Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Banda Aceh and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $320 a month against $483 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Banda Aceh
Learn more

Banda Aceh Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$320

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $320 per month in Banda Aceh vs $483 in Karachi, rent included.

Banda Aceh $320
Karachi $483

A couple spends around $511 per month in Banda Aceh vs $754 in Karachi, rent included.

Banda Aceh $511
Karachi $754

A family of three spends $702 per month in Banda Aceh vs $1,025 in Karachi, rent included.

Banda Aceh $702
Karachi $1,025

Banda Aceh is about 34% cheaper than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Banda Aceh and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Banda Aceh 76% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.11 PKR 585

2.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$6.74 Rp 121.3K

$13.73 PKR 3,801

-50.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.34 Rp 60.1K

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-39.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

Cappuccino

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.14 PKR 593

-44.86%

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

$0.38 Rp 6,778

$0.40 PKR 111

-5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 Rp 3,774

$0.28 PKR 77.7

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 Rp 44.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 70.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 Rp 29.6K

$0.90 PKR 250

82.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 Rp 15.5K

$0.55 PKR 153

56.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

$1.20 PKR 333

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.65 Rp 29.7K

$1.25 PKR 346

32.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 Rp 152.9K

$5.96 PKR 1,650

42.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

$3.19 PKR 883

-24.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.59 Rp 118.7K

$6.48 PKR 1,793

1.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.24 PKR 344

76.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

$0.53 PKR 147

60.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$1.03 PKR 284

-22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

$0.51 PKR 142

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.31 PKR 85.1

154.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 Rp 61.5K

$0.31 PKR 87.1

1003.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$0.41 PKR 113

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 Rp 7,281

$0.44 PKR 120

-9.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 Rp 54.4K

$1.83 PKR 508

65.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 PKR 617

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.38 PKR 383

-39.86%

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

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

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

$33.38 Rp 600.8K

$113 PKR 31.4K

-70.53%

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

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-62.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.39 Rp 421.0K

$13.11 PKR 3,628

78.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.66 Rp 173.8K

$21.78 PKR 6,029

-55.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.06 Rp 235.2K

$18.27 PKR 5,058

-28.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,179

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

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,931 Rp 34.8M

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

-0.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.16 Rp 488.9K

$17.53 PKR 4,852

54.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.04 Rp 396.8K

$22.88 PKR 6,332

-3.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.60 Rp 784.8K

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

-35.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.35 Rp 492.3K

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

-34.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 PKR 99.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$474 PKR 131.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

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

Last update for Banda Aceh: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Banda Aceh

$133 * 41.6%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 23.3% $31

Eating Out

Banda Aceh

$64 20%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 3.3% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Banda Aceh

$59 18.5%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 124% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Banda Aceh

$54 16.9%

Karachi

$68 14% 24.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Banda Aceh

$9.7 * 3%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 214% $21

Getting Around

Banda Aceh

- * 0%

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Accommodation & Living

Banda Aceh

- * 0%

Karachi

$73 15.2%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7.00 in Banda Aceh versus $14.00 in Karachi. Groceries tell a different story – $133 in Banda Aceh vs $102 in Karachi – so Karachi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

03:25 3:25 AM

2 h behind Banda Aceh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

223,446

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Banda Aceh Karachi 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Banda Aceh
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

Banda Aceh vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karachi is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $480 per month in Banda Aceh and $725 in Karachi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Karachi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $7.00 in Banda Aceh and $14.00 in Karachi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $320 in Banda Aceh and $483 in Karachi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Banda Aceh – 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 Banda Aceh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karachi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.