Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Salatiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Salatiga: $456 a month against $482 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $310 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Karachi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Salatiga
Learn more

Salatiga Living Index

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Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Salatiga

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Salatiga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $482 in Karachi versus $456 in Salatiga.

Karachi $482
Salatiga $456

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Karachi versus $675 in Salatiga.

Karachi $750
Salatiga $675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Karachi versus $893 in Salatiga.

Karachi $1,018
Salatiga $893

Living in Karachi is roughly 6% more expensive than in Salatiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Salatiga 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 PKR 588

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

144.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.30 PKR 3,678

$8.95 Rp 160.6K

48.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 PKR 1,507

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

99.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 PKR 607

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 PKR 2,004

Cappuccino

$2.09 PKR 579

$1.43 Rp 25.6K

46.15%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.30 Rp 5,468

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 71.1

$0.19 Rp 3,370

36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 Rp 34.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 Rp 75.8K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 PKR 254

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

-23.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 156

$1.33 Rp 23.9K

-57.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PKR 345

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

47.06%

Eggs

$1.23 PKR 341

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

2.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.67 PKR 1,569

$7.70 Rp 138.2K

-26.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.16 PKR 875

$3.09 Rp 55.5K

2.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,736

$7.64 Rp 137.1K

-17.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 348

$2.01 Rp 36.1K

-37.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

-58.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 PKR 276

$1.83 Rp 32.8K

-45.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

-62.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.3

$1.31 Rp 23.5K

-74.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 95.1

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

-82.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.35 Rp 6,193

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$0.36 Rp 6,392

22.22%

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 508

$1.98 Rp 35.6K

-7.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.70 Rp 443.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 Rp 29.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.3K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 77.0

$0.21 Rp 3,732

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,763

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 256

$0.44 Rp 7,875

109.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 PKR 193

$0.43 Rp 7,712

62.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 PKR 596

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

-20.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 382

$0.67 Rp 12.0K

105.97%

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

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

$24.6K Rp 442.1M

-27.35%

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

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

-15.83%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$87.8 Rp 1.6M

29.29%

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

$5.95 PKR 1,647

$4.59 Rp 82.4K

29.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.16 PKR 3,640

$19.52 Rp 350.2K

-32.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 PKR 5,962

$11.25 Rp 201.8K

91.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,041

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 PKR 1,164

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

110.50%

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

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

$283 Rp 5.1M

-81.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,940 PKR 536.7K

$9,389 Rp 168.5M

-79.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.55 PKR 4,855

$22.60 Rp 405.5K

-22.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.51 PKR 6,502

$11.36 Rp 203.8K

106.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

$44.96 Rp 806.7K

53.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

$73.3 Rp 1.3M

-44.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.6K

$165 Rp 3.0M

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 PKR 98.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,060 PKR 293.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$183 PKR 50.6K

$148 Rp 2.7M

23.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

7.5

76.13%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Salatiga: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.5%

Salatiga

$112 24.5% 15.6% $21

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 21%

Salatiga

$205 44.9% 102% $104

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$74 15.3%

Salatiga

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14.1%

Salatiga

$69 15% 1.2% $0.8

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Salatiga

$52 11.4% 14.6% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.2%

Salatiga

$15 3.3% 49.1% $15

Getting Around

Karachi

$16 3.2%

Salatiga

$3.4 * 0.8% 78% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $165 in Salatiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karachi pays 23% 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 $9.00 in Salatiga. Groceries flip the comparison at $101 vs $205, with Karachi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇮🇩 Salatiga

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

09:39 9:39 AM

2 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

190,000

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.95 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 = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,204 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.95 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Salatiga 5,910 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Salatiga

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 Salatiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Salatiga differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($482 vs $456 including rent). Salatiga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Karachi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $165 in Salatiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Karachi pay roughly 102% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $482 per month in Karachi versus $456 in Salatiga – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Salatiga 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.

Safety-wise, Karachi and Salatiga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Salatiga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.