Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Lanta and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $907 in Koh Lanta, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Koh Lanta
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Koh Lanta Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

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Koh Lanta

🇹🇭 Thailand

$907

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Lanta 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 Koh Lanta and in Karachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Koh Lanta versus $490 in Karachi.

Koh Lanta $907
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,498 in Koh Lanta versus $755 in Karachi.

Koh Lanta $1,498
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Koh Lanta versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Koh Lanta $2,089
Karachi $1,019

Living in Koh Lanta is roughly 85% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Lanta 32% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 ฿121

$2.15 PKR 596

68.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.92 ฿868

$13.37 PKR 3,700

93.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 ฿229

$5.29 PKR 1,464

29.30%

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

$2.26 ฿75.5

$2.11 PKR 583

7.11%

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

$0.78 ฿25.96

$0.37 PKR 103

110.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿12.15

$0.28 PKR 78.2

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 ฿69.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿98.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ฿51.4

$0.86 PKR 238

77.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ฿43.96

$0.52 PKR 144

151.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.45

$1.24 PKR 344

9.68%

Eggs

$1.87 ฿62.6

$1.24 PKR 342

50.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.72 ฿593

$5.86 PKR 1,622

202.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.00 ฿101

$3.12 PKR 862

-3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.85 ฿330

$6.25 PKR 1,731

57.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ฿85.4

$1.29 PKR 356

97.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.54 PKR 150

181.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ฿68.3

$0.99 PKR 273

106.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 ฿63.8

$0.56 PKR 155

241.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 ฿43.56

$0.33 PKR 91.6

293.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ฿40.09

$0.35 PKR 95.9

242.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿34.11

$0.45 PKR 124

126.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.55

$0.44 PKR 121

4.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.23 PKR 341

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 PKR 381

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 676

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ฿127

$1.79 PKR 497

112.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.52 ฿553

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ฿84.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 ฿61.3

$0.28 PKR 76.5

553.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.68 PKR 2,679

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.1

$0.92 PKR 255

163.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 ฿27.40

$0.71 PKR 196

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿100

$2.22 PKR 615

35.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ฿39.60

$1.35 PKR 372

-12.59%

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

$21.4K ฿716.8K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

20.02%

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

$20.9K ฿698.6K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

-21.96%

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

$93.3 ฿3,122

$112 PKR 30.9K

-16.59%

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

$10.49 ฿351

$6.05 PKR 1,673

73.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.60 ฿556

$13.29 PKR 3,679

24.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.05 ฿1,475

$21.51 PKR 5,954

104.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.20 ฿308

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-48.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 ฿219

$4.42 PKR 1,222

48.19%

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

$491 ฿16.4K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

866.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ฿351.4K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

436.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ฿1,997

$17.57 PKR 4,862

239.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.29 ฿914

$22.78 PKR 6,304

19.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 ฿3,038

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

34.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,778

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

102.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ฿14.7K

$117 PKR 32.5K

274.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ฿9,373

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

269.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 ฿42.3K

$365 PKR 101.1K

246.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.0K

$182 PKR 50.5K

292.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,095 ฿70.2K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

98.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,519 ฿50.9K

$491 PKR 135.8K

209.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$185 PKR 51.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.21

-57.83%

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

Last update for Koh Lanta: October 5, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Koh Lanta

$280 30.2%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 73% $204

Groceries & Markets

Koh Lanta

$241 26%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 58.2% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Lanta

$120 13%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Lanta

$117 12.7%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 42.9% $50

Eating Out

Koh Lanta

$97 10.5%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 37.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Lanta

$57 6.2%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 46.9% $27

Getting Around

Koh Lanta

$14 * 1.5%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 10.1% $1.4

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 $439 in Koh Lanta and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Koh Lanta vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Lanta

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

09:42 9:42 AM

07:42 7:42 AM

2 h behind Koh Lanta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,000

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Koh Lanta Karachi 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Koh Lanta
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

Koh Lanta vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koh Lanta and Karachi differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($907 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,361 in Koh Lanta and $735 in Karachi 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: $439 in Koh Lanta versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 139% higher in Koh Lanta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $907 per month in Koh Lanta versus $490 in Karachi – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Koh Lanta 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 85% less than in Koh Lanta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.