Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hat Yai and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $731 in Hat Yai, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Hat Yai
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Hat Yai Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

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Hat Yai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$731

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Hat Yai versus $482 in Karachi.

Hat Yai $731
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,300 in Hat Yai versus $750 in Karachi.

Hat Yai $1,300
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,870 in Hat Yai versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Hat Yai $1,870
Karachi $1,018

Living in Hat Yai is roughly 52% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hat Yai 46% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.90 ฿96.9

$2.13 PKR 588

36.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.67 ฿1,460

$13.30 PKR 3,680

228.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.66 ฿122

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-32.84%

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

$2.88 ฿96.3

$2.09 PKR 579

37.80%

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

$1.33 ฿44.34

$0.40 PKR 111

232.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ฿18.60

$0.26 PKR 71.1

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 ฿60.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 ฿116

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.55

$0.92 PKR 254

57.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ฿41.68

$0.56 PKR 156

123.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.28

$1.25 PKR 345

-0.80%

Eggs

$2.51 ฿83.9

$1.23 PKR 341

104.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.15 ฿740

$5.67 PKR 1,570

290.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.24 ฿74.7

$3.16 PKR 876

-29.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 ฿374

$6.28 PKR 1,737

78.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ฿84.8

$1.26 PKR 348

101.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.10

$0.53 PKR 148

160.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.3

$1.00 PKR 276

89.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 ฿60.3

$0.56 PKR 154

221.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.94

$0.33 PKR 91.4

342.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.38

$0.34 PKR 95.1

202.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$0.42 PKR 116

154.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.57

$0.44 PKR 121

-6.82%

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)

$4.36 ฿146

$1.84 PKR 509

136.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 ฿502

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ฿66.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ฿18.98

$0.28 PKR 77.0

103.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ฿41.71

$0.92 PKR 256

35.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ฿37.78

$0.70 PKR 193

61.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 ฿165

$2.16 PKR 597

128.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿43.15

$1.38 PKR 382

-6.52%

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

$18.9K ฿630.6K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

5.42%

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

$45.1K ฿1.5M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

66.58%

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

$84.4 ฿2,819

$113 PKR 31.4K

-25.64%

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

$11.75 ฿393

$5.95 PKR 1,648

97.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.65 ฿322

$13.16 PKR 3,642

-26.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 ฿1,619

$21.55 PKR 5,965

124.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ฿471

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-22.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 ฿240

$4.21 PKR 1,165

70.78%

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

$562 ฿18.8K

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

977.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ฿357.3K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

450.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.54 ฿1,255

$17.55 PKR 4,858

113.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.26 ฿878

$23.51 PKR 6,506

11.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ฿2,369

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 ฿3,250

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

139.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ฿9,010

$118 PKR 32.7K

128.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ฿3,576

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

45.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$357 PKR 98.9K

104.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ฿13.3K

$188 PKR 52.0K

111.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ฿64.0K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

80.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 ฿52.9K

$481 PKR 133.1K

229.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 ฿15.1K

$183 PKR 50.6K

146.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

13.21

-51.85%

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

Last update for Hat Yai: 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

Hat Yai

$249 34.1%

Karachi

$101 21% 59.4% $148

Accommodation & Living

Hat Yai

$107 14.7%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 31.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hat Yai

$106 14.5%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 25.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Hat Yai

$104 14.3%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 35.1% $37

Eating Out

Hat Yai

$92 12.6%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 33.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Hat Yai

$63 8.6%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 52.3% $33

Getting Around

Hat Yai

$9.2 * 1.3%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 69.2% $6.4

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 $270 in Hat Yai and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hat Yai pays 147% 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: $44.00 in Hat Yai vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Hat Yai

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

03:22 3:22 AM

2 h behind Hat Yai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,802

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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 THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hat Yai Karachi 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hat Yai
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

Hat Yai vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Hat Yai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karachi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 147% higher in Hat Yai, 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: $270 in Hat Yai versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $562 in Hat Yai 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 $44.00 in Hat Yai. 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, Hat Yai 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 52% less than in Hat Yai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.