Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albay and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $740 in Albay, 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 Albay
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Albay Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$740

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $740 in Albay versus $482 in Karachi.

Albay $740
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,099 in Albay versus $750 in Karachi.

Albay $1,099
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,457 in Albay versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Albay $1,457
Karachi $1,018

Living in Albay is roughly 54% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Albay 45% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 ₱250

$2.13 PKR 588

86.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.00 ₱1,070

$13.30 PKR 3,680

27.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱171

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-50.09%

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

$2.27 ₱143

$2.09 PKR 579

8.61%

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

$0.62 ₱39.23

$0.40 PKR 111

55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.01

$0.26 PKR 71.1

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₱124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ₱116

$0.92 PKR 254

101.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₱65.2

$0.56 PKR 156

85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 ₱54.0

$1.25 PKR 345

-31.20%

Eggs

$1.99 ₱125

$1.23 PKR 341

61.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.92 ₱310

$5.67 PKR 1,570

-13.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₱263

$3.16 PKR 876

31.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.55 ₱413

$6.28 PKR 1,737

4.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 ₱171

$1.26 PKR 348

115.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱99.3

$0.53 PKR 148

198.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ₱133

$1.00 PKR 276

112.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.0

$0.56 PKR 154

83.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 ₱112

$0.33 PKR 91.4

439.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$0.34 PKR 95.1

564.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ₱53.9

$0.42 PKR 116

104.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.89

$0.44 PKR 121

11.36%

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)

$2.67 ₱168

$1.84 PKR 509

45.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 ₱472

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₱69.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ₱118

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.50

$0.28 PKR 77.0

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.06 ₱634

$9.99 PKR 2,764

0.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₱42.90

$0.92 PKR 256

-26.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 ₱11.90

$0.70 PKR 193

-72.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ₱104

$2.16 PKR 597

-23.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱87.1

$1.38 PKR 382

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

$18.5K ₱1.2M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

3.14%

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

$19.5K ₱1.2M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-27.84%

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

$115 ₱7,229

$113 PKR 31.4K

1.20%

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

$15.40 ₱970

$5.95 PKR 1,648

158.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.92 ₱1,632

$13.16 PKR 3,642

96.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.20 ₱2,342

$21.55 PKR 5,965

72.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.27 ₱332

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-71.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 ₱336

$4.21 PKR 1,165

26.84%

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

$133 ₱8,400

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

155.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,069 ₱445.1K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

264.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.70 ₱1,807

$17.55 PKR 4,858

63.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.91 ₱1,254

$23.51 PKR 6,506

-15.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ₱4,587

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 ₱3,160

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

23.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 ₱14.5K

$118 PKR 32.7K

94.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ₱11.9K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

157.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₱30.8K

$357 PKR 98.9K

36.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ₱20.6K

$188 PKR 52.0K

74.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,576 ₱162.2K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

143.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$959 ₱60.4K

$481 PKR 133.1K

99.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 ₱10.2K

$183 PKR 50.6K

-11.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

13.21

-48.60%

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

Last update for Albay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albay

$190 25.6%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 61.2% $116

Groceries & Markets

Albay

$176 23.7%

Karachi

$101 21% 42.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albay

$156 21.1%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 15.1% $24

Eating Out

Albay

$81 10.9%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 24.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Albay

$77 10.4%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 12.3% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Albay

$48 6.5%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 37.4% $18

Getting Around

Albay

$13 1.7%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 21.8% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in Albay and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karachi pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $17.00 in Albay vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Albay

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

06:36 6:36 AM

3 h behind Albay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,481

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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Albay Karachi 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Albay
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

Albay vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albay and Karachi differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($740 vs $482 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Karachi. 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: $230 in Albay versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Albay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $17.00 in Albay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Karachi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Albay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.