Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Istanbul and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $1,525 in Istanbul, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,525

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,525 per month in Istanbul vs $483 in Karachi, rent included.

Istanbul $1,525
Karachi $483

A couple spends around $2,390 per month in Istanbul vs $754 in Karachi, rent included.

Istanbul $2,390
Karachi $754

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Istanbul vs $1,025 in Karachi, rent included.

Istanbul $3,256
Karachi $1,025

Istanbul costs about 216% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Istanbul sits 13% above the global median, while Karachi is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ₺592

$2.11 PKR 585

466.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 ₺2,834

$13.73 PKR 3,801

316.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 ₺471

$5.53 PKR 1,531

71.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₺218

$2.14 PKR 593

105.61%

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

$1.75 ₺86.6

$0.40 PKR 111

337.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.57

$0.28 PKR 77.7

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.71 ₺233

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 ₺304

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.6

$0.90 PKR 250

37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺47.25

$0.55 PKR 153

72.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ₺113

$1.20 PKR 333

90.00%

Eggs

$2.45 ₺121

$1.25 PKR 346

96.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 ₺523

$5.96 PKR 1,650

77.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 ₺272

$3.19 PKR 883

72.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.65 ₺1,072

$6.48 PKR 1,793

234.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 ₺90.6

$1.24 PKR 344

47.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

$0.53 PKR 147

332.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.4

$1.03 PKR 284

24.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 ₺90.1

$0.51 PKR 142

256.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₺32.74

$0.31 PKR 85.1

112.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ₺31.14

$0.31 PKR 87.1

103.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ₺62.8

$0.41 PKR 113

209.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₺27.62

$0.44 PKR 120

27.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 ₺117

$1.83 PKR 508

28.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 ₺642

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 ₺123

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₺174

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ₺40.77

$0.28 PKR 76.8

192.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 ₺3,228

$9.81 PKR 2,716

564.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₺65.7

$0.87 PKR 240

52.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 ₺44.60

$0.74 PKR 204

21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 ₺540

$2.23 PKR 617

389.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₺70.7

$1.38 PKR 383

3.62%

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

$49.6K ₺2.5M

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

170.10%

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

$43.2K ₺2.1M

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

63.32%

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

$88.8 ₺4,395

$113 PKR 31.4K

-21.64%

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

$11.69 ₺579

$6.12 PKR 1,694

91.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.09 ₺797

$13.11 PKR 3,628

22.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.3 ₺3,776

$21.78 PKR 6,029

250.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 ₺1,125

$18.27 PKR 5,058

24.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₺409

$4.26 PKR 1,179

93.90%

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

$1,015 ₺50.2K

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

1847.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

1231.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ₺2,636

$17.53 PKR 4,852

203.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 ₺2,008

$22.88 PKR 6,332

77.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₺4,956

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

47.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ₺4,630

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

125.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₺48.4K

$118 PKR 32.5K

730.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₺31.0K

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

756.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 ₺98.0K

$360 PKR 99.6K

450.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₺56.8K

$188 PKR 52.1K

508.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 ₺153.2K

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

186.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,787 ₺88.5K

$474 PKR 131.2K

277.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 ₺60.1K

$182 PKR 50.4K

566.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.69

13.21

208.02%

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

Last update for Istanbul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Istanbul

$627 41.1%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 88.3% $554

Groceries & Markets

Istanbul

$263 17.2%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 61.1% $160

Eating Out

Istanbul

$222 14.6%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 72.1% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Istanbul

$129 8.5%

Karachi

$68 14% 47.8% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Istanbul

$117 7.6%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 13.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Istanbul

$93 6.1%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 67.3% $62

Getting Around

Istanbul

$74 4.9%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 79.2% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Istanbul 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 566% higher in Istanbul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Istanbul versus $14.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $102 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

2 h ahead of Istanbul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,701,602

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.02 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 49.51 TRY (100 TRY = 2.02 USD). 1 EUR = 55.66 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Istanbul Karachi 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Istanbul
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

Istanbul vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Istanbul is pricier by about 216%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,287 per month in Istanbul and $725 in Karachi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,015 per month in Istanbul and $52.1 in Karachi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 157% more in Istanbul, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karachi, where all-in costs run around $483, than in Istanbul at $1,525. In Karachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Istanbul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karachi – 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 Karachi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.