Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Banda Aceh

For one person, living is cheaper in Banda Aceh: $320 a month against $483 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Banda Aceh
Learn more

Banda Aceh Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Banda Aceh

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$320

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Banda Aceh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Karachi and in Banda Aceh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $483 per month in Karachi vs $320 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Karachi $483
Banda Aceh $320

A couple spends around $754 per month in Karachi vs $511 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Karachi $754
Banda Aceh $511

A family of three spends $1,025 per month in Karachi vs $702 in Banda Aceh, rent included.

Karachi $1,025
Banda Aceh $702

Karachi costs about 51% more than Banda Aceh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karachi and Banda Aceh are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Banda Aceh 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 585

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

-2.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 PKR 3,801

$6.74 Rp 121.3K

103.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,531

$3.34 Rp 60.1K

65.57%

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

$2.14 PKR 593

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

81.36%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.38 Rp 6,778

5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 77.7

$0.21 Rp 3,774

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 Rp 44.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 70.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.64 Rp 29.6K

-45.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$0.86 Rp 15.5K

-36.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$0.80 Rp 14.5K

50.00%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.65 Rp 29.7K

-24.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 PKR 1,650

$8.49 Rp 152.9K

-29.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 PKR 883

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

31.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 PKR 1,793

$6.59 Rp 118.7K

-1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-43.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

-37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 284

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

28.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 142

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.1

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

-60.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$3.42 Rp 61.5K

-90.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 120

$0.40 Rp 7,281

10.00%

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)

$1.83 PKR 508

$3.02 Rp 54.4K

-39.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 PKR 617

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 383

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

66.27%

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

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$33.38 Rp 600.8K

239.36%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

168.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.11 PKR 3,628

$23.39 Rp 421.0K

-43.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.78 PKR 6,029

$9.66 Rp 173.8K

125.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

$13.06 Rp 235.2K

39.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,179

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

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

$1,931 Rp 34.8M

0.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.53 PKR 4,852

$27.16 Rp 488.9K

-35.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.88 PKR 6,332

$22.04 Rp 396.8K

3.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

$43.60 Rp 784.8K

56.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

$27.35 Rp 492.3K

51.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 PKR 99.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$474 PKR 131.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

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

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Banda Aceh: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.4%

Banda Aceh

$59 18.5% 55.4% $73

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 21.1%

Banda Aceh

$133 * 41.6% 30.4% $31

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$73 15.2%

Banda Aceh

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14%

Banda Aceh

$54 16.9% 19.9% $13

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.8%

Banda Aceh

$64 20% 3.4% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Banda Aceh

$9.7 * 3% 68.1% $21

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Banda Aceh

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14.00 in Karachi versus $7.00 in Banda Aceh. Groceries tell a different story – $102 in Karachi vs $133 in Banda Aceh – so Karachi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇮🇩 Banda Aceh

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

10:07 10:07 AM

2 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

223,446

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karachi Banda Aceh 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Banda Aceh

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

Karachi vs Banda Aceh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karachi is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $725 per month in Karachi and $480 in Banda Aceh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Karachi – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $14.00 in Karachi and $7.00 in Banda Aceh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $483 in Karachi and $320 in Banda Aceh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Banda Aceh – 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 Banda Aceh. 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.