Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karachi and Song Be

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $839 in Song Be, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Song Be
Learn more

Song Be Living Index

Jump to prices

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Song Be

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karachi and in Song Be

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $483 in Karachi versus $839 in Song Be.

Karachi $483
Song Be $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $754 in Karachi versus $1,363 in Song Be.

Karachi $754
Song Be $1,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,025 in Karachi versus $1,887 in Song Be.

Karachi $1,025
Song Be $1,887

Living in Karachi costs roughly 42% less than in Song Be, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karachi 64% lower, Song Be 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.11 PKR 585

$1.92 ₫49.6K

9.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 PKR 3,801

$23.01 ₫595.6K

-40.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 PKR 1,531

$4.75 ₫123.1K

16.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

Cappuccino

$2.14 PKR 593

$1.85 ₫47.9K

15.68%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.55 ₫14.3K

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PKR 77.7

$0.34 ₫8,819

-17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ₫28.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₫44.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.64 ₫42.5K

-45.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$1.06 ₫27.4K

-48.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 PKR 333

$1.06 ₫27.4K

13.21%

Eggs

$1.25 PKR 346

$1.62 ₫41.8K

-22.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.96 PKR 1,650

$11.93 ₫309.0K

-50.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 PKR 883

$3.66 ₫94.7K

-12.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.48 PKR 1,793

$10.42 ₫269.7K

-37.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 PKR 344

$2.98 ₫77.2K

-58.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$1.26 ₫32.6K

-57.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 284

$1.57 ₫40.7K

-34.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 142

$1.25 ₫32.4K

-59.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 85.1

$1.18 ₫30.6K

-73.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 PKR 87.1

$1.19 ₫30.9K

-73.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 PKR 113

$0.73 ₫18.8K

-43.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 PKR 120

$0.52 ₫13.5K

-15.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.83 PKR 508

$1.25 ₫32.4K

46.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 ₫333.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ₫38.0K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PKR 76.8

$0.35 ₫9,126

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

$6.85 ₫177.5K

43.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 PKR 240

$0.74 ₫19.3K

17.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$0.62 ₫16.0K

19.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 PKR 617

$3.00 ₫77.7K

-25.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 PKR 383

$0.90 ₫23.4K

53.33%

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

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

$31.4K ₫812.5M

-41.52%

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

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

$29.7K ₫769.5M

-11.03%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$105 ₫2.7M

7.67%

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

$6.12 PKR 1,694

$5.87 ₫152.1K

4.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.11 PKR 3,628

$10.60 ₫274.4K

23.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.78 PKR 6,029

$25.41 ₫657.8K

-14.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

$7.53 ₫195.0K

142.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 PKR 1,179

$3.82 ₫98.9K

11.52%

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

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

$448 ₫11.6M

-88.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

$24.1K ₫622.7M

-91.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.53 PKR 4,852

$52.2 ₫1.4M

-66.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.88 PKR 6,332

$34.58 ₫895.3K

-33.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

$90.9 ₫2.4M

-25.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

$94.9 ₫2.5M

-56.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$118 PKR 32.5K

$362 ₫9.4M

-67.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

$280 ₫7.2M

-73.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 PKR 99.6K

$836 ₫21.6M

-56.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 PKR 52.1K

$675 ₫17.5M

-72.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

$1,961 ₫50.8M

-44.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$474 PKR 131.2K

$1,360 ₫35.2M

-65.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.21

8.64

52.89%

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

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Song Be: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karachi

$133 27.4%

Song Be

$122 14.5% 8.2% $11

Groceries & Markets

Karachi

$102 21.1%

Song Be

$206 24.6% 102% $104

Accommodation & Living

Karachi

$73 15.2%

Song Be

$280 33.3% 282% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Karachi

$68 14%

Song Be

$123 14.6% 81.6% $55

Eating Out

Karachi

$62 12.8%

Song Be

$64 7.7% 3.6% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Karachi

$30 6.3%

Song Be

$33 3.9% 9% $2.7

Getting Around

Karachi

$15 3.2%

Song Be

$12 1.4% 21.8% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $118 in Karachi and $362 in Song Be. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Karachi vs $23.00 in Song Be for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $102 vs $206 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Karachi

🇻🇳 Song Be

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

2 h ahead of Karachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Karachi Song Be 4,430 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Karachi
Song Be

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 Song Be: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karachi and Song Be differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($483 vs $839 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $725 in Karachi and $1,259 in Song Be to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $118 in Karachi versus $362 in Song Be. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $483 per month in Karachi versus $839 in Song Be – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 43% less than in Song Be. 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.

Safety-wise, Karachi and Song Be 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 74% less than in Song Be. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.