Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Pohang

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.

88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Pohang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seoul and in Pohang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Seoul $1,794
Pohang $1,362

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

Seoul $2,863
Pohang $1,682

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

Seoul $3,931
Pohang $2,002

Living in Seoul is roughly 32% more expensive than in Pohang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 ₩11.7K

$5.91 ₩7,857

48.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 ₩90.9K

$22.55 ₩30.0K

203.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$6.52 ₩8,675

15.64%

Cappuccino

$4.23 ₩5,624

$3.02 ₩4,012

40.07%

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

$1.63 ₩2,167

$1.48 ₩1,967

10.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₩985

$0.53 ₩710

39.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩4,843

$3.64 ₩4,836

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 ₩8,175

$3.81 ₩5,062

61.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₩2,679

$2.36 ₩3,142

-14.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$3.25 ₩4,319

-3.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 ₩5,744

$1.46 ₩1,940

195.89%

Eggs

$3.61 ₩4,794

$2.73 ₩3,634

32.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.83 ₩23.7K

$10.95 ₩14.6K

62.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 ₩13.9K

$10.36 ₩13.8K

0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 ₩34.3K

$24.86 ₩33.1K

3.78%

Apples (1kg)

$7.66 ₩10.2K

$2.20 ₩2,929

248.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,499

$3.61 ₩4,798

-6.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,723

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-26.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 ₩8,520

$2.92 ₩3,879

119.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩4,983

$5.00 ₩6,653

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,375

$3.41 ₩4,532

-25.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 ₩3,782

$2.27 ₩3,015

25.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₩1,472

$1.34 ₩1,785

-17.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩4,455

$3.31 ₩4,407

1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$6.49 ₩8,631

184.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 ₩3,185

$1.53 ₩2,031

56.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,480

$3.49 ₩4,638

-3.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,521

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.11 ₩61.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ₩4,643

$3.30 ₩4,388

5.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩840

$0.58 ₩766

8.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 ₩11.8K

$16.64 ₩22.1K

-46.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₩2,005

$1.24 ₩1,647

21.77%

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

$29.3K ₩38.9M

$29.5K ₩39.2M

-0.70%

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

$28.2K ₩37.5M

$28.4K ₩37.8M

-0.66%

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

$218 ₩289.2K

$102 ₩136.1K

112.53%

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

$35.15 ₩46.7K

$36.26 ₩48.2K

-3.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 ₩28.3K

$26.84 ₩35.7K

-20.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ₩77.2K

$30.38 ₩40.4K

91.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

$7.43 ₩9,884

116.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$11.38 ₩15.1K

-0.62%

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

$1,948 ₩2.6M

$637 ₩847.5K

205.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K ₩30.4M

$21.8K ₩29.0M

4.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ₩75.8K

$105 ₩139.2K

-45.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.39 ₩44.4K

$64.3 ₩85.5K

-48.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₩95.0K

$92.5 ₩122.9K

-22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩109.7K

$111 ₩147.9K

-25.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 ₩1.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 ₩813.5K

$447 ₩594.3K

36.87%

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)

$11.9K ₩15.8M

$2,990 ₩4.0M

298.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,650 ₩4.9M

$2,240 ₩3.0M

62.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

4.22

-3.32%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$612 34.1%

Pohang

$447 32.8% 26.9% $165

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$477 26.6%

Pohang

$386 28.3% 19.1% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$274 15.3%

Pohang

$165 12.2% 39.6% $109

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Pohang

$137 10.1% 25.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Pohang

$168 12.3% 52.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$81 4.5%

Pohang

$53 3.9% 34.1% $28

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.2%

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5% 89.2% $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: $68.0 in Seoul vs $23.00 in Pohang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $386 per month, with Pohang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇰🇷 Pohang

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

Same time as Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

514,869

💱 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

Seoul vs Pohang: 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.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,948 in Seoul versus $637 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 $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, Seoul 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 32% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.