Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $1,257 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,257

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,257 in Makati versus $490 in Karachi.

Makati $1,257
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,052 in Makati versus $755 in Karachi.

Makati $2,052
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,847 in Makati versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Makati $2,847
Karachi $1,019

Living in Makati is roughly 157% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 6% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 ₱411

$2.15 PKR 596

205.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.13 ₱2,517

$13.37 PKR 3,700

200.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 ₱298

$5.29 PKR 1,464

-10.21%

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

$2.65 ₱166

$2.11 PKR 583

25.59%

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

$1.08 ₱67.6

$0.37 PKR 103

191.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.47

$0.28 PKR 78.2

78.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ₱153

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ₱195

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ₱115

$0.86 PKR 238

112.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱77.7

$0.52 PKR 144

138.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.24 PKR 344

-18.55%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱148

$1.24 PKR 342

91.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 ₱461

$5.86 PKR 1,622

25.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.91 ₱308

$3.12 PKR 862

57.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 ₱427

$6.25 PKR 1,731

8.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 ₱257

$1.29 PKR 356

217.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ₱125

$0.54 PKR 150

270.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 ₱205

$0.99 PKR 273

230.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$0.56 PKR 155

308.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 ₱225

$0.33 PKR 91.6

987.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ₱216

$0.35 PKR 95.9

885.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.0

$0.45 PKR 124

137.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.44 PKR 121

152.27%

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)

$2.66 ₱167

$1.79 PKR 497

48.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 ₱502

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱84.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ₱61.9

$0.28 PKR 76.5

253.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 ₱3,599

$9.68 PKR 2,679

492.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.39

$0.92 PKR 255

-28.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.46

$0.71 PKR 196

-67.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱118

$2.22 PKR 615

-15.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱79.0

$1.35 PKR 372

-6.67%

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

$21.5K ₱1.3M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

20.36%

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

$19.8K ₱1.2M

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

-25.93%

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

$155 ₱9,726

$112 PKR 30.9K

38.70%

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

$15.90 ₱997

$6.05 PKR 1,673

162.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.67 ₱2,049

$13.29 PKR 3,679

145.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ₱3,473

$21.51 PKR 5,954

157.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 ₱910

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-18.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 ₱438

$4.42 PKR 1,222

57.92%

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

$783 ₱49.1K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

1442.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,340 ₱460.4K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

275.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ₱3,738

$17.57 PKR 4,862

239.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.48 ₱2,351

$22.78 PKR 6,304

64.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 ₱5,171

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

22.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₱6,383

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

148.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 ₱51.9K

$117 PKR 32.5K

606.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 ₱26.1K

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

449.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 ₱145.4K

$365 PKR 101.1K

534.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 ₱66.9K

$182 PKR 50.5K

484.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,082 ₱381.5K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

477.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,765 ₱236.1K

$491 PKR 135.8K

667.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$616 ₱38.6K

$185 PKR 51.2K

233.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

13.21

-43.22%

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

Last update for Makati: October 6, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$416 33.8%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 81.8% $341

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$230 18.7%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 56.2% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$204 16.5%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 35.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.3%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 47.1% $60

Eating Out

Makati

$123 10%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 50.5% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 56.2% $39

Getting Around

Makati

$63 5.1%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 75.9% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Makati and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makati pays 233% 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: $40.00 in Makati vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

19:10 7:10 PM

16:10 4:10 PM

3 h behind Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 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 PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Makati Karachi 5,730 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Makati
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

Makati vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati and Karachi differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($1,257 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 233% higher in Makati, 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: $828 in Makati versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,257 per month in Makati versus $490 in Karachi – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 493% less than in Makati. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $1,257 in Makati, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Makati. 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, Makati 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 157% less than in Makati. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.