Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bataan and in Karachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $498 in Bataan versus $482 in Karachi.
Bataan $498
Karachi $482
Estimated couple costs with rent: $831 in Bataan versus $750 in Karachi.
Bataan $831
Karachi $750
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,165 in Bataan versus $1,018 in Karachi.
Bataan $1,165
Karachi $1,018
🌍
Living in Bataan is roughly 3% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Bataan63% lower, Karachi64% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Bataan
Karachi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.39₱87.5
$2.13PKR 588
-34.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.77₱1,056
$13.30PKR 3,680
26.09%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$2.79₱175
$5.45PKR 1,508
-48.81%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.19PKR 607
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$7.24PKR 2,005
-
Cappuccino
$1.37₱86.0
$2.09PKR 579
-34.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.60₱37.61
$0.40PKR 111
50.00%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25₱15.77
$0.26PKR 71.1
-3.85%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$0.98₱61.6
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56₱98.3
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bataan
Karachi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.62₱102
$0.92PKR 254
76.09%
White Bread(500g)
$1.17₱73.7
$0.56PKR 156
108.93%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.6
$1.25PKR 345
-19.20%
Eggs
$1.81₱114
$1.23PKR 341
47.15%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.08₱320
$5.67PKR 1,570
-10.41%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.00₱189
$3.16PKR 876
-5.06%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.10₱510
$6.28PKR 1,737
28.98%
Apples(1kg)
$2.21₱139
$1.26PKR 348
75.40%
Banana(1kg)
$1.54₱97.2
$0.53PKR 148
190.57%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41₱152
$1.00PKR 276
141.00%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.03₱64.8
$0.56PKR 154
83.93%
Potato(1kg)
$1.74₱110
$0.33PKR 91.4
427.27%
Onion(1kg)
$1.78₱112
$0.34PKR 95.1
423.53%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.61₱38.47
$0.42PKR 116
45.24%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49₱30.93
$0.44PKR 121
11.36%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$1.25PKR 346
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.32PKR 365
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.42PKR 670
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.26₱142
$1.84PKR 509
22.83%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.80₱554
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.98₱61.7
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98₱125
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Bataan
Karachi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.24₱15.03
$0.28PKR 77.0
-14.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.00₱756
$9.99PKR 2,764
20.12%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.82₱51.6
$0.92PKR 256
-10.87%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.46
$0.70PKR 193
-67.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.94₱122
$2.16PKR 597
-10.19%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.01₱63.4
$1.38PKR 382
-26.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$17.9KPKR 5.0M
18.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.3K₱1.2M
$27.1KPKR 7.5M
-28.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bataan
Karachi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$47.67₱3,002
$113PKR 31.4K
-57.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.68₱1,113
$5.95PKR 1,648
197.14%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.57₱1,484
$13.16PKR 3,642
79.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bataan
Karachi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.18₱2,026
$21.55PKR 5,965
49.33%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.71₱297
$18.23PKR 5,044
-74.16%
Cinema Ticket
$5.03₱316
$4.21PKR 1,165
19.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bataan
Karachi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$67.7₱4,259
$52.2PKR 14.4K
29.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.9K₱687.3K
$1,940PKR 537.0K
462.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bataan
Karachi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.69₱1,807
$17.55PKR 4,858
63.48%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.47₱1,226
$23.51PKR 6,506
-17.18%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$71.9₱4,528
$68.9PKR 19.1K
4.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.7₱3,572
$40.59PKR 11.2K
39.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bataan
Karachi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$167₱10.5K
$118PKR 32.7K
41.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$52.8₱3,324
$73.6PKR 20.4K
-28.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$274₱17.2K
$357PKR 98.9K
-23.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$186₱11.7K
$188PKR 52.0K
-0.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,394₱150.7K
$1,060PKR 293.4K
125.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$977₱61.5K
$481PKR 133.1K
103.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bataan
Karachi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$400₱25.2K
$183PKR 50.6K
118.61%
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 Bataan: October 12, 2026
Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Bataan
$172 34.6%
Karachi
$101 21% ↓ 41.2%$71
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bataan
$89 17.9%
Karachi
$133 27.5% ↑ 49.1%$44
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Bataan
$80 16%
Karachi
$68 14.1% ↓ 14.9%$12
🏠Accommodation & Living
Bataan
$53 10.6%
Karachi
$74 15.3% ↑ 39.4%$21
🍽Eating Out
Bataan
$47 9.5%
Karachi
$61 12.7% ↑ 29.3%$14
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Bataan
$42 8.5%
Karachi
$30 6.2% ↓ 29%$12
🚌Getting Around
Bataan
$15 3%
Karachi
$16 3.2% ↑ 4%$0.6
🛒Groceries & Markets
Bataan
$401 34.4%
Karachi
$246 24.1% ↓ 38.8%$155
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bataan
$107 9.2%
Karachi
$139 13.6% ↑ 29.9%$32
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Bataan
$177 15.2%
Karachi
$151 14.8% ↓ 14.9%$26
🏠Accommodation & Living
Bataan
$186 16%
Karachi
$188 18.5% ↑ 1%$1.8
🍽Eating Out
Bataan
$175 15%
Karachi
$186 18.3% ↑ 6.5%$11
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Bataan
$89 7.7%
Karachi
$78 7.7% ↓ 12.3%$11
🚌Getting Around
Bataan
$30 2.6%
Karachi
$32 3.1% ↑ 4.2%$1.3
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $167 in Bataan and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Bataan pays 119% 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: $17.00 in Bataan vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.
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
Bataan vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Karachi cheaper than Bataan?
Karachi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Bataan or Karachi?
Average pay runs 119% higher in Bataan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Bataan and Karachi?
Rent for a central apartment: $167 in Bataan versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Bataan and in Karachi?
Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Bataan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Bataan or in Karachi?
Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $17.00 in Bataan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,200 enough for either Bataan or Karachi?
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.
Is it better to live in Bataan or in Karachi?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Bataan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.