Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Samui and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,183 in Koh Samui, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Koh Samui
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Koh Samui Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Koh Samui

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,183

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Koh Samui versus $490 in Karachi.

Koh Samui $1,183
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,939 in Koh Samui versus $755 in Karachi.

Koh Samui $1,939
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,694 in Koh Samui versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Koh Samui $2,694
Karachi $1,019

Living in Koh Samui is roughly 142% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Samui 12% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.36 ฿146

$2.15 PKR 596

102.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.80 ฿1,098

$13.37 PKR 3,700

145.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.50 ฿285

$5.29 PKR 1,464

60.68%

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

$2.73 ฿91.3

$2.11 PKR 583

29.38%

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

$0.94 ฿31.60

$0.37 PKR 103

154.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.59

$0.28 PKR 78.2

78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 ฿84.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$0.86 PKR 238

102.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.79

$0.52 PKR 144

180.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.2

$1.24 PKR 344

25.81%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$1.24 PKR 342

69.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿656

$5.86 PKR 1,622

234.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ฿110

$3.12 PKR 862

4.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 ฿366

$6.25 PKR 1,731

75.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 ฿99.0

$1.29 PKR 356

129.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$0.54 PKR 150

212.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.2

$0.99 PKR 273

124.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿70.3

$0.56 PKR 155

275.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.79

$0.33 PKR 91.6

342.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.53

$0.35 PKR 95.9

280.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ฿37.27

$0.45 PKR 124

146.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.97

$0.44 PKR 121

15.91%

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)

$4.23 ฿142

$1.79 PKR 497

136.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿611

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 ฿82.5

$0.28 PKR 76.5

778.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.15 ฿1,512

$9.68 PKR 2,679

366.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 ฿103

$0.92 PKR 255

234.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.62

$0.71 PKR 196

49.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.22 PKR 615

75.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ฿50.3

$1.35 PKR 372

11.11%

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

$28.2K ฿944.4K

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

58.11%

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

$27.7K ฿925.9K

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

3.43%

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

$102 ฿3,405

$112 PKR 30.9K

-9.03%

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

$11.78 ฿394

$6.05 PKR 1,673

94.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.76 ฿595

$13.29 PKR 3,679

33.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ฿1,812

$21.51 PKR 5,954

151.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.53 ฿386

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-35.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 ฿259

$4.42 PKR 1,222

74.89%

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

$615 ฿20.6K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

1112.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ฿415.9K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

534.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 ฿2,073

$17.57 PKR 4,862

252.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.96 ฿969

$22.78 PKR 6,304

27.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 ฿3,167

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

39.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 ฿2,951

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

115.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.7K

$117 PKR 32.5K

428.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ฿13.0K

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

413.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 ฿59.0K

$365 PKR 101.1K

382.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 ฿34.3K

$182 PKR 50.5K

462.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,971 ฿99.5K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

181.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,176 ฿72.8K

$491 PKR 135.8K

343.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$397 ฿13.3K

$185 PKR 51.2K

114.66%

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 Samui: 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 Samui

$389 33.5%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 80.5% $313

Groceries & Markets

Koh Samui

$267 23%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 62.3% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Koh Samui

$131 11.3%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 0.1% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Koh Samui

$123 10.6%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 45.6% $56

Eating Out

Koh Samui

$119 10.2%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 48.7% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Koh Samui

$70 6%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 56.4% $39

Getting Around

Koh Samui

$63 5.5%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 76% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Koh Samui and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Samui pays 115% 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: $33.00 in Koh Samui vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Koh Samui

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

13:22 1:22 PM

2 h behind Koh Samui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,110

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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Highest

Between locations

Koh Samui Karachi 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Koh Samui and Karachi differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($1,183 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 115% higher in Koh Samui, 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: $619 in Koh Samui versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,183 per month in Koh Samui versus $490 in Karachi – a 142% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 366% less than in Koh Samui. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $1,183 in Koh Samui, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Koh Samui. 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, Koh Samui 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 142% less than in Koh Samui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.