Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotabato City and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $764 in Cotabato City, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
Learn more

Cotabato City Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$764

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $764 in Cotabato City versus $483 in Karachi.

Cotabato City $764
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,169 in Cotabato City versus $754 in Karachi.

Cotabato City $1,169
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in Cotabato City versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Cotabato City $1,574
Karachi $1,025

Living in Cotabato City is roughly 58% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cotabato City 44% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 ₱293

$2.11 PKR 585

120.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.57 ₱1,044

$13.73 PKR 3,801

20.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 ₱252

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-27.67%

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

$2.23 ₱141

$2.14 PKR 593

4.21%

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

$1.04 ₱65.4

$0.40 PKR 111

160.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₱40.49

$0.28 PKR 77.7

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱120

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₱127

$0.90 PKR 250

124.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱68.0

$0.55 PKR 153

96.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 ₱49.16

$1.20 PKR 333

-35.00%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱119

$1.25 PKR 346

51.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$5.96 PKR 1,650

7.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 ₱294

$3.19 PKR 883

46.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ₱570

$6.48 PKR 1,793

39.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$1.24 PKR 344

120.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 ₱69.9

$0.53 PKR 147

109.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ₱154

$1.03 PKR 284

136.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$0.51 PKR 142

135.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.31 PKR 85.1

525.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.55 ₱224

$0.31 PKR 87.1

1045.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.4

$0.41 PKR 113

192.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱44.58

$0.44 PKR 120

61.36%

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)

$2.47 ₱156

$1.83 PKR 508

34.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 ₱507

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₱77.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.40

$0.28 PKR 76.8

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.02 ₱694

$9.81 PKR 2,716

12.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.8

$0.87 PKR 240

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.37

$0.74 PKR 204

-68.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.23 PKR 617

-13.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$1.38 PKR 383

-14.49%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

17.03%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-29.35%

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

$108 ₱6,788

$113 PKR 31.4K

-4.83%

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

$19.38 ₱1,220

$6.12 PKR 1,694

216.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.55 ₱1,986

$13.11 PKR 3,628

140.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.71 ₱2,060

$21.78 PKR 6,029

50.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.78 ₱301

$18.27 PKR 5,058

-73.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 ₱292

$4.26 PKR 1,179

8.92%

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

$107 ₱6,709

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

104.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,519 ₱473.4K

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

287.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.49 ₱2,109

$17.53 PKR 4,852

91.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.69 ₱1,240

$22.88 PKR 6,332

-13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ₱4,483

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 ₱3,825

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

46.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₱17.0K

$118 PKR 32.5K

129.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.0K

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

137.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ₱33.0K

$360 PKR 99.6K

45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.5K

$188 PKR 52.1K

89.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,445 ₱154.0K

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

126.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$999 ₱62.9K

$474 PKR 131.2K

110.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

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 Cotabato City: 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

Cotabato City

$199 26.1%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 48.8% $97

Accommodation & Living

Cotabato City

$174 22.8%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 57.9% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotabato City

$159 20.8%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 16.5% $26

Eating Out

Cotabato City

$92 12.1%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 33% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Cotabato City

$83 10.9%

Karachi

$68 14% 19% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cotabato City

$42 5.5%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 27.8% $12

Getting Around

Cotabato City

$14 1.8%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 10.3% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $270 in Cotabato City and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Cotabato City vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

22:13 10:13 PM

3 h behind Cotabato City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

325,079

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 23, 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 23, 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

Cotabato City Karachi 6,370 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotabato City
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

Cotabato City vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Cotabato City. 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 $1,146 in Cotabato City and $725 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Cotabato City versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $764 per month in Cotabato City versus $483 in Karachi – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 12% less than in Cotabato City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 58% less than in Cotabato City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.