Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dasmarinas and Karachi

For one person, living costs are similar in Dasmarinas and in Karachi: $496 and $483 a month, rent and utilities included.

24

Cost of Living Index in Dasmarinas
Learn more

Dasmarinas Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Dasmarinas

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $496 in Dasmarinas versus $483 in Karachi.

Dasmarinas $496
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $738 in Dasmarinas versus $754 in Karachi.

Dasmarinas $738
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $980 in Dasmarinas versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Dasmarinas $980
Karachi $1,025

Living in Dasmarinas 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: Dasmarinas 63% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 ₱257

$2.11 PKR 585

93.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.95 ₱1,067

$13.73 PKR 3,801

23.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱171

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-50.99%

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

$1.75 ₱110

$2.14 PKR 593

-18.22%

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

$0.57 ₱35.76

$0.40 PKR 111

42.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.30

$0.28 PKR 77.7

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 ₱60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱99.4

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₱87.5

$0.90 PKR 250

54.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱69.5

$0.55 PKR 153

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.36

$1.20 PKR 333

-45.00%

Eggs

$1.79 ₱113

$1.25 PKR 346

43.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 ₱311

$5.96 PKR 1,650

-17.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 ₱219

$3.19 PKR 883

9.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.72 ₱297

$6.48 PKR 1,793

-27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ₱143

$1.24 PKR 344

82.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱102

$0.53 PKR 147

203.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$1.03 PKR 284

131.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.3

$0.51 PKR 142

109.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ₱110

$0.31 PKR 85.1

464.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ₱108

$0.31 PKR 87.1

454.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₱38.39

$0.41 PKR 113

48.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.54

$0.44 PKR 120

18.18%

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)

$2.88 ₱181

$1.83 PKR 508

57.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 ₱541

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱58.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

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)

$0.78 ₱48.96

$0.87 PKR 240

-10.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.76

$0.74 PKR 204

-66.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$2.23 PKR 617

-17.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱70.1

$1.38 PKR 383

-19.57%

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

$21.4K ₱1.3M

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

16.55%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-28.50%

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

$48.45 ₱3,050

$113 PKR 31.4K

-57.23%

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

$17.55 ₱1,105

$6.12 PKR 1,694

186.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.72 ₱1,494

$13.11 PKR 3,628

80.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.43 ₱2,105

$21.78 PKR 6,029

53.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 ₱334

$4.26 PKR 1,179

24.41%

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

$134 ₱8,415

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

156.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ₱674.0K

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

451.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.53 ₱1,796

$17.53 PKR 4,852

62.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.55 ₱1,231

$22.88 PKR 6,332

-14.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ₱4,561

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.4 ₱3,552

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

35.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$46.95 ₱2,956

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

-35.84%

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)

$353 ₱22.2K

$182 PKR 50.4K

93.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

13.21

-51.55%

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

Last update for Dasmarinas: October 18, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dasmarinas

$160 32.3%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 36.2% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dasmarinas

$90 18.1%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 47.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Dasmarinas

$80 16.1%

Karachi

$68 14% 15.2% $12

Eating Out

Dasmarinas

$73 14.8%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 15.4% $11

Accommodation & Living

Dasmarinas

$47 9.5%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 55.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Dasmarinas

$44 8.9%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 31.2% $14

Getting Around

Dasmarinas

$2 * 0.4%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 663% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

Dasmarinas pays 94% 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 Dasmarinas vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Dasmarinas

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

3 h behind Dasmarinas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

659,019

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 21, 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 21, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dasmarinas Karachi 5,730 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dasmarinas
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

Dasmarinas vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dasmarinas and Karachi differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($496 vs $483 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 94% higher in Dasmarinas, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $134 in Dasmarinas versus $52.1 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 $14.00 versus $17.00 in Dasmarinas. 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, Dasmarinas 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 3% less than in Dasmarinas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.