Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $805 in Hanoi, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
Learn more

Hanoi Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$805

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $805 in Hanoi versus $490 in Karachi.

Hanoi $805
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in Hanoi versus $755 in Karachi.

Hanoi $1,254
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,704 in Hanoi versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Hanoi $1,704
Karachi $1,019

Living in Hanoi is roughly 64% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 40% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.09 ₫54.0K

$2.15 PKR 596

-2.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.19 ₫600.5K

$13.37 PKR 3,700

73.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.49 ₫116.3K

$5.29 PKR 1,464

-15.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₫48.3K

$2.11 PKR 583

-11.37%

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

$0.47 ₫12.3K

$0.37 PKR 103

27.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,658

$0.28 PKR 78.2

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₫50.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ₫38.3K

$0.86 PKR 238

72.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$0.52 PKR 144

111.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 ₫19.4K

$1.24 PKR 344

-39.52%

Eggs

$1.50 ₫38.9K

$1.24 PKR 342

20.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 ₫268.1K

$5.86 PKR 1,622

76.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 ₫98.2K

$3.12 PKR 862

21.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 ₫256.4K

$6.25 PKR 1,730

58.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ₫87.2K

$1.29 PKR 356

161.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.8K

$0.54 PKR 150

90.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$0.99 PKR 273

32.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.5K

$0.56 PKR 155

103.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 ₫25.5K

$0.33 PKR 91.6

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 ₫28.1K

$0.35 PKR 95.8

208.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ₫14.8K

$0.45 PKR 124

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$0.44 PKR 121

25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 380

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.44 ₫37.2K

$1.79 PKR 497

-19.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 ₫329.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₫44.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₫10.2K

$0.28 PKR 76.5

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.43 ₫244.2K

$9.68 PKR 2,679

-2.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₫19.2K

$0.92 PKR 255

-19.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₫15.7K

$0.71 PKR 196

-14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 ₫59.3K

$2.22 PKR 615

3.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₫23.3K

$1.35 PKR 372

-33.33%

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

$31.2K ₫808.2M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

74.99%

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

$29.9K ₫772.9M

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

11.64%

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

$86.3 ₫2.2M

$112 PKR 30.9K

-22.82%

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

$5.30 ₫137.3K

$6.05 PKR 1,673

-12.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.95 ₫231.7K

$13.29 PKR 3,679

-32.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.82 ₫642.6K

$21.51 PKR 5,954

15.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 ₫249.1K

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-45.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 ₫110.7K

$4.42 PKR 1,222

-3.17%

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

$755 ₫19.6M

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

1389.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K ₫716.4M

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

1313.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.39 ₫1.3M

$17.57 PKR 4,862

175.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.60 ₫688.6K

$22.78 PKR 6,304

16.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 ₫2.2M

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

24.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ₫2.0M

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

88.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 ₫10.7M

$117 PKR 32.4K

253.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$278 ₫7.2M

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

267.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 ₫22.6M

$365 PKR 101.1K

139.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 ₫13.9M

$182 PKR 50.5K

193.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,285 ₫136.8M

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

401.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,798 ₫72.4M

$491 PKR 135.8K

470.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$518 ₫13.4M

$185 PKR 51.2K

180.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

13.21

-37.32%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 6, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$278 35%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 72.8% $202

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$196 24.7%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 48.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$106 13.4%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 37.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$101 12.7%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 30.4% $31

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.2%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 6.2% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$33 4.2%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 9.1% $3

Getting Around

Hanoi

$15 1.9%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 3.1% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Hanoi and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hanoi pays 180% 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: $23.00 in Hanoi vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

06:08 6:08 AM

2 h behind Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,037 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hanoi Karachi 3,990 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Hanoi
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

Hanoi vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hanoi and Karachi differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($805 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 180% higher in Hanoi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $414 in Hanoi versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 3% less than in Hanoi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $755 in Hanoi versus $50.7 in Karachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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, Hanoi 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 64% less than in Hanoi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.