Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Jakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $793 in Jakarta, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Jakarta
Learn more

Jakarta Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Jakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Jakarta

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

A single person spends $490 per month in Karachi vs $793 in Jakarta, rent included.

Karachi $490
Jakarta $793

A couple spends around $755 per month in Karachi vs $1,283 in Jakarta, rent included.

Karachi $755
Jakarta $1,283

A family of three spends $1,019 per month in Karachi vs $1,772 in Jakarta, rent included.

Karachi $1,019
Jakarta $1,772

Karachi is about 38% cheaper than Jakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karachi and Jakarta are more affordable than the global median – Karachi 63% lower, Jakarta 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 PKR 596

$2.63 Rp 47.1K

-18.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 PKR 3,700

$16.93 Rp 302.9K

-21.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$3.33 Rp 59.5K

58.86%

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

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

5.50%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$0.43 Rp 7,775

-13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 78.2

$0.25 Rp 4,472

12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 Rp 45.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 144

$1.09 Rp 19.4K

-52.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$0.91 Rp 16.2K

36.26%

Eggs

$1.24 PKR 342

$1.77 Rp 31.7K

-29.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 PKR 1,622

$9.22 Rp 164.9K

-36.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 862

$3.11 Rp 55.6K

0.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,730

$7.78 Rp 139.1K

-19.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 356

$2.87 Rp 51.4K

-55.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$1.32 Rp 23.5K

-59.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 273

$2.50 Rp 44.6K

-60.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

-59.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

-76.09%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.8

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

-83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$0.94 Rp 16.8K

-52.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.51 Rp 9,105

-13.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 380

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.79 PKR 497

$2.80 Rp 50.1K

-36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.83 Rp 372.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 Rp 36.7K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 Rp 54.4K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.5

$0.27 Rp 4,809

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

$11.86 Rp 212.1K

-18.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$0.50 Rp 8,982

84.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.33 Rp 5,888

115.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$3.42 Rp 61.2K

-35.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 372

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

55.17%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$27.8K Rp 496.8M

-35.76%

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

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

$32.6K Rp 583.5M

-18.01%

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

$112 PKR 30.9K

$106 Rp 1.9M

5.61%

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

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$6.04 Rp 108.0K

0.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.29 PKR 3,679

$19.04 Rp 340.7K

-30.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.51 PKR 5,954

$25.65 Rp 458.8K

-16.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 PKR 4,927

$13.65 Rp 244.3K

30.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,222

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

34.35%

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

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$153 Rp 2.7M

-66.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

$8,270 Rp 147.9M

-76.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.57 PKR 4,862

$58.7 Rp 1.0M

-70.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 PKR 6,304

$28.37 Rp 507.5K

-19.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

-4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

$106 Rp 1.9M

-61.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 PKR 32.4K

$370 Rp 6.6M

-68.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

$200 Rp 3.6M

-62.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 PKR 101.1K

$1,155 Rp 20.7M

-68.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.5K

$556 Rp 10.0M

-67.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

$3,023 Rp 54.1M

-65.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

$1,445 Rp 25.9M

-66.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$449 Rp 8.0M

-58.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

9.46

39.64%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Jakarta: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 27.3%

Jakarta

$131 16.5% 0.1% $0.2

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 20.9%

Jakarta

$218 27.5% 116% $117

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$76 15.7%

Jakarta

$200 25.3% 165% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.9%

Jakarta

$119 15% 77.1% $52

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Jakarta

$78 9.9% 28.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Jakarta

$32 4.1% 6.2% $1.9

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Jakarta

$15 1.9% 1% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $117 in Karachi versus $370 in Jakarta. 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 143% higher in Jakarta, 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 $17.00 in Jakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $101 vs $218 – making Karachi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇮🇩 Jakarta

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

08:54 8:54 AM

2 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

11,337,563 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, 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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Jakarta 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Jakarta

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 Jakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jakarta costs about 62% 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 $735 per month in Karachi and $1,190 in Jakarta. 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 $50.7 per month in Karachi and $153 in Jakarta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 116% more in Jakarta, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $490 in Karachi and $793 in Jakarta, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Karachi costs $490 versus $793 in Jakarta. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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