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 $1,425 in South Korea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $592 in Pakistan versus $2,249 in South Korea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $792 in Pakistan versus $3,073 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 $1,246 to $1,761, compared to $289–$533 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in South Korea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.75 PKR 488

$7.18 ₩10.9K

-75.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.30 PKR 3,421

$43.22 ₩65.6K

-71.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 PKR 1,147

$5.82 ₩8,842

-29.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 PKR 488

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 PKR 1,161

Cappuccino

$1.72 PKR 479

$3.83 ₩5,817

-55.09%

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

$0.33 PKR 92.6

$1.58 ₩2,400

-79.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.2

$0.78 ₩1,184

-73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩5,535

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 ₩7,169

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 PKR 227

$2.24 ₩3,399

-63.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 152

$3.14 ₩4,768

-82.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 PKR 325

$3.05 ₩4,636

-61.64%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 337

$3.11 ₩4,719

-61.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 PKR 1,645

$14.06 ₩21.4K

-57.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.91 PKR 810

$9.59 ₩14.6K

-69.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.14 PKR 1,151

$30.17 ₩45.8K

-86.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 PKR 294

$8.02 ₩12.2K

-86.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 PKR 172

$3.52 ₩5,343

-82.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 PKR 213

$5.81 ₩8,816

-86.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 147

$6.29 ₩9,556

-91.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$3.68 ₩5,587

-89.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 PKR 134

$2.96 ₩4,495

-83.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 PKR 106

$2.52 ₩3,820

-84.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$1.19 ₩1,811

-67.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.99 PKR 552

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PKR 295

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 PKR 558

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 PKR 567

$3.29 ₩4,994

-37.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.53 ₩25.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₩3,200

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₩4,518

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 56.5

$1.07 ₩1,630

-81.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.26 PKR 2,020

$46.80 ₩71.1K

-84.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 PKR 252

$3.36 ₩5,110

-73.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 PKR 146

$0.58 ₩876

-10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 PKR 484

$8.73 ₩13.3K

-80.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 PKR 268

$1.24 ₩1,883

-22.58%

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

$17.4K PKR 4.8M

$27.9K ₩42.4M

-37.65%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$24.1K ₩36.6M

-2.60%

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

$111 PKR 30.9K

$168 ₩255.6K

-34.03%

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

$4.55 PKR 1,266

$41.60 ₩63.2K

-89.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 PKR 4,236

$21.62 ₩32.8K

-29.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.26 PKR 3,686

$52.0 ₩79.0K

-74.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.49 PKR 2,360

$19.62 ₩29.8K

-56.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 PKR 1,191

$11.10 ₩16.9K

-61.44%

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

$38.97 PKR 10.8K

$383 ₩581.5K

-89.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,177 PKR 327.3K

$22.7K ₩34.4M

-94.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.65 PKR 4,352

$58.6 ₩88.9K

-73.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.01 PKR 6,398

$48.36 ₩73.4K

-52.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 PKR 20.2K

$79.7 ₩121.0K

-9.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.10 PKR 8,925

$108 ₩164.3K

-70.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$111 PKR 30.8K

$626 ₩951.3K

-82.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$66.4 PKR 18.5K

$413 ₩627.8K

-83.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 PKR 75.5K

$1,569 ₩2.4M

-82.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 PKR 46.0K

$979 ₩1.5M

-83.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$987 PKR 274.5K

$13.8K ₩21.0M

-92.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$517 PKR 143.8K

$7,144 ₩10.8M

-92.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$184 PKR 51.0K

$2,077 ₩3.2M

-91.16%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for South Korea: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $78.0 in Pakistan, $457 in South Korea. Capital cities: $201 in Islamabad vs $962 in Seoul.

National salary averages: $183 in Pakistan, $1,931 in South Korea. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 486% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 264% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 71% more expensive in South Korea.

Salaries are 955% 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 $411 per month in Pakistan and $1,504 in South Korea, there's a 266% 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.