Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between General Santos and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $628 in General Santos, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in General Santos
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General Santos Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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General Santos

🇵🇭 Philippines

$628

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in General Santos versus $482 in Karachi.

General Santos $628
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,009 in General Santos versus $750 in Karachi.

General Santos $1,009
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,391 in General Santos versus $1,018 in Karachi.

General Santos $1,391
Karachi $1,018

Living in General Santos is roughly 30% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: General Santos 53% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 ₱213

$2.13 PKR 588

58.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.40 ₱1,725

$13.30 PKR 3,680

106.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱172

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-50.09%

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

$2.56 ₱161

$2.09 PKR 579

22.49%

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

$0.28 ₱17.41

$0.40 PKR 111

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₱15.83

$0.26 PKR 71.1

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₱99.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$0.92 PKR 254

117.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱68.2

$0.56 PKR 156

92.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ₱54.7

$1.25 PKR 345

-30.40%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱117

$1.23 PKR 341

51.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 ₱402

$5.67 PKR 1,570

12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 ₱300

$3.16 PKR 876

50.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ₱582

$6.28 PKR 1,737

47.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ₱172

$1.26 PKR 348

117.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$0.53 PKR 148

101.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₱154

$1.00 PKR 276

145.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ₱74.6

$0.56 PKR 154

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 ₱125

$0.33 PKR 91.4

500.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₱207

$0.34 PKR 95.1

864.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.2

$0.42 PKR 116

195.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.60

$0.44 PKR 121

54.55%

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)

$2.46 ₱155

$1.84 PKR 509

33.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 ₱488

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₱24.37

$0.28 PKR 77.0

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 ₱513

$9.99 PKR 2,764

-18.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.25

$0.92 PKR 256

-15.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.79

$0.70 PKR 193

-64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.4

$2.16 PKR 597

-62.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₱70.7

$1.38 PKR 382

-18.84%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

16.60%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-29.40%

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

$76.6 ₱4,825

$113 PKR 31.4K

-32.45%

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

$6.53 ₱411

$5.95 PKR 1,648

9.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 ₱1,994

$13.16 PKR 3,642

140.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 ₱309

$4.21 PKR 1,165

16.63%

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

$109 ₱6,840

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

108.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,532 ₱474.2K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

288.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₱3,767

$17.55 PKR 4,858

240.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 ₱1,931

$23.51 PKR 6,506

30.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 ₱4,428

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

2.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,823

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

49.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.0K

$118 PKR 32.7K

47.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₱7,068

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

52.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.6K

$357 PKR 98.9K

0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₱15.0K

$188 PKR 52.0K

26.78%

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 General Santos: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

General Santos

$199 31.7%

Karachi

$101 21% 49.1% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

General Santos

$115 18.3%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 15.4% $18

Accommodation & Living

General Santos

$112 17.9%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 34.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

General Santos

$100 15.9%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 32.1% $32

Eating Out

General Santos

$81 12.8%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 24.2% $20

Getting Around

General Santos

$12 1.9%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 32.2% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

General Santos

$9.8 * 1.6%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 205% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $174 in General Santos and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in General Santos vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 General Santos

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

3 h behind General Santos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

697,315

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 18, 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 18, 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

General Santos Karachi 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

General Santos
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

General Santos vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in General Santos. 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 $942 in General Santos 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $174 in General Santos versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $27.00 in General Santos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $628 per month in General Santos versus $482 in Karachi – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, General Santos 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 30% less than in General Santos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.