Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Bekasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $665 in Bekasi, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Karachi
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$482
/mo nomad
Bekasi
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$665
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Bekasi

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 Bekasi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $665 in Bekasi.

  • Karachi $482
  • Bekasi $665

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,073 in Bekasi.

  • Karachi $750
  • Bekasi $1,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,480 in Bekasi.

  • Karachi $1,018
  • Bekasi $1,480

Living in Karachi costs roughly 28% less than in Bekasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Bekasi 51% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Karachi
Bekasi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.13 PKR 588
$2.72 Rp 48.9K
-21.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.30 PKR 3,680
$14.10 Rp 253.9K
-5.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.45 PKR 1,508
$3.41 Rp 61.4K
59.82%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 PKR 607
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.24 PKR 2,005
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.09 PKR 579
$1.47 Rp 26.4K
42.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 PKR 111
$0.46 Rp 8,309
-13.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 PKR 71.1
$0.22 Rp 3,940
18.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.44 Rp 43.9K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.82 Rp 68.7K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Karachi
Bekasi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.92 PKR 254
$1.10 Rp 19.9K
-16.36%
White Bread (500g)
$0.56 PKR 156
$1.12 Rp 20.2K
-50.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.25 PKR 345
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
47.06%
Eggs
$1.23 PKR 341
$1.64 Rp 29.6K
-25.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.67 PKR 1,570
$9.52 Rp 171.4K
-40.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.16 PKR 876
$2.94 Rp 53.0K
7.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.28 PKR 1,737
$8.02 Rp 144.4K
-21.70%
Apples (1kg)
$1.26 PKR 348
$2.74 Rp 49.3K
-54.01%
Banana (1kg)
$0.53 PKR 148
$1.37 Rp 24.7K
-61.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.00 PKR 276
$2.50 Rp 45.0K
-60.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.56 PKR 154
$1.32 Rp 23.8K
-57.58%
Potato (1kg)
$0.33 PKR 91.4
$1.34 Rp 24.1K
-75.37%
Onion (1kg)
$0.34 PKR 95.1
$2.11 Rp 37.9K
-83.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.42 PKR 116
$0.94 Rp 17.0K
-55.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 PKR 121
$0.40 Rp 7,281
10.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.25 PKR 346
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 PKR 365
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 PKR 670
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.84 PKR 509
$2.74 Rp 49.2K
-32.85%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$22.24 Rp 400.3K
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.03 Rp 36.5K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.12 Rp 56.2K
-
🚌 Getting Around
Karachi
Bekasi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.28 PKR 77.0
$0.35 Rp 6,217
-20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$9.99 PKR 2,764
$11.05 Rp 199.0K
-9.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.92 PKR 256
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
10.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.70 PKR 193
$0.44 Rp 7,889
59.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.16 PKR 597
$2.26 Rp 40.7K
-4.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 PKR 382
$0.86 Rp 15.5K
60.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.9K PKR 5.0M
$20.8K Rp 375.2M
-14.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K PKR 7.5M
$32.1K Rp 578.4M
-15.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karachi
Bekasi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$113 PKR 31.4K
$63.4 Rp 1.1M
79.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.95 PKR 1,648
$5.94 Rp 106.9K
0.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.16 PKR 3,642
$19.24 Rp 346.3K
-31.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Karachi
Bekasi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.55 PKR 5,965
$15.55 Rp 280.0K
38.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.23 PKR 5,044
$6.20 Rp 111.5K
194.03%
Cinema Ticket
$4.21 PKR 1,165
$3.36 Rp 60.6K
25.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Karachi
Bekasi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$52.2 PKR 14.4K
$128 Rp 2.3M
-59.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,940 PKR 537.0K
$8,333 Rp 150.0M
-76.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Karachi
Bekasi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.55 PKR 4,858
$58.3 Rp 1.0M
-69.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.51 PKR 6,506
$32.38 Rp 582.8K
-27.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.9 PKR 19.1K
$76.9 Rp 1.4M
-10.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.59 PKR 11.2K
$94.1 Rp 1.7M
-56.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Karachi
Bekasi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$118 PKR 32.7K
$206 Rp 3.7M
-42.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$73.6 PKR 20.4K
$133 Rp 2.4M
-44.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$357 PKR 98.9K
$457 Rp 8.2M
-21.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$188 PKR 52.0K
$358 Rp 6.4M
-47.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,060 PKR 293.4K
$585 Rp 10.5M
81.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$481 PKR 133.1K
$902 Rp 16.2M
-46.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Karachi
Bekasi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$183 PKR 50.6K
$366 Rp 6.6M
-50.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.21
9.46
39.64%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bekasi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karachi
$133
Bekasi
$89 33.2% $44
Groceries & Markets
Karachi
$101
Bekasi
$216 113% $115
Accommodation & Living
Karachi
$74
Bekasi
$133 80.4% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Karachi
$68
Bekasi
$118 73.9% $50
Eating Out
Karachi
$61
Bekasi
$72 18% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Karachi
$30
Bekasi
$22 25.7% $7.7
Getting Around
Karachi
$16
Bekasi
$15 0.4% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $206 in Bekasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bekasi pays 100% 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: $13.00 in Karachi vs $14.00 in Bekasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $216 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Karachi
🇮🇩 Bekasi
🕒 Local time
12:56 12:56 PM
14:56 2:56 PM
2 h ahead of Karachi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,910,352
2,334,871
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Karachi Bekasi 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Karachi
  • Bekasi

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 Bekasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Karachi and in Bekasi?
Karachi and Bekasi differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $665 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 100% lower in Bekasi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Karachi and in Bekasi?
Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $206 in Bekasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $14.00 in Bekasi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Karachi or Bekasi?
All in, you'll spend $482 per month in Karachi versus $665 in Bekasi – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How far does $1,200 go in Karachi compared to Bekasi?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Karachi gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Karachi and Bekasi?
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.
Where should expats move: Karachi or Bekasi?
Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Bekasi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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