Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alabang and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $740 in Alabang, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Alabang
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Alabang Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Alabang

🇵🇭 Philippines

$740

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alabang and in Karachi

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

A single person spends $740 per month in Alabang vs $482 in Karachi, rent included.

Alabang $740
Karachi $482

A couple spends around $1,123 per month in Alabang vs $750 in Karachi, rent included.

Alabang $1,123
Karachi $750

A family of three spends $1,506 per month in Alabang vs $1,018 in Karachi, rent included.

Alabang $1,506
Karachi $1,018

Alabang costs about 54% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alabang and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Alabang 45% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.02 ₱253

$2.13 PKR 588

88.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 ₱1,222

$13.30 PKR 3,680

45.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.85 ₱179

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-47.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.41 ₱152

$2.09 PKR 579

15.31%

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

$0.74 ₱46.70

$0.40 PKR 111

85.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.42

$0.26 PKR 71.1

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ₱62.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ₱102

$0.92 PKR 254

77.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.1

$0.56 PKR 156

107.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱56.6

$1.25 PKR 345

-28.00%

Eggs

$1.76 ₱111

$1.23 PKR 341

43.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.21 ₱328

$5.67 PKR 1,570

-8.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 ₱221

$3.16 PKR 876

11.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.90 ₱435

$6.28 PKR 1,737

9.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 ₱140

$1.26 PKR 348

76.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ₱86.6

$0.53 PKR 148

160.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ₱145

$1.00 PKR 276

130.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.2

$0.56 PKR 154

83.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 ₱106

$0.33 PKR 91.4

409.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 ₱108

$0.34 PKR 95.1

402.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 ₱42.07

$0.42 PKR 116

59.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.47

$0.44 PKR 121

13.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱177

$1.84 PKR 509

53.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.36 ₱463

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₱62.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱17.25

$0.28 PKR 77.0

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 ₱783

$9.99 PKR 2,764

24.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.9

$0.92 PKR 256

-8.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.18

$0.70 PKR 193

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱119

$2.16 PKR 597

-12.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱75.5

$1.38 PKR 382

-13.04%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

20.51%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-30.74%

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

$143 ₱8,974

$113 PKR 31.4K

25.64%

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

$14.41 ₱907

$5.95 PKR 1,648

142.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.56 ₱1,484

$13.16 PKR 3,642

79.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.52 ₱2,174

$21.55 PKR 5,965

60.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.53 ₱285

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-75.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 ₱336

$4.21 PKR 1,165

26.60%

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

$74.1 ₱4,664

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

42.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,528 ₱159.1K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

30.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.82 ₱1,815

$17.55 PKR 4,858

64.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.68 ₱1,239

$23.51 PKR 6,506

-16.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 ₱4,536

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,548

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

38.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 ₱14.0K

$118 PKR 32.7K

88.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.7K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

130.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₱32.3K

$357 PKR 98.9K

43.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ₱22.4K

$188 PKR 52.0K

89.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,233 ₱140.6K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

110.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$903 ₱56.9K

$481 PKR 133.1K

87.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

13.21

-48.90%

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

Last update for Alabang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alabang

$181 24.4%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 26.6% $48

Accommodation & Living

Alabang

$170 23%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 56.7% $96

Groceries & Markets

Alabang

$166 22.5%

Karachi

$101 21% 39.2% $65

Eating Out

Alabang

$83 11.2%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 26.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Alabang

$80 10.8%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 14.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Alabang

$45 6.1%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 33.7% $15

Getting Around

Alabang

$15 2.1%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 0.7% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Alabang versus $118 in Karachi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Alabang versus $13.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $101 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Alabang

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

01:01 1:01 AM

3 h behind Alabang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,075

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alabang Karachi 5,740 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Alabang
Karachi

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

Alabang vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Alabang is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,109 per month in Alabang and $723 in Karachi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karachi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Alabang, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Alabang and $13.00 in Karachi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $740 in Alabang and $482 in Karachi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karachi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Karachi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alabang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.