Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jakarta and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $793 in Jakarta, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
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Jakarta Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$793

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $793 per month in Jakarta vs $490 in Karachi, rent included.

Jakarta $793
Karachi $490

A couple spends around $1,283 per month in Jakarta vs $755 in Karachi, rent included.

Jakarta $1,283
Karachi $755

A family of three spends $1,772 per month in Jakarta vs $1,019 in Karachi, rent included.

Jakarta $1,772
Karachi $1,019

Jakarta costs about 62% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jakarta and Karachi are more affordable than the global median – Jakarta 41% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 Rp 47.1K

$2.15 PKR 596

22.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.93 Rp 302.9K

$13.37 PKR 3,700

26.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.33 Rp 59.5K

$5.29 PKR 1,464

-37.05%

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

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$2.11 PKR 583

-5.21%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,775

$0.37 PKR 103

16.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,472

$0.28 PKR 78.2

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 Rp 45.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$0.86 PKR 238

65.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 Rp 19.4K

$0.52 PKR 144

109.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 Rp 16.2K

$1.24 PKR 344

-26.61%

Eggs

$1.77 Rp 31.7K

$1.24 PKR 342

42.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 Rp 164.9K

$5.86 PKR 1,622

57.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 Rp 55.6K

$3.12 PKR 862

-0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 Rp 139.1K

$6.25 PKR 1,730

24.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 Rp 51.4K

$1.29 PKR 356

122.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 Rp 23.5K

$0.54 PKR 150

144.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 Rp 44.6K

$0.99 PKR 273

152.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$0.56 PKR 155

148.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.33 PKR 91.6

318.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

$0.35 PKR 95.8

500.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

$0.45 PKR 124

108.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,105

$0.44 PKR 121

15.91%

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)

$2.80 Rp 50.1K

$1.79 PKR 497

56.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.83 Rp 372.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 Rp 36.7K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 Rp 54.4K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,809

$0.28 PKR 76.5

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.86 Rp 212.1K

$9.68 PKR 2,679

22.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 Rp 8,982

$0.92 PKR 255

-45.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 Rp 5,888

$0.71 PKR 196

-53.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 Rp 61.2K

$2.22 PKR 615

54.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

$1.35 PKR 372

-35.56%

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

$27.8K Rp 496.8M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

55.67%

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

$32.6K Rp 583.5M

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

21.96%

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

$106 Rp 1.9M

$112 PKR 30.9K

-5.31%

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

$6.04 Rp 108.0K

$6.05 PKR 1,673

-0.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.04 Rp 340.7K

$13.29 PKR 3,679

43.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.65 Rp 458.8K

$21.51 PKR 5,954

19.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.65 Rp 244.3K

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-23.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

$4.42 PKR 1,222

-25.57%

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

$153 Rp 2.7M

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

202.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,270 Rp 147.9M

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

322.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 Rp 1.0M

$17.57 PKR 4,862

233.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.37 Rp 507.5K

$22.78 PKR 6,304

24.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

4.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 Rp 1.9M

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

158.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 Rp 6.6M

$117 PKR 32.4K

215.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 Rp 3.6M

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

164.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 Rp 20.7M

$365 PKR 101.1K

216.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 Rp 10.0M

$182 PKR 50.5K

205.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,023 Rp 54.1M

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

186.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 Rp 25.9M

$491 PKR 135.8K

194.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$449 Rp 8.0M

$185 PKR 51.2K

143.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

13.21

-28.39%

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

Last update for Jakarta: October 6, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jakarta

$218 27.5%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 53.7% $117

Accommodation & Living

Jakarta

$200 25.3%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 62.2% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jakarta

$131 16.5%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Jakarta

$119 15%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 43.5% $52

Eating Out

Jakarta

$78 9.9%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 22.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Jakarta

$32 4.1%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 5.8% $1.9

Getting Around

Jakarta

$15 1.9%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 1.1% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $370 in Jakarta versus $117 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 143% higher in Jakarta, 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 $17.00 in Jakarta versus $13.00 in Karachi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $101 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

2 h behind Jakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,337,563 Capital

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 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 IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jakarta Karachi 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Jakarta
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

Jakarta vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jakarta costs about 62% more than Karachi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,190 per month in Jakarta and $735 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 $153 per month in Jakarta and $50.7 in Karachi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 116% more in Jakarta, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $793 in Jakarta and $490 in Karachi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Karachi costs $490 versus $793 in Jakarta. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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