Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Dipolog

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $495 a month against $602 in Dipolog, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Karachi, Pakistan
Dipolog, Philippines
Karachi
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$495
/mo nomad
Dipolog
🇵🇭 Philippines
$602
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Dipolog

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

A single person spends $495 per month in Karachi vs $602 in Dipolog, rent included.

  • Karachi $495
  • Dipolog $602

A couple spends around $770 per month in Karachi vs $839 in Dipolog, rent included.

  • Karachi $770
  • Dipolog $839

A family of three spends $1,046 per month in Karachi vs $1,076 in Dipolog, rent included.

  • Karachi $1,046
  • Dipolog $1,076

Karachi is about 18% cheaper than Dipolog, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karachi and Dipolog are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Dipolog 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Karachi
Dipolog
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.21 PKR 610
$1.36 ₱86.9
62.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.87 PKR 3,562
$19.30 ₱1,233
-33.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.27 PKR 1,459
$2.72 ₱174
93.75%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 PKR 598
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.36 PKR 2,036
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.16 PKR 598
$2.02 ₱129
6.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 PKR 106
$0.64 ₱40.78
-40.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 PKR 69.3
$0.29 ₱18.75
-13.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.04 ₱66.6
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.72 ₱110
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Karachi
Dipolog
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 PKR 248
$1.60 ₱102
-43.75%
White Bread (500g)
$0.52 PKR 143
$0.77 ₱48.93
-32.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.20 PKR 331
$0.82 ₱52.5
46.34%
Eggs
$1.25 PKR 346
$1.87 ₱119
-33.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.82 PKR 1,611
$5.77 ₱369
0.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.11 PKR 860
$4.12 ₱263
-24.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.53 PKR 1,807
$5.71 ₱365
14.36%
Apples (1kg)
$1.28 PKR 354
$1.60 ₱102
-20.00%
Banana (1kg)
$0.54 PKR 149
$1.07 ₱68.7
-49.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 PKR 283
$2.91 ₱186
-64.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.56 PKR 155
$1.43 ₱91.5
-60.84%
Potato (1kg)
$0.34 PKR 94.9
$1.84 ₱118
-81.52%
Onion (1kg)
$0.31 PKR 87.0
$2.68 ₱171
-88.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.41 PKR 113
$1.47 ₱93.6
-72.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43 PKR 120
$0.61 ₱39.25
-29.51%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.28 PKR 355
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 PKR 368
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 PKR 678
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.78 PKR 492
$3.04 ₱194
-41.45%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$3.93 ₱251
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.13 ₱71.9
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.26 ₱80.4
-
🚌 Getting Around
Karachi
Dipolog
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.28 PKR 77.2
$0.26 ₱16.72
7.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.70 PKR 3,237
$10.99 ₱702
6.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.92 PKR 254
$0.81 ₱51.5
13.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.73 PKR 203
$0.32 ₱20.72
128.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.22 PKR 615
$2.32 ₱148
-4.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 PKR 369
$0.89 ₱57.0
49.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.3K PKR 5.1M
$21.2K ₱1.4M
-13.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K PKR 7.3M
$19.0K ₱1.2M
38.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karachi
Dipolog
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$112 PKR 31.0K
$64.3 ₱4,106
74.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.99 PKR 1,656
$7.73 ₱494
-22.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.18 PKR 3,648
$23.98 ₱1,532
-45.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Karachi
Dipolog
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.67 PKR 6,826
$32.70 ₱2,090
-24.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.29 PKR 5,061
$4.65 ₱297
293.33%
Cinema Ticket
$4.34 PKR 1,201
$4.70 ₱300
-7.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Karachi
Dipolog
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$67.2 PKR 18.6K
$32.00 ₱2,045
110.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,915 PKR 529.9K
$8,107 ₱518.0K
-76.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Karachi
Dipolog
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.61 PKR 4,873
$33.03 ₱2,111
-46.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.03 PKR 6,097
$19.08 ₱1,219
15.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.3 PKR 18.9K
$55.9 ₱3,574
22.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$40.66 PKR 11.3K
$23.76 ₱1,518
71.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Karachi
Dipolog
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$136 PKR 37.6K
$156 ₱9,955
-12.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$82.2 PKR 22.7K
$172 ₱11.0K
-52.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$392 PKR 108.5K
$513 ₱32.7K
-23.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$207 PKR 57.2K
$134 ₱8,589
53.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,046 PKR 289.5K
$2,401 ₱153.4K
-56.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$482 PKR 133.2K
$1,119 ₱71.5K
-56.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Karachi
Dipolog
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$184 PKR 51.0K
$234 ₱15.0K
-21.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.21
7.33
80.22%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dipolog: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karachi
$131
Dipolog
$96 26.9% $35
Groceries & Markets
Karachi
$102
Dipolog
$163 60.4% $61
Accommodation & Living
Karachi
$82
Dipolog
$172 109% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Karachi
$67
Dipolog
$59 11.3% $7.6
Eating Out
Karachi
$62
Dipolog
$56 10.1% $6.3
Sport & Entertainment
Karachi
$33
Dipolog
$42 26.3% $8.8
Getting Around
Karachi
$17
Dipolog
$14 16.8% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Karachi versus $156 in Dipolog. 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 27% higher in Dipolog. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13 in Karachi versus $19 in Dipolog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $163 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Karachi
🇵🇭 Dipolog
🕒 Local time
23:35 11:35 PM
02:35 2:35 AM
3 h ahead of Karachi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,910,352
130,759
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Karachi Dipolog 6,220 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Karachi
  • Dipolog

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 Dipolog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Karachi or Dipolog?
Dipolog costs about 22% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Karachi and in Dipolog?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $742 per month in Karachi and $904 in Dipolog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Karachi or Dipolog?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karachi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $156 in Dipolog.
How do childcare costs compare in Karachi and in Dipolog?
Kindergarten costs $67 per month in Karachi and $32 in Dipolog. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Karachi or in Dipolog?
Groceries cost about 60% more in Dipolog, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Karachi or in Dipolog?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $495 in Karachi and $602 in Dipolog, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Karachi or Dipolog?
It depends on your priorities. Karachi has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $495 in Karachi to $602 in Dipolog. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Karachi or to Dipolog?
If budget matters most, go with Karachi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dipolog makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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