Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Princesa and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $482 a month against $705 in Puerto Princesa, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Puerto Princesa
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Puerto Princesa Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$705

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $705 in Puerto Princesa versus $482 in Karachi.

Puerto Princesa $705
Karachi $482

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,050 in Puerto Princesa versus $750 in Karachi.

Puerto Princesa $1,050
Karachi $750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,396 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,018 in Karachi.

Puerto Princesa $1,396
Karachi $1,018

Living in Puerto Princesa is roughly 46% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Princesa 48% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.28 ₱269

$2.13 PKR 588

100.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.84 ₱1,061

$13.30 PKR 3,680

26.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ₱289

$5.45 PKR 1,508

-15.78%

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

$2.34 ₱147

$2.09 PKR 579

11.96%

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

$0.88 ₱55.2

$0.40 PKR 111

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.91

$0.26 PKR 71.1

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₱149

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ₱110

$0.92 PKR 254

90.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₱64.4

$0.56 PKR 156

82.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₱51.9

$1.25 PKR 345

-34.40%

Eggs

$1.75 ₱110

$1.23 PKR 341

42.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.52 ₱347

$5.67 PKR 1,570

-2.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 ₱342

$3.16 PKR 876

71.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.59 ₱415

$6.28 PKR 1,737

4.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 ₱149

$1.26 PKR 348

88.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 ₱53.3

$0.53 PKR 148

60.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 ₱151

$1.00 PKR 276

140.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.6

$0.56 PKR 154

103.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ₱96.4

$0.33 PKR 91.4

363.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ₱84.8

$0.34 PKR 95.1

297.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ₱59.4

$0.42 PKR 116

123.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱43.92

$0.44 PKR 121

59.09%

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)

$2.86 ₱180

$1.84 PKR 509

55.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₱458

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₱66.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₱84.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.71

$0.28 PKR 77.0

-10.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.06 ₱697

$9.99 PKR 2,764

10.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.36

$0.92 PKR 256

-19.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.17

$0.70 PKR 193

-70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₱123

$2.16 PKR 597

-9.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 ₱63.7

$1.38 PKR 382

-26.81%

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

$17.1K ₱1.1M

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

-4.51%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$27.1K PKR 7.5M

-29.50%

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

$62.2 ₱3,915

$113 PKR 31.4K

-45.18%

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

$10.94 ₱689

$5.95 PKR 1,648

83.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.60 ₱1,549

$13.16 PKR 3,642

86.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.60 ₱2,052

$21.55 PKR 5,965

51.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.75 ₱299

$18.23 PKR 5,044

-73.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 ₱318

$4.21 PKR 1,165

19.95%

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

$133 ₱8,357

$52.2 PKR 14.4K

154.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.5K

$1,940 PKR 537.0K

315.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.45 ₱2,106

$17.55 PKR 4,858

90.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.50 ₱1,228

$23.51 PKR 6,506

-17.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 ₱4,478

$68.9 PKR 19.1K

3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.2 ₱3,541

$40.59 PKR 11.2K

38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 ₱17.8K

$118 PKR 32.7K

139.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₱12.7K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

173.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 ₱32.7K

$357 PKR 98.9K

45.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ₱19.7K

$188 PKR 52.0K

66.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 ₱151.4K

$1,060 PKR 293.4K

126.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,008 ₱63.4K

$481 PKR 133.1K

109.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 ₱14.1K

$183 PKR 50.6K

22.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.12

13.21

-38.53%

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

Last update for Puerto Princesa: 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

Puerto Princesa

$201 28.5%

Karachi

$74 15.3% 63.4% $128

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Princesa

$176 24.9%

Karachi

$101 21% 42.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Princesa

$98 13.9%

Karachi

$133 27.5% 35.7% $35

Eating Out

Puerto Princesa

$93 13.2%

Karachi

$61 12.7% 34.1% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Princesa

$81 11.5%

Karachi

$68 14.1% 16.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Princesa

$43 6.1%

Karachi

$30 6.2% 29.8% $13

Getting Around

Puerto Princesa

$14 2%

Karachi

$16 3.2% 12.1% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Puerto Princesa and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Princesa pays 22% 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: $17.00 in Puerto Princesa vs $13.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $101 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

00:28 12:28 AM

3 h behind Puerto Princesa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,079

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 = 70.79 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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Between locations

Puerto Princesa Karachi 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Princesa
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

Puerto Princesa vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Princesa and Karachi differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($705 vs $482 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Puerto Princesa, 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: $283 in Puerto Princesa versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $705 per month in Puerto Princesa versus $482 in Karachi – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karachi runs roughly 11% less than in Puerto Princesa. 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, Puerto Princesa 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 46% less than in Puerto Princesa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.