Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $35,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Singapore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $490 in Karachi versus $3,454 in Singapore.

Karachi $490
Singapore $3,454

Estimated couple costs with rent: $755 in Karachi versus $5,224 in Singapore.

Karachi $755
Singapore $5,224

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,019 in Karachi versus $6,994 in Singapore.

Karachi $1,019
Singapore $6,994

Living in Karachi costs roughly 86% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Karachi is 63% below, Singapore is 158% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 PKR 596

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-81.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.37 PKR 3,700

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-81.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 PKR 1,464

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-39.61%

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

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-59.81%

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

$0.37 PKR 103

$1.83 SGD 2.34

-79.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 78.2

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-77.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 SGD 10.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 SGD 12.83

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 PKR 238

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-70.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 PKR 144

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-78.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-54.24%

Eggs

$1.24 PKR 342

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-66.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 PKR 1,622

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-72.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 PKR 862

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-67.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,730

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-75.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 356

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-71.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 150

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-82.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 273

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-78.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$2.23 SGD 2.86

-74.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 91.6

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-86.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.8

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-85.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 PKR 124

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-74.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 121

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-70.86%

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

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-87.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.79 SGD 30.47

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.51 SGD 5.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 SGD 5.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.5

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-82.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

$96.4 SGD 123

-89.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 PKR 255

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-74.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$0.80 SGD 1.02

-11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 PKR 615

$16.18 SGD 20.72

-86.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PKR 372

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-46.22%

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

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-88.55%

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

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-81.66%

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

$112 PKR 30.9K

$175 SGD 224

-36.12%

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

$6.05 PKR 1,673

$12.45 SGD 15.94

-51.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.29 PKR 3,679

$26.64 SGD 34.11

-50.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.51 PKR 5,954

$112 SGD 143

-80.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 PKR 4,927

$12.07 SGD 15.46

47.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 PKR 1,222

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-61.90%

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

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-96.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-93.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.57 PKR 4,862

$81.5 SGD 104

-78.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.78 PKR 6,304

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-54.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

$112 SGD 143

-39.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

$130 SGD 166

-68.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$117 PKR 32.4K

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-95.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-96.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 PKR 101.1K

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-93.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.5K

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-95.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-95.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$491 PKR 135.8K

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-97.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-95.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

2.44

441.39%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$131 27.3%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 63.3% $83

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$101 20.9%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 354% $357

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$76 15.7%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 2710% $2.1K

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$67 13.9%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 151% $101

Eating Out

Karachi

$61 12.7%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 320% $195

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 344% $104

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 624% $95

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $117 in Karachi and $2,916 in Singapore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Singapore pays 2263% 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 $71.0 in Singapore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $457 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

14:00 2:00 PM

3 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, 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).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Karachi Singapore 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Singapore

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Singapore differ by about 605% in total monthly costs ($490 vs $3,454 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2263% lower in Singapore. 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 $2,916 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $490 per month in Karachi versus $3,454 in Singapore – a 605% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 895% less than in Singapore. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $3,454 in Singapore, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Singapore. 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.

Safety-wise, Karachi and Singapore 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 Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 605% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.