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: $1,425 in South Korea versus $392 in Pakistan.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,073 in South Korea versus $792 in Pakistan.

Living in South Korea is roughly 264% 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 $1,246 to $1,761, compared to $289–$533 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in South Korea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 ₩10.9K

$1.75 PKR 488

310.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.22 ₩65.6K

$12.30 PKR 3,421

251.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₩8,838

$4.12 PKR 1,147

41.26%

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

$3.83 ₩5,815

$1.72 PKR 479

122.67%

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

$1.58 ₩2,398

$0.33 PKR 92.6

378.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,184

$0.21 PKR 58.2

271.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩5,532

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 ₩7,166

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,398

$0.82 PKR 227

173.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₩4,766

$0.55 PKR 152

470.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,634

$1.17 PKR 325

160.68%

Eggs

$3.11 ₩4,717

$1.21 PKR 337

157.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 ₩21.3K

$5.92 PKR 1,645

137.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 ₩14.6K

$2.91 PKR 810

229.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.17 ₩45.8K

$4.14 PKR 1,151

628.74%

Apples (1kg)

$8.02 ₩12.2K

$1.06 PKR 294

656.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 ₩5,341

$0.62 PKR 172

467.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩8,812

$0.76 PKR 213

664.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.29 ₩9,551

$0.53 PKR 147

1086.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.68 ₩5,585

$0.38 PKR 106

868.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 ₩4,493

$0.48 PKR 134

516.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 ₩3,818

$0.38 PKR 106

563.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₩1,810

$0.39 PKR 108

205.13%

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)

$3.29 ₩4,992

$2.04 PKR 567

61.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.53 ₩25.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₩3,199

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₩4,516

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₩1,629

$0.20 PKR 56.5

435.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.80 ₩71.0K

$7.26 PKR 2,020

544.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 ₩5,107

$0.90 PKR 252

273.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩875

$0.52 PKR 146

11.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 ₩13.3K

$1.74 PKR 484

401.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₩1,882

$0.96 PKR 268

29.17%

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

$27.9K ₩42.4M

$17.4K PKR 4.8M

60.37%

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

$24.1K ₩36.5M

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

2.66%

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

$168 ₩255.4K

$111 PKR 30.9K

51.59%

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

$41.60 ₩63.1K

$4.55 PKR 1,266

814.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.62 ₩32.8K

$15.24 PKR 4,236

41.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 ₩78.9K

$13.26 PKR 3,686

292.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.62 ₩29.8K

$8.49 PKR 2,360

131.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 ₩16.9K

$4.28 PKR 1,191

159.35%

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

$383 ₩581.3K

$38.97 PKR 10.8K

882.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K ₩34.4M

$1,177 PKR 327.3K

1827.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ₩88.9K

$15.65 PKR 4,352

274.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.36 ₩73.4K

$23.01 PKR 6,398

110.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 ₩121.0K

$72.5 PKR 20.2K

9.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₩164.2K

$32.10 PKR 8,925

237.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ₩950.9K

$111 PKR 30.8K

465.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$413 ₩627.5K

$66.4 PKR 18.5K

522.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 ₩2.4M

$271 PKR 75.5K

477.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 ₩1.5M

$166 PKR 46.0K

491.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K ₩21.0M

$987 PKR 274.5K

1299.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,144 ₩10.8M

$517 PKR 143.8K

1281.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,077 ₩3.2M

$184 PKR 51.0K

1031.57%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

National salary averages: $1,931 in South Korea, $183 in Pakistan. 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

South Korea vs Pakistan: 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.