Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $495 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$495

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $495 in Karachi.

Phuket $1,278
Karachi $495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $770 in Karachi.

Phuket $2,216
Karachi $770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,046 in Karachi.

Phuket $3,154
Karachi $1,046

Living in Phuket is roughly 158% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.21 PKR 610

102.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$12.87 PKR 3,562

151.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.27 PKR 1,459

67.17%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 PKR 598

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 PKR 2,036

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.16 PKR 598

31.02%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.38 PKR 106

128.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.25 PKR 69.3

96.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.90 PKR 248

84.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.52 PKR 143

180.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.20 PKR 331

25.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.25 PKR 346

67.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.82 PKR 1,611

227.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.11 PKR 860

6.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.53 PKR 1,807

67.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.28 PKR 354

128.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.54 PKR 149

212.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.02 PKR 283

120.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.56 PKR 155

271.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.34 PKR 94.9

344.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.31 PKR 87.0

345.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.41 PKR 113

160.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.43 PKR 120

20.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 PKR 355

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 368

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 PKR 678

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.78 PKR 492

135.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.28 PKR 77.1

417.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$11.70 PKR 3,237

384.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.92 PKR 254

228.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.73 PKR 203

39.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.22 PKR 615

66.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.33 PKR 369

10.53%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

46.66%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

1.17%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$112 PKR 31.0K

-14.10%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$5.99 PKR 1,656

87.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$13.18 PKR 3,648

27.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$24.67 PKR 6,825

172.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$18.29 PKR 5,061

-41.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.34 PKR 1,201

72.81%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$67.2 PKR 18.6K

608.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$1,915 PKR 529.8K

488.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$17.61 PKR 4,873

254.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$22.03 PKR 6,096

28.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

37.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$40.66 PKR 11.3K

111.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$136 PKR 37.6K

426.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$82.2 PKR 22.7K

497.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$392 PKR 108.5K

391.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$207 PKR 57.2K

591.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,046 PKR 289.5K

299.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$482 PKR 133.2K

532.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$184 PKR 51.0K

172.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.21

-57.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Karachi

$82 16.6% 83.3% $409

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Karachi

$102 20.5% 61.9% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Karachi

$131 26.6% 5.5% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Karachi

$67 13.5% 45.1% $55

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Karachi

$62 12.5% 49.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Karachi

$33 6.7% 59.4% $49

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Karachi

$17 3.5% 75.3% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $136 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $13 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Karachi 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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

Phuket vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $495 in Karachi, so Karachi is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.7 times higher, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $136 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $495 in Karachi – Karachi is about 61% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 79% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $495 in Karachi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.