Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and South Korea Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakistan and South Korea

Name: South Korea
Address: KR

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $392 in Pakistan versus $1,424 in South Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $592 in Pakistan versus $2,250 in South Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $791 in Pakistan versus $3,076 in South Korea.

Living in Pakistan costs about 72% less than in South Korea on average.

Pakistan (71% below) and South Korea (6% above) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Korea: monthly costs span $1,240 to $1,789, compared to $291–$541 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in South Korea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.81 PKR 505

$7.43 ₩11.0K

-75.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.45 PKR 3,474

$44.66 ₩66.0K

-72.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.18 PKR 1,167

$5.99 ₩8,859

-30.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 483

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 PKR 1,102

Cappuccino

$1.74 PKR 486

$3.81 ₩5,626

-54.33%

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

$0.36 PKR 100

$1.63 ₩2,406

-77.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.5

$0.79 ₩1,162

-73.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ₩5,546

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 ₩6,873

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 PKR 231

$2.16 ₩3,196

-61.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 PKR 163

$3.15 ₩4,655

-81.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 PKR 323

$3.09 ₩4,567

-62.46%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 337

$3.10 ₩4,577

-60.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.98 PKR 1,668

$13.59 ₩20.1K

-56.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 PKR 826

$9.22 ₩13.6K

-67.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.17 PKR 1,162

$29.93 ₩44.3K

-86.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 296

$8.07 ₩11.9K

-86.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 PKR 185

$3.43 ₩5,068

-80.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 PKR 217

$5.98 ₩8,836

-86.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 PKR 139

$6.33 ₩9,352

-92.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 98.3

$3.88 ₩5,734

-90.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 PKR 134

$2.91 ₩4,303

-83.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 PKR 108

$2.43 ₩3,587

-83.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.16 ₩1,709

-67.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 554

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 PKR 292

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 PKR 562

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 PKR 560

$3.39 ₩5,005

-40.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 ₩24.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₩3,055

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ₩4,355

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 44.30

$1.08 ₩1,599

-85.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.20 PKR 2,008

$46.60 ₩68.9K

-84.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 PKR 254

$3.24 ₩4,794

-71.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 PKR 148

$0.57 ₩840

-7.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 PKR 501

$8.62 ₩12.7K

-79.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 263

$1.23 ₩1,823

-23.58%

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

$17.6K PKR 4.9M

$27.4K ₩40.6M

-36.00%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.7M

$24.3K ₩36.0M

-1.69%

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

$109 PKR 30.4K

$171 ₩253.4K

-36.42%

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

$4.71 PKR 1,314

$41.49 ₩61.3K

-88.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.37 PKR 4,288

$22.33 ₩33.0K

-31.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.22 PKR 3,688

$51.4 ₩76.0K

-74.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.83 PKR 2,462

$19.52 ₩28.9K

-54.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 PKR 1,176

$11.01 ₩16.3K

-61.67%

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

$38.92 PKR 10.9K

$384 ₩568.4K

-89.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,149 PKR 320.6K

$23.0K ₩34.0M

-95.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.51 PKR 4,327

$57.5 ₩85.0K

-73.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.94 PKR 6,398

$48.00 ₩71.0K

-52.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 PKR 19.8K

$78.1 ₩115.4K

-9.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.10 PKR 9,233

$108 ₩159.0K

-69.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$112 PKR 31.3K

$621 ₩918.0K

-81.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.4 PKR 19.1K

$406 ₩600.0K

-83.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 PKR 77.3K

$1,567 ₩2.3M

-82.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 PKR 46.3K

$990 ₩1.5M

-83.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$905 PKR 252.5K

$13.0K ₩19.2M

-93.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 PKR 145.6K

$8,071 ₩11.9M

-93.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$188 PKR 52.6K

$2,151 ₩3.2M

-91.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.97

4.2

351.67%

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

Last update for Pakistan: April 21, 2026

Last update for South Korea: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $77 in Pakistan, $457 in South Korea. Capital cities: $198 in Islamabad vs $964 in Seoul.

National salary averages: $181 in Pakistan, $1,934 in South Korea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 494% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 264% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 71% more expensive in South Korea.

Salaries are 969% higher in South Korea, giving South Korea stronger purchasing power.

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

Pakistan vs South Korea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $416 per month in Pakistan and $1,515 in South Korea, there's a 264% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Pakistan is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in South Korea beats Pakistan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Pakistan, $1,000 covers most cities easily. In South Korea, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Pakistan wins on affordability; South Korea may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.