Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taguig City and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Karachi: $483 a month against $1,017 in Taguig City, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Taguig City
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Taguig City Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
Learn more

Karachi Living Index

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Taguig City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,017

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taguig City and in Karachi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Taguig City versus $483 in Karachi.

Taguig City $1,017
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Taguig City versus $754 in Karachi.

Taguig City $1,533
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,049 in Taguig City versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Taguig City $2,049
Karachi $1,025

Living in Taguig City is roughly 110% more expensive than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taguig City 25% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 ₱246

$2.11 PKR 585

84.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.47 ₱1,666

$13.73 PKR 3,801

92.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.09 ₱195

$5.53 PKR 1,531

-44.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 PKR 609

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 PKR 2,040

Cappuccino

$2.47 ₱156

$2.14 PKR 593

15.42%

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

$0.74 ₱46.34

$0.40 PKR 111

85.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₱27.39

$0.28 PKR 77.7

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₱151

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.90 PKR 250

113.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ₱90.7

$0.55 PKR 153

161.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₱55.4

$1.20 PKR 333

-26.67%

Eggs

$1.77 ₱112

$1.25 PKR 346

41.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 ₱323

$5.96 PKR 1,650

-13.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₱289

$3.19 PKR 883

43.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.01 ₱504

$6.48 PKR 1,793

23.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$1.24 PKR 344

84.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 ₱115

$0.53 PKR 147

243.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 ₱173

$1.03 PKR 284

166.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$0.51 PKR 142

107.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 ₱104

$0.31 PKR 85.1

435.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 ₱168

$0.31 PKR 87.1

758.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 ₱101

$0.41 PKR 113

290.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱34.73

$0.44 PKR 120

25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.31 PKR 362

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 PKR 369

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 PKR 670

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱184

$1.83 PKR 508

59.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 ₱546

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₱80.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₱126

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.57

$0.28 PKR 76.8

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.81 PKR 2,716

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.42

$0.87 PKR 240

-10.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.45

$0.74 PKR 204

-68.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.23 PKR 617

-13.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.7

$1.38 PKR 383

-9.42%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

15.49%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-26.81%

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

$110 ₱6,907

$113 PKR 31.4K

-3.16%

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

$15.53 ₱978

$6.12 PKR 1,694

153.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.08 ₱1,453

$13.11 PKR 3,628

76.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 ₱2,538

$21.78 PKR 6,029

85.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.27 PKR 5,058

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ₱414

$4.26 PKR 1,179

54.46%

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

$133 ₱8,378

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

155.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,811 ₱554.7K

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

353.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.50 ₱2,550

$17.53 PKR 4,852

131.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 ₱1,716

$22.88 PKR 6,332

19.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 ₱4,207

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

-1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 ₱3,674

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

40.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₱39.3K

$118 PKR 32.5K

431.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ₱27.9K

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

505.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,553 ₱160.8K

$360 PKR 99.6K

609.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 ₱51.6K

$188 PKR 52.1K

334.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,934 ₱247.7K

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

263.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,346 ₱84.7K

$474 PKR 131.2K

183.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 ₱29.4K

$182 PKR 50.4K

156.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

13.21

-48.30%

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

Last update for Taguig City: October 18, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taguig City

$443 43.6%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 83.5% $370

Groceries & Markets

Taguig City

$196 19.3%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 48% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taguig City

$148 14.6%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 10.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Taguig City

$87 8.5%

Karachi

$68 14% 22.2% $19

Eating Out

Taguig City

$86 8.4%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 27.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Taguig City

$53 5.3%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 43.3% $23

Getting Around

Taguig City

$2.7 * 0.3%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 467% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $624 in Taguig City and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taguig City pays 157% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $26.00 in Taguig City vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $102 per month, with Karachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Taguig City

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

05:59 5:59 AM

3 h behind Taguig City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,397

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taguig City Karachi 5,740 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Taguig City
Karachi

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

Taguig City vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taguig City and Karachi differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $483 including rent). Karachi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 157% higher in Taguig City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $624 in Taguig City versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Taguig City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Taguig City versus $483 in Karachi – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $483 in Karachi versus $1,017 in Taguig City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karachi but tight or insufficient in Taguig City. The gap between the two cities makes Karachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Taguig City and Karachi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Karachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Taguig City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.