Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Chon Buri

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $813 in Chon Buri, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Chon Buri
Learn more

Chon Buri Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Chon Buri

🇹🇭 Thailand

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Chon Buri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $813 in Chon Buri.

Karachi $482
Chon Buri $813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $1,368 in Chon Buri.

Karachi $750
Chon Buri $1,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,923 in Chon Buri.

Karachi $1,018
Chon Buri $1,923

Living in Karachi costs roughly 41% less than in Chon Buri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Chon Buri 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$1.91 ฿63.7

11.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,678

$16.42 ฿549

-19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,507

$7.53 ฿252

-27.62%

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

$1.79 ฿59.9

16.76%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.70 ฿23.53

-42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.34 ฿11.46

-23.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 ฿98.9

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.41 ฿47.26

-34.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.25 ฿41.65

-55.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.22 ฿40.92

2.46%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.86 ฿62.0

-33.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,569

$12.28 ฿410

-53.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 875

$2.51 ฿83.8

25.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,736

$10.03 ฿335

-37.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$3.57 ฿119

-64.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$0.96 ฿32.13

-44.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$2.45 ฿82.0

-59.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.64 ฿54.8

-65.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.3

$1.98 ฿66.1

-83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.08 ฿35.98

-68.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.75 ฿25.12

-44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.41 ฿13.77

7.32%

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

$4.36 ฿146

-57.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 ฿472

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 ฿53.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ฿61.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.87 ฿29.19

-67.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,763

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$2.34 ฿78.1

-60.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$1.53 ฿51.3

-54.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 596

$4.91 ฿164

-56.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$1.30 ฿43.30

6.15%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$26.2K ฿875.3K

-31.66%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$22.6K ฿753.9K

20.06%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$82.8 ฿2,766

37.08%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,647

$9.21 ฿308

-35.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,640

$22.85 ฿764

-42.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,962

$46.71 ฿1,561

-53.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,041

$14.39 ฿481

26.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,164

$6.70 ฿224

-37.16%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$729 ฿24.4K

-92.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 536.7K

$10.7K ฿357.8K

-81.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,855

$6.02 ฿201

191.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,502

$36.01 ฿1,204

-34.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$71.6 ฿2,393

-3.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$52.8 ฿1,763

-23.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.6K

$519 ฿17.3K

-77.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$256 ฿8,551

-71.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$1,404 ฿46.9K

-74.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$749 ฿25.0K

-74.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.2K

$1,960 ฿65.5K

-45.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.0K

$1,556 ฿52.0K

-69.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$585 ฿19.6K

-68.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

340.33%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chon Buri: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Chon Buri

$115 14.1% 13.4% $18

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Chon Buri

$216 26.6% 113% $115

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Chon Buri

$256 31.5% 248% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Chon Buri

$75 9.2% 10.5% $7.1

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Chon Buri

$78 9.6% 27.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Chon Buri

$60 7.4% 101% $30

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Chon Buri

$14 * 1.7% 13% $2

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $519 in Chon Buri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chon Buri pays 220% 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 $16.00 in Chon Buri 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

🇹🇭 Chon Buri

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

05:44 5:44 AM

2 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

70,364

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Chon Buri 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Chon Buri

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 Chon Buri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Chon Buri. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karachi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 220% lower in Chon Buri. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $519 in Chon Buri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $52.2 in Karachi versus $729 in Chon Buri. 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 $16.00 in Chon Buri. 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 Chon Buri 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 69% less than in Chon Buri. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.