Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaue and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $825 in Mandaue, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Mandaue
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Mandaue Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Mandaue

🇵🇭 Philippines

$825

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $825 in Mandaue versus $482 in Karachi.

Mandaue $825
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,203 in Mandaue versus $750 in Karachi.

Mandaue $1,203
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,581 in Mandaue versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Mandaue $1,581
Karachi $1,018

Living in Mandaue is roughly 71% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandaue 39% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ₱187

$2.13 PKR 588

38.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.45 ₱1,476

$13.30 PKR 3,680

76.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-26.79%

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

$2.58 ₱162

$2.09 PKR 579

23.44%

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

$1.54 ₱97.0

$0.40 PKR 111

285.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.05

$0.26 PKR 71.1

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 ₱108

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₱144

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱123

$0.92 PKR 254

111.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱68.7

$0.56 PKR 156

94.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.7

$1.25 PKR 345

-25.60%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱124

$1.23 PKR 341

60.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 ₱624

$5.67 PKR 1,570

74.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 ₱275

$3.16 PKR 876

37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 ₱481

$6.28 PKR 1,737

21.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 ₱219

$1.26 PKR 348

175.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ₱90.0

$0.53 PKR 148

169.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱144

$1.00 PKR 276

128.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ₱92.5

$0.56 PKR 154

162.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$0.33 PKR 91.4

609.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ₱124

$0.34 PKR 95.1

479.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.42 PKR 116

183.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.41

$0.44 PKR 121

52.27%

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)

$2.37 ₱149

$1.84 PKR 509

28.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.29 ₱396

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱108

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱14.97

$0.28 PKR 77.0

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.67 ₱609

$9.99 PKR 2,764

-3.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.69

$0.92 PKR 256

-19.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.19

$0.70 PKR 193

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 ₱119

$2.16 PKR 597

-12.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱83.3

$1.38 PKR 382

-4.35%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

18.57%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-29.39%

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

$98.3 ₱6,187

$113 PKR 31.4K

-13.38%

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

$14.07 ₱886

$5.95 PKR 1,648

136.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 ₱1,758

$13.16 PKR 3,642

112.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 ₱2,078

$21.55 PKR 5,965

53.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.27 ₱332

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-71.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.69 ₱358

$4.21 PKR 1,165

35.15%

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

$130 ₱8,204

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

149.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,979 ₱502.4K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

311.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.91 ₱2,072

$17.55 PKR 4,858

87.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.62 ₱1,235

$23.51 PKR 6,506

-16.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ₱4,790

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

10.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.7 ₱3,632

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

42.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.0K

$118 PKR 32.7K

263.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱15.8K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

241.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 ₱47.1K

$357 PKR 98.9K

109.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱22.2K

$188 PKR 52.0K

87.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,174 ₱136.9K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

105.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$902 ₱56.8K

$481 PKR 133.1K

87.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$234 ₱14.8K

$183 PKR 50.6K

28.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

13.21

-45.50%

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

Last update for Mandaue: October 11, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mandaue

$251 30.5%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 70.7% $178

Groceries & Markets

Mandaue

$205 24.8%

Karachi

$101 21% 50.6% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandaue

$140 17%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 5.5% $7.7

Eating Out

Mandaue

$88 10.7%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 30.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Mandaue

$84 10.2%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 19.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Mandaue

$44 5.4%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 32.5% $14

Getting Around

Mandaue

$12 1.5%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 25.1% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Mandaue and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaue pays 28% 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: $23.00 in Mandaue vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mandaue

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

04:17 4:17 AM

3 h behind Mandaue

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

364,116

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

Mandaue Karachi 6,200 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mandaue
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

Mandaue vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue and Karachi differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($825 vs $482 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Mandaue, 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: $429 in Mandaue versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $825 per month in Mandaue versus $482 in Karachi – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 3% less than in Mandaue. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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, Mandaue 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 71% less than in Mandaue. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.