Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $978 in Keelung, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Keelung
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Keelung Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Keelung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$978

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Keelung and in Karachi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Keelung and in Karachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Keelung versus $482 in Karachi.

Keelung $978
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,717 in Keelung versus $750 in Karachi.

Keelung $1,717
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,457 in Keelung versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Keelung $2,457
Karachi $1,018

Living in Keelung is roughly 103% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 28% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 NT$151

$2.13 PKR 588

118.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.92 NT$1,035

$13.30 PKR 3,680

140.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$157

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-11.01%

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

$2.85 NT$92.4

$2.09 PKR 579

36.36%

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

$1.03 NT$33.31

$0.40 PKR 111

157.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.60

$0.26 PKR 71.1

180.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 NT$50.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 NT$91.1

Milk (1 liter)

$3.24 NT$105

$0.92 PKR 254

252.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 NT$45.01

$0.56 PKR 156

148.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 NT$36.44

$1.25 PKR 345

-10.40%

Eggs

$2.22 NT$72.1

$1.23 PKR 341

80.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.36 NT$952

$5.67 PKR 1,570

417.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 NT$189

$3.16 PKR 876

84.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.08 NT$554

$6.28 PKR 1,737

171.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 NT$141

$1.26 PKR 348

245.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 NT$61.4

$0.53 PKR 148

256.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NT$98.0

$1.00 PKR 276

202.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 NT$70.1

$0.56 PKR 154

285.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 NT$38.69

$0.33 PKR 91.4

260.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.6

$0.34 PKR 95.1

458.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 NT$78.5

$0.42 PKR 116

476.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.60

$0.44 PKR 121

106.82%

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)

$3.76 NT$122

$1.84 PKR 509

104.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 NT$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NT$35.21

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$83.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 NT$20.87

$0.28 PKR 77.0

128.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 NT$2,064

$9.99 PKR 2,764

537.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 NT$84.7

$0.92 PKR 256

183.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 NT$31.16

$0.70 PKR 193

37.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$311

$2.16 PKR 597

344.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.31

$1.38 PKR 382

-25.36%

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

86.09%

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

$23.0K NT$744.6K

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-15.22%

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

$41.52 NT$1,346

$113 PKR 31.4K

-63.40%

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

$15.14 NT$491

$5.95 PKR 1,648

154.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 NT$359

$13.16 PKR 3,642

-15.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.14 NT$1,107

$21.55 PKR 5,965

58.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.11 NT$1,041

$18.23 PKR 5,044

76.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.92 NT$257

$4.21 PKR 1,165

88.12%

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

$336 NT$10.9K

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

543.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$546.4K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

768.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 NT$2,368

$17.55 PKR 4,858

316.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.15 NT$1,172

$23.51 PKR 6,506

53.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.16 NT$1,529

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

-31.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.66 NT$1,027

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

-22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 NT$13.0K

$118 PKR 32.7K

239.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 NT$8,247

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

245.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 NT$31.7K

$357 PKR 98.9K

173.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.7K

$188 PKR 52.0K

288.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,385 NT$109.8K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

219.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,352 NT$76.3K

$481 PKR 133.1K

389.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,436 NT$79.0K

$183 PKR 50.6K

1231.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

13.21

-82.82%

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

Last update for Keelung: October 13, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Keelung

$341 34.9%

Karachi

$101 21% 70.3% $240

Accommodation & Living

Keelung

$254 26%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 71.1% $181

Eating Out

Keelung

$106 10.9%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 42.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Keelung

$85 8.7%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 19.9% $17

Getting Around

Keelung

$74 7.5%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 78.9% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Keelung

$68 6.9%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 95.7% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Keelung

$50 5.1%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 40% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Keelung and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 1232% 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: $32.00 in Keelung vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Keelung

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

22:22 10:22 PM

3 h behind Keelung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

372,100

14,910,352

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

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).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Keelung Karachi 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Keelung
Karachi

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

Keelung vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keelung and Karachi differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($978 vs $482 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1232% higher in Keelung, 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: $401 in Keelung versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $978 per month in Keelung versus $482 in Karachi – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 537% less than in Keelung. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $482 in Karachi versus $978 in Keelung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Keelung. 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, Keelung and Karachi 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 103% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.