Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $578 in Butuan, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Butuan despite lower rent and utilities.

28

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
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Butuan Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$578

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $578 in Butuan versus $482 in Karachi.

Butuan $578
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $913 in Butuan versus $750 in Karachi.

Butuan $913
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,248 in Butuan versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Butuan $1,248
Karachi $1,018

Living in Butuan is roughly 20% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butuan 57% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.67 ₱294

$2.13 PKR 588

119.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.83 ₱1,689

$13.30 PKR 3,680

101.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.41 ₱152

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-55.78%

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

$2.09 ₱131

$2.09 PKR 579

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

$0.33 ₱21.01

$0.40 PKR 111

-17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.47

$0.26 PKR 71.1

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 ₱98.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₱155

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱123

$0.92 PKR 254

111.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱68.9

$0.56 PKR 156

94.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ₱55.0

$1.25 PKR 345

-30.40%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱117

$1.23 PKR 341

51.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 ₱391

$5.67 PKR 1,570

9.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 ₱305

$3.16 PKR 876

53.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.32 ₱587

$6.28 PKR 1,737

48.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱169

$1.26 PKR 348

112.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.53 PKR 148

109.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$1.00 PKR 276

142.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ₱75.8

$0.56 PKR 154

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 ₱127

$0.33 PKR 91.4

512.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 ₱221

$0.34 PKR 95.1

932.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ₱79.0

$0.42 PKR 116

197.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.40

$0.44 PKR 121

52.27%

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)

$2.39 ₱150

$1.84 PKR 509

29.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 ₱512

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₱106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.31

$0.92 PKR 256

-15.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.83

$0.70 PKR 193

-64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 ₱123

$2.16 PKR 597

-9.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₱66.1

$1.38 PKR 382

-23.91%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

18.62%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-29.74%

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

$107 ₱6,745

$113 PKR 31.4K

-5.57%

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

$18.89 ₱1,189

$5.95 PKR 1,648

217.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.87 ₱1,944

$13.16 PKR 3,642

134.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.85 ₱1,502

$21.55 PKR 5,965

10.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 ₱275

$4.21 PKR 1,165

3.80%

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

$108 ₱6,790

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

106.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,696 ₱484.6K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

296.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ₱3,885

$17.55 PKR 4,858

251.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.28 ₱1,970

$23.51 PKR 6,506

33.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ₱4,523

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.2 ₱3,916

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

53.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

13.21

-37.09%

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

Last update for Butuan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Butuan

$200 34.6%

Karachi

$101 21% 49.4% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butuan

$157 27.1%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 15.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Butuan

$102 17.7%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 33.7% $34

Eating Out

Butuan

$85 14.6%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 27.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Butuan

$33 5.6%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 8% $2.6

Getting Around

Butuan

$2 * 0.4%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 661% $13

Accommodation & Living

Butuan

- * 0%

Karachi

$74 15.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $27.00 in Butuan vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Butuan

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

23:11 11:11 PM

3 h behind Butuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,063

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

Butuan Karachi 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Butuan
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

Butuan vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Butuan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karachi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $867 in Butuan and $723 in Karachi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $108 in Butuan versus $52.2 in Karachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $27.00 in Butuan. 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.

Safety-wise, Butuan and Karachi 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 Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Butuan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.