Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isfahan and Karachi

For one person, living costs are similar in Isfahan and in Karachi: $470 and $482 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

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Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$470

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $470 per month in Isfahan vs $482 in Karachi, rent included.

Isfahan $470
Karachi $482

A couple spends around $802 per month in Isfahan vs $750 in Karachi, rent included.

Isfahan $802
Karachi $750

A family of three spends $1,134 per month in Isfahan vs $1,018 in Karachi, rent included.

Isfahan $1,134
Karachi $1,018

Isfahan is about 2% cheaper than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Isfahan and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Isfahan 65% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 $3.07

$2.13 PKR 588

44.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.72 $12.72

$13.30 PKR 3,680

-4.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.01 $3.01

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-44.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.19 PKR 607

-65.30%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$7.24 PKR 2,005

-71.82%

Cappuccino

$1.01 $1.01

$2.09 PKR 579

-51.67%

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

$0.49 $0.49

$0.40 PKR 111

22.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.26 PKR 71.1

84.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.92 PKR 254

-47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 $0.46

$0.56 PKR 156

-17.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.25 PKR 345

57.60%

Eggs

$1.51 $1.51

$1.23 PKR 341

22.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$5.67 PKR 1,570

-51.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.16 PKR 876

-23.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$6.28 PKR 1,737

68.31%

Apples (1kg)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.26 PKR 348

-39.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.53 PKR 148

141.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.00 PKR 276

5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.56 PKR 154

8.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.33 PKR 91.4

84.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.34 PKR 95.1

44.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 $0.59

$0.42 PKR 116

40.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.44 PKR 121

-52.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.25 PKR 346

-58.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.32 PKR 365

-61.36%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.42 PKR 670

-65.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.84 PKR 509

12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.28 PKR 77.0

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.52 $12.52

$9.99 PKR 2,764

25.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$0.92 PKR 256

-44.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.70 PKR 193

-55.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.16 PKR 597

-5.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.38 PKR 382

-33.33%

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

$67.9K $67.9K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

279.11%

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

$58.5K $58.5K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

116.01%

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

$10.26 $10.26

$113 PKR 31.4K

-90.96%

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

$1.99 $1.99

$5.95 PKR 1,648

-66.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.48 $7.48

$13.16 PKR 3,642

-43.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.64 $13.64

$21.55 PKR 5,965

-36.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.19 $13.19

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-27.65%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$4.21 PKR 1,165

-75.77%

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

$72.2 $72.2

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

38.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$533 $533

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

-72.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.62 $18.62

$17.55 PKR 4,858

6.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 $23.77

$23.51 PKR 6,506

1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

25.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.85 $37.85

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

-6.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 $289

$118 PKR 32.7K

144.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 $192

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

161.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$357 PKR 98.9K

266.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 $454

$188 PKR 52.0K

141.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,176 $1,176

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

10.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$736 $736

$481 PKR 133.1K

53.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 $203

$183 PKR 50.6K

11.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.8

13.21

102.88%

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

Last update for Isfahan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Isfahan

$192 41%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 61.7% $119

Groceries & Markets

Isfahan

$102 21.7%

Karachi

$101 21% 0.5% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Isfahan

$75 15.9%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 9.5% $7.1

Eating Out

Isfahan

$50 10.6%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 23.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isfahan

$20 4.2%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 572% $113

Getting Around

Isfahan

$16 3.4%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 1.5% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Isfahan

$16 3.3%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 91% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Isfahan versus $118 in Karachi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 11% higher in Isfahan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Isfahan versus $13.00 in Karachi. Groceries tell a different story – $102 in Isfahan vs $101 in Karachi – so Karachi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

10:01 10:01 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Isfahan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,961,260

14,910,352

💱 Currency

USD USD

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

PKR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Isfahan Karachi 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Isfahan
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

Isfahan vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi costs about 3% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $705 per month in Isfahan and $723 in Karachi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Isfahan and $13.00 in Karachi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $470 in Isfahan and $482 in Karachi. That's a gap of about 3%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $470 in Isfahan and $482 in Karachi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Isfahan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Isfahan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karachi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.