Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manila and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $490 a month against $931 in Manila, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$490

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $931 in Manila versus $490 in Karachi.

Manila $931
Karachi $490

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,519 in Manila versus $755 in Karachi.

Manila $1,519
Karachi $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,106 in Manila versus $1,019 in Karachi.

Manila $2,106
Karachi $1,019

Living in Manila is roughly 90% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manila 31% lower, Karachi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 ₱352

$2.15 PKR 596

160.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.39 ₱1,718

$13.37 PKR 3,700

104.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ₱248

$5.29 PKR 1,464

-25.33%

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

$2.56 ₱161

$2.11 PKR 583

21.33%

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

$1.42 ₱89.1

$0.37 PKR 103

283.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₱50.9

$0.28 PKR 78.2

189.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱148

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.86 PKR 238

125.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ₱88.0

$0.52 PKR 144

169.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.2

$1.24 PKR 344

-17.74%

Eggs

$2.29 ₱144

$1.24 PKR 342

84.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ₱493

$5.86 PKR 1,622

34.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ₱307

$3.12 PKR 862

56.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 ₱425

$6.25 PKR 1,731

8.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ₱212

$1.29 PKR 356

162.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ₱116

$0.54 PKR 150

242.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ₱186

$0.99 PKR 273

198.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱112

$0.56 PKR 155

219.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₱140

$0.33 PKR 91.6

578.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ₱168

$0.35 PKR 95.9

668.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 ₱138

$0.45 PKR 124

388.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₱37.25

$0.44 PKR 121

34.09%

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)

$3.13 ₱196

$1.79 PKR 497

74.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 ₱591

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱83.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱125

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ₱29.46

$0.28 PKR 76.5

67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.58 ₱789

$9.68 PKR 2,679

29.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱48.77

$0.92 PKR 255

-15.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.43

$0.71 PKR 196

-67.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.22 PKR 615

-12.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.35 PKR 372

-1.48%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

19.61%

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

$19.7K ₱1.2M

$26.7K PKR 7.4M

-26.38%

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

$121 ₱7,614

$112 PKR 30.9K

8.59%

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

$16.04 ₱1,006

$6.05 PKR 1,673

165.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.25 ₱1,521

$13.29 PKR 3,679

82.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 ₱2,724

$21.51 PKR 5,954

101.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 ₱370

$17.80 PKR 4,927

-66.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ₱416

$4.42 PKR 1,222

50.00%

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

$613 ₱38.4K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

1107.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,953 ₱561.6K

$1,957 PKR 541.6K

357.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 ₱3,647

$17.57 PKR 4,862

230.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.18 ₱1,704

$22.78 PKR 6,304

19.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 ₱4,862

$67.6 PKR 18.7K

14.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 ₱3,574

$40.97 PKR 11.3K

39.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 ₱33.5K

$117 PKR 32.5K

355.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₱18.0K

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

279.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,916 ₱120.2K

$365 PKR 101.1K

424.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 ₱42.5K

$182 PKR 50.5K

271.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,439 ₱278.4K

$1,054 PKR 291.6K

321.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,556 ₱160.3K

$491 PKR 135.8K

420.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$485 ₱30.4K

$185 PKR 51.2K

162.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.43

13.21

-43.75%

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

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manila

$287 30.2%

Karachi

$76 15.7% 73.6% $211

Groceries & Markets

Manila

$221 23.3%

Karachi

$101 20.9% 54.5% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manila

$162 17%

Karachi

$131 27.3% 18.9% $31

Eating Out

Manila

$107 11.3%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 43% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Manila

$99 10.4%

Karachi

$67 13.9% 32.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Manila

$57 6%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 46.5% $26

Getting Around

Manila

$16 1.7%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 7% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $534 in Manila and $117 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manila pays 163% 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: $27.00 in Manila vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Manila

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

12:02 12:02 PM

3 h behind Manila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,780,148 Capital

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 = 70.35 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

Manila Karachi 5,730 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Manila
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

Manila vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manila and Karachi differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($931 vs $490 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 163% higher in Manila, 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: $534 in Manila versus $117 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $931 per month in Manila versus $490 in Karachi – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 30% less than in Manila. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $490 in Karachi versus $931 in Manila, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Manila. 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, Manila 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 90% less than in Manila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.