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: $1,429 in South Korea versus $391 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in South Korea versus $590 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,068 in South Korea versus $788 in Pakistan.

Living in South Korea is roughly 265% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

South Korea (7% above) and Pakistan (71% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in South Korea: monthly costs span $1,229 to $1,770, compared to $294–$532 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in South Korea.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 ₩10.4K

$1.74 PKR 484

313.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.49 ₩62.8K

$12.15 PKR 3,371

257.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 ₩8,248

$4.31 PKR 1,196

32.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 PKR 1,123

Cappuccino

$3.67 ₩5,303

$1.80 PKR 500

103.89%

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

$1.57 ₩2,272

$0.34 PKR 94.0

361.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,126

$0.23 PKR 64.1

239.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ₩5,243

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 ₩7,060

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩3,181

$0.76 PKR 211

189.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 ₩4,422

$0.55 PKR 151

456.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 ₩4,479

$1.18 PKR 327

162.71%

Eggs

$2.95 ₩4,263

$1.16 PKR 321

154.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 ₩20.0K

$5.84 PKR 1,620

137.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 ₩13.6K

$2.91 PKR 806

224.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.00 ₩43.3K

$4.15 PKR 1,151

622.89%

Apples (1kg)

$7.89 ₩11.4K

$1.06 PKR 294

644.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩5,137

$0.61 PKR 170

483.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 ₩8,432

$0.80 PKR 222

630.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 ₩9,136

$0.49 PKR 137

1191.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₩5,490

$0.39 PKR 107

874.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 ₩4,243

$0.51 PKR 142

476.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 ₩3,552

$0.38 PKR 107

547.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₩1,739

$0.39 PKR 107

207.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 549

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 PKR 295

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 PKR 559

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 ₩4,819

$1.97 PKR 547

69.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 ₩21.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₩2,930

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₩4,235

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,572

$0.17 PKR 46.85

541.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.70 ₩67.4K

$6.96 PKR 1,932

570.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 ₩4,644

$0.84 PKR 232

283.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₩827

$0.57 PKR 157

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 ₩12.6K

$1.81 PKR 504

383.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₩1,718

$0.96 PKR 268

23.96%

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

$27.4K ₩39.6M

$17.5K PKR 4.8M

56.83%

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

$24.3K ₩35.1M

$23.6K PKR 6.6M

3.09%

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

$169 ₩243.3K

$110 PKR 30.4K

53.70%

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

$41.27 ₩59.6K

$4.74 PKR 1,315

770.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.12 ₩31.9K

$15.16 PKR 4,208

45.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ₩76.6K

$13.16 PKR 3,654

303.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 ₩29.0K

$8.95 PKR 2,483

124.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 ₩15.7K

$4.12 PKR 1,145

164.56%

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

$383 ₩552.2K

$39.53 PKR 11.0K

867.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K ₩33.5M

$1,143 PKR 317.3K

1933.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ₩83.1K

$15.62 PKR 4,335

268.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 ₩69.4K

$23.22 PKR 6,444

106.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 ₩116.0K

$72.4 PKR 20.1K

10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 ₩157.8K

$32.81 PKR 9,106

233.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₩885.6K

$111 PKR 30.7K

454.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩588.9K

$67.8 PKR 18.8K

502.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 ₩2.3M

$274 PKR 76.1K

476.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 ₩1.4M

$163 PKR 45.3K

498.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K ₩20.8M

$984 PKR 273.1K

1365.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,535 ₩10.9M

$502 PKR 139.2K

1402.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,161 ₩3.1M

$186 PKR 51.7K

1059.29%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $457 in South Korea, $78.0 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $964 in Seoul vs $197 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $1,951 in South Korea, $181 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 978% 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 $413 per month in Pakistan and $1,500 in South Korea, there's a 263% 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.