Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Butuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $578 in Butuan, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Butuan despite lower rent and utilities.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Butuan
Learn more

Butuan Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Butuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$578

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Butuan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $578 in Butuan.

Karachi $482
Butuan $578

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $913 in Butuan.

Karachi $750
Butuan $913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,248 in Butuan.

Karachi $1,018
Butuan $1,248

Living in Karachi costs roughly 17% less than in Butuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Butuan 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$4.67 ₱294

-54.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,678

$26.83 ₱1,690

-50.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,507

$2.41 ₱152

126.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,004

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$2.09 ₱132

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.33 ₱21.02

21.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.23 ₱14.47

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 ₱98.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₱155

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.95 ₱123

-52.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.09 ₱68.9

-48.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$0.87 ₱55.0

43.68%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.86 ₱117

-33.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,569

$6.21 ₱391

-8.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 875

$4.84 ₱305

-34.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,736

$9.32 ₱587

-32.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$2.68 ₱169

-52.99%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$1.11 ₱69.7

-52.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$2.42 ₱152

-58.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.20 ₱75.8

-53.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.3

$2.02 ₱127

-83.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$3.51 ₱221

-90.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$1.25 ₱79.0

-66.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.67 ₱42.42

-34.33%

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 508

$2.39 ₱151

-23.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 ₱512

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₱106

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,763

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$0.78 ₱49.33

17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.25 ₱15.84

180.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 596

$1.96 ₱123

10.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.05 ₱66.1

31.43%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-15.70%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

42.32%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$107 ₱6,748

5.90%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,647

$18.89 ₱1,190

-68.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,640

$30.87 ₱1,945

-57.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,962

$23.85 ₱1,503

-9.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,041

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,164

$4.37 ₱275

-3.66%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$108 ₱6,794

-51.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 536.7K

$7,696 ₱484.8K

-74.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,855

$61.7 ₱3,887

-71.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,502

$31.28 ₱1,970

-24.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$71.8 ₱4,525

-4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$62.2 ₱3,918

-34.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

8.31

58.97%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Butuan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Butuan

$157 27.1% 18.4% $24

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Butuan

$200 34.6% 97.5% $99

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Butuan

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Butuan

$102 17.7% 50.8% $34

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Butuan

$85 14.6% 38.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Butuan

$33 5.6% 8.7% $2.6

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Butuan

$2 * 0.4% 86.9% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $13.00 in Karachi vs $27.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $200 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇵🇭 Butuan

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

03:04 3:04 AM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

337,063

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Butuan 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Butuan

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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Butuan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karachi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $723 in Karachi and $867 in Butuan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $52.2 in Karachi versus $108 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Karachi – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $27.00 in Butuan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.

Safety-wise, Karachi and Butuan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Butuan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.