Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Pohang

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.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
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Pohang Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai 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 Shanghai and in Pohang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Shanghai $1,244
Pohang $1,362

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

Shanghai $1,999
Pohang $1,682

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

Shanghai $2,755
Pohang $2,002

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 9% less than in Pohang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$5.91 ₩7,857

-22.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$22.55 ₩30.0K

33.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$6.52 ₩8,675

-19.48%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.02 ₩4,012

8.61%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$1.48 ₩1,967

-61.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.53 ₩710

-32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$3.64 ₩4,836

-66.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$3.81 ₩5,062

-40.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$2.36 ₩3,142

-22.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$3.25 ₩4,319

-39.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$1.46 ₩1,940

-29.45%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$2.73 ₩3,634

-38.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.95 ₩14.6K

54.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$10.36 ₩13.8K

-69.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$24.86 ₩33.1K

-48.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$2.20 ₩2,929

1.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$3.61 ₩4,798

-54.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$7.91 ₩10.5K

-74.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$2.92 ₩3,879

-43.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$5.00 ₩6,653

-84.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$3.41 ₩4,532

-72.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.27 ₩3,015

-72.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.34 ₩1,785

-55.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$3.31 ₩4,407

14.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$6.49 ₩8,631

67.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.53 ₩2,031

-46.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$3.49 ₩4,638

-53.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.30 ₩4,388

-36.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.58 ₩766

-25.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$16.64 ₩22.1K

-45.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.24 ₩1,647

7.26%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$29.5K ₩39.2M

-35.46%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$28.4K ₩37.8M

-34.12%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$102 ₩136.1K

-43.52%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$36.26 ₩48.2K

-77.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$26.84 ₩35.7K

-60.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$30.38 ₩40.4K

116.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$7.43 ₩9,884

139.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.38 ₩15.1K

-21.35%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$637 ₩847.5K

121.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$21.8K ₩29.0M

27.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$105 ₩139.2K

-48.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$64.3 ₩85.5K

-42.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$92.5 ₩122.9K

-19.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$111 ₩147.9K

-5.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$447 ₩594.3K

30.81%

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)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$2,990 ₩4.0M

109.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$2,240 ₩3.0M

-23.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

4.22

-20.38%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pohang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Pohang

$447 32.8% 23.6% $138

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Pohang

$386 28.3% 64.2% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Pohang

$168 12.3% 37.6% $46

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Pohang

$137 10.1% 29.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Pohang

$53 3.9% 36.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Pohang

$165 12.2% 117% $89

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Pohang

$6.2 * 0.5% 82.9% $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: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $23.00 in Pohang. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $386, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇰🇷 Pohang

🕒 Local time

05:28 5:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

514,869

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

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).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Pohang 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Pohang

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

Shanghai vs Pohang: 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.

On paper, salaries run 31% 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 $1,414 in Shanghai 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 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, Shanghai 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 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.