Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakistan: $483 a month against $1,596 in South Korea, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
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South Korea Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Pakistan
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Pakistan Living Index

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🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Korea and in Pakistan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in South Korea and in Pakistan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,596 in South Korea versus $483 in Pakistan.

South Korea $1,596
Pakistan $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,542 in South Korea versus $736 in Pakistan.

South Korea $2,542
Pakistan $736

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,487 in South Korea versus $988 in Pakistan.

South Korea $3,487
Pakistan $988

Internal cost variation is higher in South Korea: monthly costs span $1,044 to $1,848, compared to $291–$607 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in South Korea.

Living in South Korea is roughly 231% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

South Korea (17% above) and Pakistan (65% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,879

$2.11 PKR 583

252.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 ₩59.1K

$13.97 PKR 3,866

218.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,644

$5.50 PKR 1,523

18.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 PKR 616

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 PKR 1,193

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₩5,084

$1.97 PKR 546

94.42%

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

$1.59 ₩2,113

$0.38 PKR 105

318.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,033

$0.23 PKR 63.7

239.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,093

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₩5,872

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,920

$0.87 PKR 240

152.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 ₩3,931

$0.60 PKR 165

393.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,694

$1.21 PKR 335

192.56%

Eggs

$3.22 ₩4,271

$1.21 PKR 334

166.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 ₩17.7K

$5.42 PKR 1,500

146.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 ₩11.8K

$2.83 PKR 783

214.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩34.7K

$5.06 PKR 1,400

417.19%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩11.3K

$1.20 PKR 331

607.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,495

$0.64 PKR 176

429.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 ₩8,516

$0.87 PKR 241

637.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,795

$0.54 PKR 149

987.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,166

$0.33 PKR 91.8

1078.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩3,774

$0.39 PKR 108

628.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,568

$0.37 PKR 104

627.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,533

$0.41 PKR 113

180.49%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.08 PKR 575

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 296

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 PKR 652

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,544

$2.14 PKR 593

59.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩22.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₩2,821

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,860

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,457

$0.20 PKR 55.0

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 ₩64.2K

$10.01 PKR 2,769

383.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,667

$0.88 PKR 243

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩867

$0.56 PKR 155

16.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 ₩12.1K

$2.22 PKR 614

311.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₩1,833

$1.29 PKR 357

6.98%

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

$30.3K ₩40.2M

$17.8K PKR 4.9M

70.24%

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

$30.0K ₩39.8M

$24.3K PKR 6.7M

23.21%

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

$210 ₩278.4K

$110 PKR 30.5K

90.14%

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

$40.27 ₩53.5K

$5.41 PKR 1,496

644.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 ₩32.1K

$15.79 PKR 4,369

53.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 ₩71.4K

$18.50 PKR 5,119

190.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ₩22.3K

$11.09 PKR 3,067

51.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.3K

$4.32 PKR 1,195

166.20%

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

$985 ₩1.3M

$56.4 PKR 15.6K

1648.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩31.4M

$1,511 PKR 418.2K

1465.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.2K

$17.56 PKR 4,860

235.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.48 ₩60.4K

$23.58 PKR 6,524

92.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩104.0K

$76.7 PKR 21.2K

2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ₩129.7K

$35.08 PKR 9,707

178.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₩856.2K

$150 PKR 41.5K

330.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₩591.9K

$87.4 PKR 24.2K

410.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 ₩2.3M

$320 PKR 88.7K

434.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 ₩1.3M

$190 PKR 52.5K

426.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K ₩20.9M

$970 PKR 268.5K

1525.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,299 ₩11.0M

$520 PKR 144.0K

1494.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,345 ₩3.1M

$192 PKR 53.2K

1120.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

14.1

-70.00%

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

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

South Korea

$451 28.3%

Pakistan

$94 19.5% 79.2% $357

Accommodation & Living

South Korea

$446 27.9%

Pakistan

$87 18.1% 80.4% $358

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Korea

$274 17.2%

Pakistan

$131 27.2% 52% $143

Eating Out

South Korea

$163 10.2%

Pakistan

$59 12.3% 63.4% $103

Clothing & Footwear

South Korea

$126 7.9%

Pakistan

$69 14.3% 45.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

South Korea

$77 4.8%

Pakistan

$27 5.6% 64.7% $50

Getting Around

South Korea

$60 3.7%

Pakistan

$14 3% 75.7% $45

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $493 in South Korea, $137 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $924 in Seoul vs $261 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $2,148 in South Korea, $185 in Pakistan. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 260% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 223% more in South Korea.

Public transport is 380% more expensive in South Korea.

Salaries are about 12 times higher in South Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

Good to know

🇰🇷 South Korea

🇵🇰 Pakistan

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

4 h behind South Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,466,201

223,773,700

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.53 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.76 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,480 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.76 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

South Korea Pakistan 4,820 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

South Korea
Pakistan

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

South Korea vs Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $483 per month in Pakistan and $1,596 in South Korea, there’s a 231% 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 cheaper in Pakistan: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $493 in South Korea and $137 in Pakistan. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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.