.9

$21.80 ₩29.6K

170.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 €8.61

$6.59 ₩8,957

51.44%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.41

$2.87 ₩3,902

-2.79%

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

$2.39 €2.06

$1.44 ₩1,951

65.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.23

$0.47 ₩637

202.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.96

$3.54 ₩4,815

-3.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 €4.00

$3.57 ₩4,849

29.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.88 ₩2,559

-39.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 €1.57

$3.17 ₩4,304

-42.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 €1.26

$2.48 ₩3,378

-41.13%

Eggs

$4.24 €3.66

$2.64 ₩3,590

60.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 €10.74

$10.95 ₩14.9K

13.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 €6.18

$6.49 ₩8,817

10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.81 €14.51

$24.37 ₩33.1K

-31.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.14 ₩2,905

7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$3.49 ₩4,741

-50.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$7.70 ₩10.5K

-75.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.98 ₩4,044

-10.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$4.90 ₩6,663

-62.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$3.32 ₩4,519

-41.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.24 ₩3,040

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.30 ₩1,761

-36.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.04

$3.22 ₩4,373

117.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €4.87

$6.42 ₩8,732

-11.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.45 ₩1,970

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.28

$3.30 ₩4,480

-19.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.65 €39.39

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 €3.53

$3.38 ₩4,596

21.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.60 ₩817

46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.28 €14.91

$16.22 ₩22.0K

6.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.22 ₩1,652

85.25%

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

$34.4K €29.7K

$28.8K ₩39.2M

19.27%

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

$37.4K €32.3K

$27.9K ₩37.9M

34.18%

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

$167 €144

$97.7 ₩132.8K

70.67%

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

$15.82 €13.65

$35.52 ₩48.3K

-55.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.20 €33.83

$25.97 ₩35.3K

50.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.75 €39.48

$28.64 ₩38.9K

59.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 €14.19

$7.20 ₩9,785

128.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 €7.79

$10.87 ₩14.8K

-16.93%

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

$605 €522

$612 ₩831.6K

-1.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,213

$21.4K ₩29.2M

-50.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.4

$101 ₩137.3K

8.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 €29.50

$63.7 ₩86.6K

-46.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 €82.9

$92.1 ₩125.2K

4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €94.4

$111 ₩150.6K

-1.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 €1,145

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 €852

$454 ₩616.6K

117.67%

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)

$4,038 €3,485

$2,891 ₩3.9M

39.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,665 €1,437

$2,242 ₩3.0M

-25.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

4.22

-13.51%

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

Last update for Porto: August 30, 2026

Last update for Pohang: 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: $59.0 in Porto vs $22.00 in Pohang. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 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 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.

On paper, salaries run 35% 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.

Childcare runs $605 in Porto versus $612 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 $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, 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 51% less than in Porto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.