Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phi Phi and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Koh Phi Phi
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,930
/mo nomad
Karachi
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$490
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi versus $490 in Karachi.

  • Koh Phi Phi $1,930
  • Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,266 in Koh Phi Phi versus $755 in Karachi.

  • Koh Phi Phi $3,266
  • Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,603 in Koh Phi Phi versus $1,019 in Karachi.

  • Koh Phi Phi $4,603
  • Karachi $1,019

Living in Koh Phi Phi is roughly 294% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koh Phi Phi is 44% above, Karachi is 63% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koh Phi Phi
Karachi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.82 ฿228
$2.15 PKR 596
217.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.47 ฿1,623
$13.37 PKR 3,700
262.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.83 ฿430
$5.29 PKR 1,464
142.53%
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
$4.10 ฿137
$2.11 PKR 583
94.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 ฿45.48
$0.37 PKR 103
267.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 ฿24.55
$0.28 PKR 78.2
160.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 ฿129
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 ฿186
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koh Phi Phi
Karachi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 ฿67.1
$0.86 PKR 238
132.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 ฿57.6
$0.52 PKR 144
230.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 ฿63.0
$1.24 PKR 344
51.61%
Eggs
$2.52 ฿84.5
$1.24 PKR 342
103.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.69 ฿793
$5.86 PKR 1,622
304.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.05 ฿136
$3.12 PKR 862
29.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.17 ฿441
$6.25 PKR 1,731
110.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.50 ฿117
$1.29 PKR 356
171.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 ฿65.3
$0.54 PKR 150
261.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.71 ฿90.7
$0.99 PKR 273
173.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.55 ฿85.5
$0.56 PKR 155
355.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 ฿61.0
$0.33 PKR 91.6
451.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 ฿55.3
$0.35 PKR 95.9
371.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 ฿43.10
$0.45 PKR 124
186.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.62 ฿20.78
$0.44 PKR 121
40.91%
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)
$5.08 ฿170
$1.79 PKR 497
183.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.86 ฿732
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 ฿71.3
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 ฿114
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Koh Phi Phi
Karachi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.05 ฿102
$0.28 PKR 76.5
989.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$9.68 PKR 2,679
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.13 ฿138
$0.92 PKR 255
348.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 ฿49.50
$0.71 PKR 196
108.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.21 ฿174
$2.22 PKR 615
134.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 ฿67.3
$1.35 PKR 372
48.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.6K ฿1.3M
$17.8K PKR 4.9M
110.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K ฿1.3M
$26.7K PKR 7.4M
41.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Phi Phi
Karachi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 ฿3,556
$112 PKR 30.9K
-5.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.39 ฿415
$6.05 PKR 1,673
104.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.02 ฿637
$13.29 PKR 3,679
43.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koh Phi Phi
Karachi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.1 ฿2,080
$21.51 PKR 5,954
188.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.26 ฿444
$17.80 PKR 4,927
-25.51%
Cinema Ticket
$9.25 ฿310
$4.42 PKR 1,222
109.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koh Phi Phi
Karachi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$665 ฿22.3K
$50.7 PKR 14.0K
1211.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.0K ฿467.7K
$1,957 PKR 541.6K
613.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koh Phi Phi
Karachi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.3 ฿2,252
$17.57 PKR 4,862
282.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.94 ฿1,002
$22.78 PKR 6,304
31.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 ฿3,358
$67.6 PKR 18.7K
48.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.7 ฿3,037
$40.97 PKR 11.3K
121.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koh Phi Phi
Karachi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,569 ฿52.5K
$117 PKR 32.5K
1238.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,007 ฿33.7K
$75.7 PKR 21.0K
1229.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,640 ฿155.3K
$365 PKR 101.1K
1170.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,698 ฿90.3K
$182 PKR 50.5K
1379.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,572 ฿253.5K
$1,054 PKR 291.6K
618.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,505 ฿184.3K
$491 PKR 135.8K
1021.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koh Phi Phi
Karachi
Difference
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 Phi Phi: 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 Phi Phi
$1K
Karachi
$76 92.5% $931
Groceries & Markets
Koh Phi Phi
$321
Karachi
$101 68.6% $220
Eating Out
Koh Phi Phi
$181
Karachi
$61 66.3% $120
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Phi Phi
$138
Karachi
$131 4.7% $6.5
Clothing & Footwear
Koh Phi Phi
$130
Karachi
$67 48.3% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Koh Phi Phi
$81
Karachi
$30 62.4% $50
Getting Around
Koh Phi Phi
$24 *
Karachi
$15 35.7% $8.5

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 $1,569 in Koh Phi Phi and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Koh Phi Phi vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Koh Phi Phi
🇵🇰 Karachi
🕒 Local time
14:01 2:01 PM
12:01 12:01 PM
2 h behind Koh Phi Phi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,500
14,910,352
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Koh Phi Phi Karachi 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Koh Phi Phi
  • 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 Phi Phi vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Koh Phi Phi and in Karachi?
Koh Phi Phi and Karachi differ by about 294% in total monthly costs ($1,930 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Koh Phi Phi compared to Karachi?
You'd need roughly $2,894 in Koh Phi Phi 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Koh Phi Phi and in Karachi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Koh Phi Phi versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 219% higher in Koh Phi Phi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Koh Phi Phi or Karachi?
All in, you'll spend $1,930 per month in Koh Phi Phi versus $490 in Karachi – a 294% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $490 in Karachi versus $1,930 in Koh Phi Phi, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Koh Phi Phi. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Koh Phi Phi and Karachi?
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.
Is Koh Phi Phi or Karachi safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Koh Phi Phi 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.
Where should expats move: Koh Phi Phi or Karachi?
Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 294% less than in Koh Phi Phi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Koh Phi Phi vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?