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

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in South Korea is roughly 263% more expensive than Pakistan on average.

South Korea (6% above) and Pakistan (71% below) 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

$7.43 ₩11.0K

$1.81 PKR 505

310.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.66 ₩66.0K

$12.45 PKR 3,474

258.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 ₩8,859

$4.18 PKR 1,167

43.30%

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

$3.81 ₩5,626

$1.74 PKR 486

118.97%

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

$1.63 ₩2,406

$0.36 PKR 100

352.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,162

$0.21 PKR 58.5

276.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ₩5,546

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 ₩6,873

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₩3,196

$0.83 PKR 231

160.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 ₩4,655

$0.59 PKR 163

433.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,567

$1.16 PKR 323

166.38%

Eggs

$3.10 ₩4,577

$1.21 PKR 337

156.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 ₩20.1K

$5.98 PKR 1,668

127.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ₩13.6K

$2.96 PKR 826

211.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.93 ₩44.3K

$4.17 PKR 1,162

617.75%

Apples (1kg)

$8.07 ₩11.9K

$1.06 PKR 296

661.32%

Banana (1kg)

$3.43 ₩5,068

$0.66 PKR 185

419.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.98 ₩8,836

$0.78 PKR 217

666.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 ₩9,352

$0.50 PKR 139

1166.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₩5,734

$0.35 PKR 98.3

1008.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 ₩4,303

$0.48 PKR 134

506.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 ₩3,587

$0.39 PKR 108

523.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,709

$0.38 PKR 106

205.26%

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)

$3.39 ₩5,005

$2.01 PKR 560

68.66%

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)

$1.08 ₩1,599

$0.16 PKR 44.30

575.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.60 ₩68.9K

$7.20 PKR 2,008

547.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ₩4,794

$0.91 PKR 254

256.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩840

$0.53 PKR 148

7.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 ₩12.7K

$1.79 PKR 501

381.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,823

$0.94 PKR 263

30.85%

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

$27.4K ₩40.6M

$17.6K PKR 4.9M

56.25%

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

$24.3K ₩36.0M

$23.9K PKR 6.7M

1.72%

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

$171 ₩253.4K

$109 PKR 30.4K

57.29%

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

$41.49 ₩61.3K

$4.71 PKR 1,314

780.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.33 ₩33.0K

$15.37 PKR 4,288

45.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 ₩76.0K

$13.22 PKR 3,688

288.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.52 ₩28.9K

$8.83 PKR 2,462

121.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 ₩16.3K

$4.22 PKR 1,176

160.90%

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

$384 ₩568.4K

$38.92 PKR 10.9K

887.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₩34.0M

$1,149 PKR 320.6K

1899.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 ₩85.0K

$15.51 PKR 4,327

270.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.00 ₩71.0K

$22.94 PKR 6,398

109.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 ₩115.4K

$71.0 PKR 19.8K

10.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₩159.0K

$33.10 PKR 9,233

224.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₩918.0K

$112 PKR 31.3K

454.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 ₩600.0K

$68.4 PKR 19.1K

493.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ₩2.3M

$277 PKR 77.3K

465.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₩1.5M

$166 PKR 46.3K

497.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.0K ₩19.2M

$905 PKR 252.5K

1331.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,071 ₩11.9M

$522 PKR 145.6K

1446.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,151 ₩3.2M

$188 PKR 52.6K

1041.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

18.97

-77.86%

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

Last update for South Korea: April 21, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,934 in South Korea, $181 in Pakistan. 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

South Korea vs Pakistan: 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.