Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaluyong and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $841 in Mandaluyong, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Mandaluyong
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Mandaluyong Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Mandaluyong

🇵🇭 Philippines

$841

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $841 in Mandaluyong versus $482 in Karachi.

Mandaluyong $841
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,389 in Mandaluyong versus $750 in Karachi.

Mandaluyong $1,389
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,936 in Mandaluyong versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Mandaluyong $1,936
Karachi $1,018

Living in Mandaluyong is roughly 75% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandaluyong 38% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ₱297

$2.13 PKR 588

121.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.62 ₱1,046

$13.30 PKR 3,680

24.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.53 ₱223

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-35.23%

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

$2.18 ₱137

$2.09 PKR 579

4.31%

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

$0.99 ₱62.1

$0.40 PKR 111

147.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.84

$0.26 PKR 71.1

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱76.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₱152

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ₱105

$0.92 PKR 254

82.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ₱81.6

$0.56 PKR 156

132.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.8

$1.25 PKR 345

-17.60%

Eggs

$2.21 ₱139

$1.23 PKR 341

79.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.18 ₱326

$5.67 PKR 1,570

-8.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.84 ₱305

$3.16 PKR 876

53.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 ₱429

$6.28 PKR 1,737

8.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ₱213

$1.26 PKR 348

168.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 ₱119

$0.53 PKR 148

256.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 ₱194

$1.00 PKR 276

209.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 ₱116

$0.56 PKR 154

230.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱139

$0.33 PKR 91.4

569.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 ₱166

$0.34 PKR 95.1

673.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ₱39.08

$0.42 PKR 116

47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.84

$0.44 PKR 121

11.36%

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)

$2.94 ₱185

$1.84 PKR 509

59.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 ₱564

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱60.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₱130

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₱23.73

$0.28 PKR 77.0

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.99 PKR 2,764

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.72 ₱45.59

$0.92 PKR 256

-21.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.47

$0.70 PKR 193

-67.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₱122

$2.16 PKR 597

-9.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱76.5

$1.38 PKR 382

-11.59%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

17.62%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-28.69%

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

$138 ₱8,711

$113 PKR 31.4K

21.96%

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

$17.70 ₱1,114

$5.95 PKR 1,648

197.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.54 ₱1,545

$13.16 PKR 3,642

86.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.59 ₱1,989

$21.55 PKR 5,965

46.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.23 PKR 5,044

Cinema Ticket

$6.11 ₱385

$4.21 PKR 1,165

45.13%

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

$131 ₱8,261

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

151.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,790 ₱553.4K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

353.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.06 ₱1,830

$17.55 PKR 4,858

65.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.11 ₱1,707

$23.51 PKR 6,506

15.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 ₱4,481

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 ₱3,454

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

35.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 ₱39.1K

$118 PKR 32.7K

426.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₱15.1K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

226.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 ₱74.1K

$357 PKR 98.9K

229.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₱45.6K

$188 PKR 52.0K

285.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,810 ₱176.9K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

165.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 PKR 133.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$533 ₱33.6K

$183 PKR 50.6K

191.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

13.21

-48.90%

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

Last update for Mandaluyong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandaluyong

$241 28.6%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 69.4% $167

Groceries & Markets

Mandaluyong

$200 23.7%

Karachi

$101 21% 49.3% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaluyong

$181 21.5%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 26.6% $48

Eating Out

Mandaluyong

$91 10.9%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 33.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaluyong

$82 9.7%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 17.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaluyong

$44 5.2%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 31.6% $14

Getting Around

Mandaluyong

$3.4 * 0.4%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 359% $12

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 $622 in Mandaluyong and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaluyong pays 192% 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: $17.00 in Mandaluyong vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaluyong

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

04:26 4:26 AM

3 h behind Mandaluyong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

425,758

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 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 PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mandaluyong Karachi 5,730 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mandaluyong
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

Mandaluyong vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaluyong and Karachi differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($841 vs $482 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 192% higher in Mandaluyong, 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: $622 in Mandaluyong versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Mandaluyong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $841 per month in Mandaluyong versus $482 in Karachi – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $482 in Karachi versus $841 in Mandaluyong, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Mandaluyong. 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, Mandaluyong 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 75% less than in Mandaluyong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.