Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Irkutsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,013 in Irkutsk, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
Learn more

Irkutsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,013

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Irkutsk

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $490 in Karachi versus $1,013 in Irkutsk.

Karachi $490
Irkutsk $1,013

Estimated couple costs with rent: $755 in Karachi versus $1,501 in Irkutsk.

Karachi $755
Irkutsk $1,501

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Karachi versus $1,988 in Irkutsk.

Karachi $1,019
Irkutsk $1,988

Living in Karachi costs roughly 52% less than in Irkutsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 63% lower, Irkutsk 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 PKR 596

$7.18 ₽611

-70.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 PKR 3,700

$32.58 ₽2,772

-58.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$5.81 ₽494

-8.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.11 PKR 583

$3.03 ₽258

-30.36%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$1.60 ₽136

-76.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 78.2

$0.65 ₽55.1

-56.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 ₽229

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₽344

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$1.20 ₽102

-28.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 144

$0.64 ₽54.5

-18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$2.22 ₽189

-44.14%

Eggs

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.59 ₽135

-22.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 PKR 1,622

$11.69 ₽995

-49.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 862

$6.04 ₽514

-48.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,731

$11.24 ₽956

-44.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 356

$1.89 ₽161

-31.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$1.99 ₽169

-72.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 273

$1.75 ₽149

-43.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$3.47 ₽295

-83.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$0.72 ₽61.4

-54.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.9

$0.69 ₽58.6

-49.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$1.79 ₽152

-74.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.65 ₽55.6

-32.31%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 381

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 PKR 497

$2.70 ₽230

-33.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 ₽610

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₽86.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₽162

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.5

$0.57 ₽48.62

-50.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

$15.79 ₽1,344

-38.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$1.19 ₽102

-22.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.18 ₽14.94

294.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$8.91 ₽758

-75.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 372

$0.79 ₽66.8

70.89%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$29.0K ₽2.5M

-38.49%

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

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

$36.8K ₽3.1M

-27.35%

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

$112 PKR 30.9K

$118 ₽10.0K

-4.94%

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

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$5.84 ₽497

3.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.29 PKR 3,679

$11.41 ₽971

16.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.51 PKR 5,954

$34.35 ₽2,923

-37.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 PKR 4,927

$21.13 ₽1,798

-15.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,222

$6.64 ₽565

-33.43%

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

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$294 ₽25.0K

-82.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

$3,121 ₽265.6K

-37.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.57 PKR 4,862

$58.7 ₽4,992

-70.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 PKR 6,304

$23.42 ₽1,993

-2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

$100 ₽8,516

-32.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

$113 ₽9,642

-63.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 PKR 32.5K

$438 ₽37.2K

-73.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

$309 ₽26.3K

-75.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 PKR 101.1K

$750 ₽63.8K

-51.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.5K

$432 ₽36.8K

-57.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

$2,712 ₽230.8K

-61.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

$1,807 ₽153.7K

-72.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$752 ₽64.0K

-75.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

24.57

-46.24%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Irkutsk: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 27.3%

Irkutsk

$135 13.4% 2.8% $3.7

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 20.9%

Irkutsk

$220 21.9% 119% $119

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$76 15.7%

Irkutsk

$309 30.7% 309% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.9%

Irkutsk

$133 13.2% 98.5% $66

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Irkutsk

$142 14.1% 133% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Irkutsk

$48 4.7% 57% $17

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Irkutsk

$20 2% 32.2% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $117 in Karachi and $438 in Irkutsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irkutsk pays 307% 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 $33.00 in Irkutsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $220 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

11:53 11:53 AM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

617,515

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 310 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Irkutsk 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Irkutsk

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 Irkutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Irkutsk. 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 307% lower in Irkutsk. 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: $117 in Karachi versus $438 in Irkutsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $50.7 in Karachi versus $294 in Irkutsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Irkutsk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $490 in Karachi versus $1,013 in Irkutsk, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Irkutsk. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Irkutsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.