Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Chiang Mai

Name: Chiang Mai
Address: Chiang Mai, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $482 per month in Karachi vs $938 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karachi $482
Chiang Mai $938

A couple spends around $750 per month in Karachi vs $1,426 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karachi $750
Chiang Mai $1,426

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Karachi vs $1,914 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Karachi $1,018
Chiang Mai $1,914

Karachi is about 49% cheaper than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karachi and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Chiang Mai 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$2.26 ฿75.4

-5.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$19.18 ฿641

-30.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$5.59 ฿187

-2.50%

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

$1.72 ฿57.6

21.51%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.64 ฿21.54

-37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.33 ฿11.18

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$2.05 ฿68.6

-55.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.40 ฿46.70

-60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.28 ฿42.89

-2.34%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$2.25 ฿75.3

-45.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$16.94 ฿566

-66.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$2.74 ฿91.6

15.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$9.36 ฿313

-32.91%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$2.40 ฿80.3

-47.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$1.01 ฿33.92

-47.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$1.61 ฿53.9

-37.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.52 ฿50.7

-63.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$1.28 ฿42.90

-74.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.11 ฿37.22

-69.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.72 ฿24.09

-41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.52 ฿17.54

-15.38%

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

$4.33 ฿145

-57.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.85 ฿28.31

-67.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$53.9 ฿1,801

-81.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$1.17 ฿39.18

-21.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.57 ฿19.00

22.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$2.37 ฿79.2

-8.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.45 ฿48.32

-4.83%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$20.5K ฿684.3K

-12.58%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$26.5K ฿886.1K

2.15%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$62.3 ฿2,083

82.02%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$12.27 ฿410

-51.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$19.97 ฿668

-34.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$37.91 ฿1,267

-43.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$3.76 ฿126

384.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$6.71 ฿224

-37.26%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$797 ฿26.6K

-93.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$14.8K ฿495.7K

-86.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$53.3 ฿1,780

-67.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$25.05 ฿837

-6.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$91.6 ฿3,062

-24.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$73.5 ฿2,455

-44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$464 ฿15.5K

-74.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$305 ฿10.2K

-75.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$915 ฿30.6K

-60.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$552 ฿18.5K

-65.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$1,912 ฿63.9K

-44.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$1,438 ฿48.1K

-66.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$595 ฿19.9K

-69.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

5.57

137.16%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1% 28.7% $38

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4% 135% $137

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5% 314% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7% 61.7% $42

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4% 29.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5% 71.3% $21

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5% 295% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Karachi versus $464 in Chiang Mai. 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 225% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $13.00 in Karachi versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $238 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

04:18 4:18 AM

06:18 6:18 AM

2 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

127,240

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Chiang Mai 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 95% 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 $723 per month in Karachi and $1,408 in Chiang Mai. 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 $52.2 per month in Karachi and $797 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 135% more in Chiang Mai, 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 $482, than in Chiang Mai at $938. In Karachi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chiang Mai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Karachi costs $482 versus $938 in Chiang Mai. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.