Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irkutsk and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,013 in Irkutsk, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
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Irkutsk Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,013

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Irkutsk versus $490 in Karachi.

Irkutsk $1,013
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Irkutsk versus $755 in Karachi.

Irkutsk $1,501
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,988 in Irkutsk versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Irkutsk $1,988
Karachi $1,019

Living in Irkutsk is roughly 107% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Irkutsk 24% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 ₽611

$2.15 PKR 596

233.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 ₽2,772

$13.37 PKR 3,700

143.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 ₽494

$5.29 PKR 1,464

9.83%

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

$3.03 ₽258

$2.11 PKR 583

43.60%

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

$1.60 ₽136

$0.37 PKR 103

332.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽55.1

$0.28 PKR 78.2

132.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 ₽229

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₽344

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽102

$0.86 PKR 238

39.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 ₽54.5

$0.52 PKR 144

23.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ₽189

$1.24 PKR 344

79.03%

Eggs

$1.59 ₽135

$1.24 PKR 342

28.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 ₽995

$5.86 PKR 1,622

99.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 ₽514

$3.12 PKR 862

93.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 ₽956

$6.25 PKR 1,731

79.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₽161

$1.29 PKR 356

46.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 ₽169

$0.54 PKR 150

268.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽149

$0.99 PKR 273

76.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 ₽295

$0.56 PKR 155

519.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ₽61.4

$0.33 PKR 91.6

118.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₽58.6

$0.35 PKR 95.9

97.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 ₽152

$0.45 PKR 124

297.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽55.6

$0.44 PKR 121

47.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 381

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 ₽230

$1.79 PKR 497

50.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 ₽610

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₽86.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₽162

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₽48.62

$0.28 PKR 76.5

103.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.79 ₽1,344

$9.68 PKR 2,679

63.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₽102

$0.92 PKR 255

29.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 ₽14.94

$0.71 PKR 196

-74.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ₽758

$2.22 PKR 615

301.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 ₽66.8

$1.35 PKR 372

-41.48%

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

$29.0K ₽2.5M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

62.59%

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

$36.8K ₽3.1M

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

37.65%

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

$118 ₽10.0K

$112 PKR 30.9K

5.20%

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

$5.84 ₽497

$6.05 PKR 1,673

-3.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.41 ₽971

$13.29 PKR 3,679

-14.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.35 ₽2,923

$21.51 PKR 5,954

59.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.13 ₽1,798

$17.80 PKR 4,927

18.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ₽565

$4.42 PKR 1,222

50.23%

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

$294 ₽25.0K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

479.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,121 ₽265.6K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

59.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 ₽4,992

$17.57 PKR 4,862

233.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.42 ₽1,993

$22.78 PKR 6,304

2.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₽8,516

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

48.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₽9,642

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

176.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₽37.2K

$117 PKR 32.5K

273.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₽26.3K

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

308.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ₽63.8K

$365 PKR 101.1K

105.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 ₽36.8K

$182 PKR 50.5K

137.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,712 ₽230.8K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

157.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 ₽153.7K

$491 PKR 135.8K

268.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 ₽64.0K

$185 PKR 51.2K

306.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.57

13.21

86.00%

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

Last update for Irkutsk: October 5, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Irkutsk

$309 30.7%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 75.5% $234

Groceries & Markets

Irkutsk

$220 21.9%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 54.2% $119

Eating Out

Irkutsk

$142 14.1%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 57% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irkutsk

$135 13.4%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 2.8% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Irkutsk

$133 13.2%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 49.6% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Irkutsk

$48 4.7%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 36.3% $17

Getting Around

Irkutsk

$20 2%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 24.4% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Irkutsk and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irkutsk pays 307% 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: $33.00 in Irkutsk vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

09:37 9:37 AM

06:37 6:37 AM

3 h behind Irkutsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,515

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 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 RUB in detail →

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Between locations

Irkutsk Karachi 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Irkutsk
Karachi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Irkutsk vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Irkutsk. 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 307% higher in Irkutsk, 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: $438 in Irkutsk versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $294 in Irkutsk versus $50.7 in Karachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Irkutsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $490 in Karachi versus $1,013 in Irkutsk, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Irkutsk. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 107% less than in Irkutsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.