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: $1,391 in South Korea versus $450 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,185 in South Korea versus $678 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,978 in South Korea versus $905 in Pakistan.

Living in South Korea is roughly 209% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

South Korea (1% above) and Pakistan (67% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Korea: monthly costs span $1,043 to $1,783, compared to $296–$604 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in South Korea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.51 ₩10.1K

$2.10 PKR 581

257.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.70 ₩59.9K

$14.51 PKR 4,021

208.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 ₩8,926

$5.53 PKR 1,533

20.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 PKR 594

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 PKR 1,120

Cappuccino

$3.98 ₩5,343

$2.04 PKR 564

95.10%

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

$1.64 ₩2,195

$0.38 PKR 105

331.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,047

$0.24 PKR 66.7

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ₩4,946

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₩5,962

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,927

$0.85 PKR 235

156.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 ₩3,857

$0.63 PKR 174

357.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 ₩4,506

$1.22 PKR 339

175.41%

Eggs

$3.21 ₩4,308

$1.22 PKR 337

163.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.62 ₩19.6K

$5.79 PKR 1,603

152.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 ₩11.9K

$2.90 PKR 803

206.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.65 ₩33.1K

$5.08 PKR 1,407

385.24%

Apples (1kg)

$8.27 ₩11.1K

$1.13 PKR 313

631.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,616

$0.69 PKR 191

398.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 ₩8,478

$0.84 PKR 232

652.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$0.57 PKR 159

929.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ₩5,264

$0.34 PKR 95.0

1055.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 ₩3,751

$0.42 PKR 116

566.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,610

$0.34 PKR 95.1

691.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ₩1,571

$0.41 PKR 113

185.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.04 PKR 566

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 PKR 299

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 644

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ₩4,384

$2.14 PKR 594

52.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 ₩19.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,870

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ₩4,011

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ₩1,450

$0.18 PKR 48.48

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.55 ₩61.1K

$9.87 PKR 2,736

361.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 ₩4,588

$0.91 PKR 252

275.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩867

$0.52 PKR 144

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 ₩11.7K

$2.17 PKR 601

300.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,774

$1.22 PKR 337

8.20%

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

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

62.81%

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

$30.2K ₩40.4M

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

18.52%

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

$200 ₩268.7K

$108 PKR 30.0K

84.95%

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

$39.60 ₩53.1K

$5.35 PKR 1,481

640.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.91 ₩30.7K

$15.67 PKR 4,340

46.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ₩75.4K

$15.93 PKR 4,412

252.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 ₩21.5K

$10.70 PKR 2,964

49.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 ₩14.9K

$4.41 PKR 1,222

151.70%

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

$912 ₩1.2M

$42.68 PKR 11.8K

2037.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K ₩30.8M

$1,343 PKR 372.0K

1609.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 ₩75.8K

$15.94 PKR 4,417

254.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.05 ₩57.7K

$23.78 PKR 6,589

81.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 ₩104.2K

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

-1.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 ₩128.4K

$33.79 PKR 9,361

183.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₩786.7K

$134 PKR 37.1K

337.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 ₩544.2K

$77.9 PKR 21.6K

420.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 ₩2.1M

$309 PKR 85.5K

397.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$900 ₩1.2M

$172 PKR 47.7K

422.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K ₩21.4M

$1,017 PKR 281.8K

1468.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,144 ₩10.9M

$522 PKR 144.5K

1461.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,365 ₩3.2M

$185 PKR 51.2K

1180.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

13.96

-69.84%

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

Last update for South Korea: September 6, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $430 in South Korea, $122 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $891 in Seoul vs $270 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $2,116 in South Korea, $181 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 252% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 215% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 33% more expensive in South Korea.

Salaries are 1069% higher in South Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

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 $450 per month in Pakistan and $1,413 in South Korea, there's a 214% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Pakistan: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.