Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Isfahan

For one person, living costs are similar in Karachi and in Isfahan: $482 and $470 a month, rent and utilities included.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$470

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Isfahan

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

A single person spends $482 per month in Karachi vs $470 in Isfahan, rent included.

Karachi $482
Isfahan $470

A couple spends around $750 per month in Karachi vs $802 in Isfahan, rent included.

Karachi $750
Isfahan $802

A family of three spends $1,018 per month in Karachi vs $1,134 in Isfahan, rent included.

Karachi $1,018
Isfahan $1,134

Karachi costs about 3% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Karachi and Isfahan are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 64% lower, Isfahan 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$3.07 $3.07

-30.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$12.72 $12.72

4.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$3.01 $3.01

81.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

$0.76 $0.76

188.16%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

$2.04 $2.04

254.90%

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$1.01 $1.01

106.93%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.49 $0.49

-18.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.48 $0.48

-45.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$0.48 $0.48

91.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$0.46 $0.46

21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$1.97 $1.97

-36.55%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.51 $1.51

-18.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$2.76 $2.76

105.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$2.42 $2.42

30.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$10.57 $10.57

-40.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$0.76 $0.76

65.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$1.28 $1.28

-58.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$1.05 $1.05

-4.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.61 $0.61

-8.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.61 $0.61

-45.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$0.49 $0.49

-30.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.59 $0.59

-28.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.21 $0.21

109.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.25 PKR 346

$0.52 $0.52

140.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 PKR 365

$0.51 $0.51

158.82%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

$0.83 $0.83

191.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 509

$2.07 $2.07

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.29 $0.29

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$12.52 $12.52

-20.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$0.51 $0.51

80.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.31 $0.31

125.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

$2.04 $2.04

5.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$0.92 $0.92

50.00%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$67.9K $67.9K

-73.62%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$58.5K $58.5K

-53.71%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$10.26 $10.26

1005.75%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$1.99 $1.99

198.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$7.48 $7.48

75.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$13.64 $13.64

57.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$13.19 $13.19

38.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$1.02 $1.02

312.75%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$72.2 $72.2

-27.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$533 $533

264.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$18.62 $18.62

-5.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$23.77 $23.77

-1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$86.2 $86.2

-20.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$37.85 $37.85

7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$289 $289

-59.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$192 $192

-61.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$1,311 $1,311

-72.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$454 $454

-58.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$1,176 $1,176

-9.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$736 $736

-34.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$203 $203

-9.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

26.8

-50.71%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Isfahan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Isfahan

$20 4.2% 85.1% $113

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Isfahan

$102 21.7% 0.5% $0.5

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Isfahan

$192 41% 161% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Isfahan

$75 15.9% 10.6% $7.1

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Isfahan

$50 10.6% 18.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Isfahan

$16 3.3% 47.6% $14

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Isfahan

$16 3.4% 1.5% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $118 in Karachi versus $289 in Isfahan. 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 11% higher in Isfahan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Karachi versus $13.00 in Isfahan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $102 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

23:39 11:39 PM

1 h 30 min behind Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

1,961,260

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Isfahan 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Isfahan

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 Isfahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi costs about 3% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. 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 $705 in Isfahan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Karachi and $13.00 in Isfahan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $482 in Karachi and $470 in Isfahan. That's a gap of about 3%.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $482 in Karachi and $470 in Isfahan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Isfahan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Isfahan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karachi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.