Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Medan

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $613 in Medan, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Medan despite lower rent and utilities.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
Learn more

Medan Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Medan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $613 in Medan.

Karachi $482
Medan $613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $940 in Medan.

Karachi $750
Medan $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $1,266 in Medan.

Karachi $1,018
Medan $1,266

Living in Karachi costs roughly 21% less than in Medan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Medan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

24.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,680

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

60.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,508

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

84.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,005

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

36.60%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.35 Rp 6,215

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.25 Rp 4,534

4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

-17.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-52.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

54.32%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,570

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

-30.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 876

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

-11.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,737

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

-1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

-47.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 148

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

-49.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

-29.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

-39.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.4

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

-60.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

-81.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.38 Rp 6,905

10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.44 Rp 7,872

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 509

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

-35.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.27 Rp 4,816

3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

68.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$0.51 Rp 9,186

80.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.19 Rp 3,465

268.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 597

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

72.50%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

-27.45%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

-15.93%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

33.72%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,648

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

87.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,642

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

-44.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,965

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

27.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

116.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,165

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

27.96%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$112 Rp 2.0M

-53.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

14.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,858

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

-67.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,506

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

-38.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$108 Rp 1.9M

-36.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$111 Rp 2.0M

-63.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.7K

$233 Rp 4.2M

-49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

-17.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

$494 Rp 8.9M

-27.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

$212 Rp 3.8M

-11.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

-8.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

$560 Rp 10.1M

-14.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$215 Rp 3.9M

-15.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

9.25

42.81%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Medan

$112 18.2% 15.8% $21

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Medan

$181 29.5% 78.6% $80

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Medan

$90 14.6% 21.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Medan

$140 22.9% 107% $73

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Medan

$59 9.6% 3.9% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Medan

$24 3.8% 21.5% $6.4

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Medan

$8.5 1.4% 45.4% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $233 in Medan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medan pays 18% 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 $8.00 in Medan. Groceries flip the comparison at $101 vs $181, with Karachi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇮🇩 Medan

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

2 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

2,097,610

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karachi Medan 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Medan

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 Medan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Medan differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $613 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Medan. 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 $233 in Medan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $482 per month in Karachi versus $613 in Medan – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 68% less than in Medan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Medan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.